Is Rocky River, OH a Good Place to Live?
Rocky River is a small city of 21,552 in Ohio, with a median household income of $90,459 and a 2.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Rocky River stands out for an affordable cost of living, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Rocky River is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Rocky River city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.8Rocky River's overall cost of living index is 96.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Rocky River costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Rocky River, OH | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $304,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,129 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 70.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $90,459 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeRocky River's violent crime rate is 23.5 per 100,000 residents — 94% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Rocky River is served primarily by Rocky River City. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Rocky River, OH | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Rocky River City | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 62.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Rocky River sees average highs of 35.8°F in January and 83.7°F in July, with 41.0 inches of annual precipitation and 63.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Rocky River, OH |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.8°F |
| Average High — July | 83.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 41.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 63.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Rocky River, OH | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,552 | — |
| Median Age | 43.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 24.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Rocky River
Rocky River, OH is covered by 1 ZIP code: