The Cuyahoga County Planning Commission released “Our Communities: the 2021 Data Book,” which “provides insights into the communities that comprise Cuyahoga County,” according to County officials. “It is intended to be used by local governments, community organizations, and others interested in learning more about our communities. It can also be used as a resource in preparing grant applications, understanding community changes, and identifying issues to address. The 2021 Data Book was developed as part of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission’s Data Book Series. The Data Books provide information annually about our communities, our county, and our region in topic areas that are critical to our well-being.”
The Data Book covers 39 metrics in five categories. Each metric is mapped and displays a list by community. The data that was utilized to comprise the Data Book came from sources that include the U.S. Census Bureau, Northern Ohio Data and Information Service, Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office and County Planning Information and Research. Comparisons in the Data Book are made between the state, the Cleveland Metro area and Cuyahoga County.
The following are some of the highlights that refer to North Royalton:
Demographics (statistics of resident population composition):
North Royalton, according to the 2019 population estimates of the U.S. Census Bureau, shows a total population of 30,068, which compares to 1,235,072 in Cuyahoga County and 11,689,100 in the state of Ohio. With that population, North Royalton represents 2.4% of Cuyahoga County.
From 2014 to 2019, North Royalton lost 322 residents, which was a 2.9% reduction. North Royalton’s population per square mile is 1,410. The age breakdown is as follows: 19.6% children, 21.1% young adults,40.2 % working age adults, 19.3% seniors. North Royalton has 12,907 households, which represent 2.4% of Cuyahoga County. From 2014 to 2019, the city saw an increase of 396 households, which represents an 3.2% increase. The breakdown of the households is as follows 32.5% 1-person, 36.3% 2-person, 14.1% 3-person,17.1 % 4+-person. This averages to 2.3 persons per household. “The Cuyahoga County Planning Commission’s ‘Our Communities: the 2020 Data Book’ indicates the City will have a -0.4 % decrease in population between 2013 and 2018. This is an estimate that the planning commission prepared,” according to North Royalton Community Development Director, Tom Jordan. “While the regional population is aging and the average household size is shrinking, the city has added thousands of new home and multifamily units since the 2010 census was completed. My prediction is that 2020 Census will show an increase in population within the City of North Royalton since the 2010 census.”
• Economy (location of job centers, income, education and occupations of residents): North Royalton offers 6.799 jobs, which is 0.9 % of Cuyahoga County, which mainly fall under the category of Education and Health Services at 29.4% and Good Producing, at 20.5%. The percentage of residents commuting out of North Royalton to work is 68.9% and those living and working in North Royalton is 5.5%. The median household income in North Royalton is $70,655, compared to $50,366 in Cuyahoga County and $56,602 in the state of Ohio. The range in Cuyahoga County runs from $250,000 in Hunting Valley to $20,743 in East Cleveland. 4.7% of North Royalton residents, 1,472, live under the poverty level. North Royalton has 1,141 residents who are self-employed, which represents 8.8%.
• Housing: North Royalton has 13,614 housing units of the 618,395 in Cuyahoga County and 5,202,304 in the state of Ohio, which equates to 2.2% of Cuyahoga County. Of those, 72.8% are owned and 27.2% are rented. The median single-family home price is $263,950. The range in Cuyahoga County runs from $1,845,000 in Hunting Valley, to $25,750 in Lindale. The average age of the houses built in North Royalton is 38 years old, built in 1983. Of those, 69.5% are single family homes.
• Land Use: In North Royalton, 81.6% of the land is residential, 12.6% is commercial, 2.7% is industrial and 3.0% is other. 8.0% of the city, 1,097 acres, is park land, of the 28,146 in Cuyahoga County. 1,509 acres, or 13.0% of property in the city are vacant. 43.2% of the city has tree canopy coverage. The tree canopy coverage has decreased by 8.6% from 2011 to 2017.
Transportation: In 2019, 94.8% of North Royalton residents drove to work; .06% used public transportation; 0.6% walked to work; 3.7% worked from home and 0.3% used another method. 45.2% of North Royalton residents had a commute of more than thirty minutes. There is only one public transportation line and 6.9% of North Royalton residents are within 1/4 mile of a transit stop. North Royalton has 5.3 miles of bikeways and 12.4% of its residents are within 1/4 mile of a bikeway.
For more information about Cuyahoga County communities and how North Royalton compares to other communities, the complete Data Book Series is available on the county’s website,www.CountyPlanning.us/DataBook.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer