It can be challenging to decide where to move, so it can be beneficial to learn why individuals living in an area would suggest not moving to a specific city. There are many factors that should be considered before moving to any location. So, what are the reasons for not moving to Cleveland, Ohio?
After looking into many factors that are considered when moving to a different location, I have found some of the reasons why you shouldn’t move to Cleveland, Ohio.
1. Crime Rate
Many individuals living in the Cleveland area dislike the high crime rate
that seems to be continually rising as time passes. For many in the Cleveland area, it can be hard to feel safe and secure knowing that, on average, there is a chance that 1 in 17 individuals will be a victim of some form of crime.
Annually, there are about 21,719 crimes committed in Cleveland, Ohio. While the majority of these crimes are not violent, there are still over 6,000 violent crimes committed every year throughout the city of Cleveland.
2. The Winters
Many residents of Ohio can testify to the horror that is wintertime in this state. However, winters in the Cleveland area are far worse than in any other part of the state.
Cleveland gets an average of 54 inches of snow every winter. The snow that falls in the Cleveland area is different from regular snow. As a result of being located extremely close to the Great Lakes, Cleveland gets a large amount of lake effect snow, which is different from the snow that forms as a result of low-pressure systems. Lake effect snow is a result of the cold Canadian air going across the lakes, which causes the moisture surrounding the Great Lakes to form snow that is heavier than normal.
Other than the lake effect snow that is experienced by the individuals living in Cleveland, there is also the fact that winter seems to drag on for months on end. While most states and cities have winter that lasts only a few months, Cleveland’s winter lasts from November until early April.
3. Unreliable Public Transportation
When living in a city, using public transportation is something that many residents rely on. However, Cleveland does not offer public transportation that is extremely reliable.
Many individuals living in this area have complaints about the public transportation system that is currently in place, the RTA. Rather than being able to rely on this busing service to get to and from their needed destinations, many individuals in this area are late to work or their appointments as a result of the local busing system almost always being behind schedule.
4. High Unemployment Rate
Unless an individual living in the Cleveland area already has a job, it is unlikely that they will be able to find one. The unemployment rate in Cleveland, Ohio is more than the unemployment rate for the entire United States.
The job market is not allowing individuals in this area to find employment unless their career is in the medical field. This makes it extremely difficult for individuals in this area to find a job that can provide for not only themselves but also their families.
5. High Poverty Rate
As a result of the high unemployment rate, there is also a high poverty rate in Cleveland, Ohio. While there are parts of the city that are developed and appear to be safe, there are many neighborhoods that are underdeveloped and are often dangerous as a result of the high poverty.
These individuals in this are unable to provide for their families as a result of the lack of jobs available to Cleveland’s residents. This causes many of Cleveland’s residents to apply for help from the government to be able to provide for the basic needs of their families.
6. Relatively Isolated Developed Neighborhoods
The developed neighborhoods are spread out, making them relatively isolated. This makes it almost necessary for residents of Cleveland living in safer neighborhoods to have their cars. Without having their own means of transportation, it can be extremely difficult to get to an individual’s place of employment.
Individuals needing to own a car in order to live in safer neighborhoods can be extremely straining for individuals who do not have enough money to purchase a car. This might cause them to begin working longer hours or look into getting a second job in order to be able to afford reliable transportation and still be able to meet the needs of their family.
7. Inconsistent Weather
Ohio is known by many as a state that can have all of the seasons in one day. Cleveland is one of the cities that are most impacted by this drastic shift in weather.
This drastic shift includes going from sunny and 70 degrees Fahrenheit to being in the high 50s and storming. This drastic shift in weather can make it difficult for individuals living in this area to be able to effectively plan out their days when an activity is dependent on the weather.
8. The Season of Road Construction
While every city experiences road construction from time to time, in Cleveland it seems to be an entire season of never-ending road closures and detours.
As a result of the harsh winters that are experienced in Cleveland, there are many aspects of the roads that need to be fixed. Cleveland seems to save all the road construction for one specific time of the year: spring.
The road closure and detours can make it difficult for individuals in this area to be able to get around the city in a timely fashion. Many residents find road construction to be extremely frustrating.
9. Potholes
One of the biggest causes for all the road construction that takes place every spring in Cleveland is potholes. There are numerous potholes throughout the city that seem to make every road bumpy.
Potholes occur as a result of water freezing and expanding in the cracks of a road. Over time, these cracks transform into holes that are, in some cases, unavoidable.
Potholes can do damage to the underside of the vehicles of individuals residing in the Cleveland area. Even though there seems to be road construction constantly being done throughout the spring, there seems to always be potholes present throughout the city.
10. Natural Disasters
Cleveland is a city that gets tornadoes. While this natural disaster does not seem to occur extremely frequently, there are at least a few tornado warnings each tornado season. This means that the actual formation of a tornado is extremely rare in the Cleveland area, but Cleveland gets semiregular funnel clouds and has the conditions for a tornado forming rather regularly.
Another natural disaster that is commonly seen in the Cleveland area is flooded. There are times when streets throughout the city are filled with water as a result of the heavy rains that Cleveland can experience in the spring.
For individuals who do not have experience with these types of natural disasters, it can be challenging to adapt to these experiences.
11. Very Sports Obsessed
For individuals who are not interested in sports, living in the Cleveland area can be a cultural shock. This is a city that is almost entirely sports-obsessed. The community members rally together to support local teams such as the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Cavilers, and the Cleveland Guardians.
For most residents, attending the games for the different sporting teams in Cleveland is something that is done regularly.
Residents of Cleveland who are not big sports fans can feel out of place when everyone in the surrounding area is extremely passionate about whichever sport is currently in season.
12. High Taxes
Despite the fact that Cleveland has one of the higher unemployment rates in the United States, they also have to pay extremely high taxes. People are expected to pay higher income and property taxes than many other cities throughout the United States.
The high taxes can cause people who are living paycheck to paycheck as a result of low-paying jobs to struggle to have enough money to be able to pay taxes and all of their bills.
13. Lack of Apartment Availability
For people moving to the Cleveland area who are looking to rent an apartment, Cleveland has a lack of apartments that have available units for rent. This is a result of the fact that residents in Cleveland are not making as much as they need to be able to afford to move out of their apartments and purchase their own homes.
This is causing many individuals who are looking into living in Cleveland to become frustrated. It is common for individuals to call dozens of apartment complexes and only be able to view a few apartments. Even the complexes that are willing to do showings with individuals cannot guarantee that there are units available for them to rent.
14. It is a Dirty City
Many individuals residing in this city often complain about the fact that overall, Cleveland is rather dirty. Instead of being taken care of by its residents, there is a lot of litter that can be found throughout almost every aspect of the city.
The parks throughout Cleveland have trashcans available for individuals to dispose of their garbage in, however, the trash rarely seems to ever actually make it into the garbage bins.
Aside from the issue of individuals not properly disposing of their garbage, there are many homes throughout Cleveland that have homeowners that do not keep up on their yard work.
The overgrowing weeds of some of the homes throughout this city can cause individuals visiting this area to believe that no one takes care of their homes and their city properly.
15. More Married People than Single People
Cleveland is a city in Ohio that is highly populated by either married couples or families. This can make it difficult for single adults to live in this area. There are very few young single adults in the area, so it can cause people who move to Cleveland for school or work to struggle to have a thriving dating life.
Many individuals in this area who are interested in having a dating life tend to rely on dating apps to meet individuals. Most dates happen with individuals who live in areas outside of Cleveland, which makes dating without having reliable transportation to be nearly impossible.
16. Bad Reputation
Many individuals who live in Ohio have heard many horror stories about how unsafe Cleveland is. There seems to be a terrible reputation that accompanies this city. Many women have heard that Cleveland is unsafe for single women to live in or for women who are traveling alone.
While Cleveland does have some nice, safe, and good neighborhoods, many individuals just overlook this area of the city and only think of the areas of Cleveland that are burdened by poverty and high crime rates.
This idea that the dangerous parts of Cleveland are greater than the nicer neighborhoods is not necessarily true, it just happens that many individuals who are first moving to Cleveland end up living in areas of the city that are less than ideal.
The bad reputation that has been given to Cleveland allows many individuals to feel as if their families living in the Cleveland area are in danger and at constant risk of being a victim of some form of crime.
17. Pollution
Cleveland used to be a factory city, which led to a lot of pollution occurring in this area. This city is ranked one of the most polluted cities in the country.
This pollution is mostly air pollution as a result of the smoke that was produced by the various factories that were located in Cleveland. This means that, at times, the air quality in Cleveland is less than ideal.
Air pollution can make a location less than ideal for individuals who deal with lung and other health complications. The poor air quality can make it difficult for these individuals to breathe like they are supposed to.
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