Vacant Properties Persist in Cuyahoga County—and Not Just in Cleveland

Cleveland.com provides in-depth analysis of the ongoing challenge to account for and improve the large number of vacant properties in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

1 minute read

August 15, 2015, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Houses in Cuyahoga County are selling faster than they have in a decade. But even now, years after the housing crisis subsided, abandoned homes dot every city," reports Mary Kilpatrick.

"The scourge of vacancies is worst in the inner ring, especially on the east side. Cleveland Heights had 709 vacant homes in the last quarter of 2014. Compared to Lakewood, which has 366. Both cities, and cities from Parma to Orange, are pushing to raze, remodel or flat-out camouflage vacancies, to keep nearby home sale prices up and criminals away."

According to data from the U.S. Postal Service, analyzed by the Northeast Ohio Community and Neighborhood Data for Organizing and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, the number of vacant homes in Cuyahoga County, 22,000, is equivalent to the number of vacant homes in the county in 2010. One surprising detail of the statistics: "8,800 of the vacant homes are outside Cleveland and East Cleveland, in the same suburbs where homes can top $1 million."

The article also includes details about the efforts of Cuyahoga County and its cities are doing to address the problem. 

Monday, August 3, 2015 in Cleveland.com

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight