A Cleveland Local Expert’s Guide To 10 Budget-Friendly Neighborhoods to Rent

Choosing the ideal place to call home in Cleveland may mean selecting a neighborhood that offers excellent access to the freeways or good overall schools for the kids. With diversity in each of the neighborhoods in the city and within the inner ring of suburbs, it's possible to find some outstanding rentals in affordable neighborhoods in Cleveland to call home. As the resident Cleveland area expert here at ApartmentHomeLiving.com, I’m here to help you out on your search for the perfect apartment or home with a few suggestions of some my favorites neighborhoods in and around town.  

Fairfax

The Fairfax neighborhood has long been called the "Renaissance" community, with an ever-changing face of diversity. It's on the East Side, situated along Euclid and 105th Street.

With the development of the Opportunity Corridor in 2022 to 2023, the housing options and ease of getting to I-90 and around I-480 are easier than ever. While Fairfax has notably some very beautiful homes, many of which are century properties, the area also has a wide-ranging selection of apartment communities, duplexes, and loft-style apartments in converted townhomes available as well. With some areas of newer developments, including walkable neighborhoods, Fairfax is a long-loved area that's seeing a significant resurgence.

What makes Fairfax special and one of the things I love about it is its history, which is noted for once being a cultural center of the city, including home to Karamu House, the first interracial theater in the region. It's also home to the city's largest employer, Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic's ever-growing presence has fostered more retail and dining in this area over the last 10 years.

Younger families are moving back into the region, thanks to good access to jobs, and since Fairfax is only about a 10-minute drive from University Circle and the Downtown Cleveland area, it's the ideal hotspot for those who don't want a long commute.

Kinsman

The Kinsman neighborhood is another area of the city that's undergone a resurgence in the last 10 years. The area, once a critical location for freight lines that linked the industrial and manufacturing powerhouses of Cleveland and Pittsburgh, today's Kinsman Road and Woodland Avenue area are lined with century-old homes and modern condo and townhome rentals. The area has some new housing developments, including multi-family properties and numerous brownstone-like structures with mid-rise apartments and lofts. Single-family home rentals exist here as well.

One of the core assets of living in Kinsman is its proximity to the city itself. The RTA's Red and Green Line are available to take residents into Downtown, which is about a 20-minute ride on the rapid transit system. However, I-490 has opened the door for additional commuting between the East and West Sides of the city, making it possible to commute throughout the inner and outer ring of suburbs within a short 30 to 40-minute drive. There are shopping centers and area parks, including Marion Motley Playfield and the Ken Johnson Recreation Center, to provide modern amenities.

University Circle

When you consider where to move in The Land, University Circle is the pinnacle of culture, science, and education, and it is home to Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Arts Magnet School, and the Cleveland Music School Settlement. In a true circle design around the prestigious Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and Severance Hall, all of which are notable cultural institutions here, University Circle provides a vast number of opportunities for renters.

Though some stately, stone-foundation homes dot the area, much of the area is modernized with high-rises, mid-rise multi-family rentals, and great apartment communities. University Circle brings with it some areas of luxury along with Blue Color communities. Beautiful parks and amenities, including Wade Park, Lakeview Cemetery (noted for its architecture as well as its famed residents), and Ambler Park, add charm to the area. With a centralized location for shopping and dining, much of the area is a locally owned establishment. University Circle is also within a 15-minute drive to the Downtown area of the city, along I-90, and easily offers connections to I-77 and I-490. The lake itself is a short drive away, providing access to boating, fishing, and entertainment.

Woodland Hills

Woodland Hills, an area noted for its strong Hungarian culture, sits on a hillside that looks over the rail lines that once carried coal and materials throughout the area. Much of this area was once dominated by working families who helped develop the city's manufacturing and steel industry in the early 1900s. Today, it is still home to stunning multi-family rental options, and larger single-family homes. With plenty budget-friendly renting options in Woodland Hills, it's a wonderful area to maximize your rent and find a larger-than-average place to live at a lower cost.

Notable locations in Woodland Hills include Luke Easter Park, a 116-acre park and one of the first in the city. The MLK Blvd area is home to retail and service companies, as is Reservoir Place and Buckeye Plaza, though mostly small shops. Benedictine High School remains here and has served the area as a private school for over 80 years. With bus lines that run through the area of Shaker and Woodhill, it's easy to navigate around the East Side in this community.

Downtown Parma

Parma is its own city, the largest of Cleveland's inner suburbs and the Downtown Parma neighborhood is a fantastic area to move. Many options for renters looking for good deals on rental homes and apartments dot this very large community that's located just off I-480 and I-71. Often referred to as "Cleveland South" because of its proximity just to the south of the city, Parma offers a wide range of amenities, including the Shoppes at Parma, Ukrainian Village, and Polish Village. A city that grew in prominence in the 1960s thanks to its proximity to the Ford Engine Plant, today, Parma is a busy, mid-class city.

Large multi-building apartment communities as well as single-family homes and duplexes dominate the rental market in Parma. What makes it stand out in the region as one of the more affordable areas to find great rentals is that, unlike the more urban-free area of Downtown Cleveland, Parma is more suburban, with parks and playgrounds, ice cream parlors, and sports facilities around every corner. Walkable city streets, including in the Downtown Parma area along Ridge Road, make it an attractive option for those who want modern city amenities and lower prices. Downtown Cleveland itself is about a 20-minute drive up 71, but you also have Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in your backyard for easy travel opportunities.

Midtown Cleveland

The Midtown area of Cleveland is another top place to live, close to the city's University Circle area, the Children's Museum of Cleveland, and the Agora Theatre and Ballroom. It's also an area that's seen a resurgence of development in the last 10 years, though it maintains its truly cultural heritage. An area just to the east of Downtown, Midtown is home to locations like Gust Galluci's Italian Foods, established 110 years ago with modern spaces such as the Morgan Conservatory, a 15,000-square foot artist-centered workshop, and community space.

From the Dunham Tavern Museum and Gardens, which is considered the oldest building in the city, to the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals located just down the street, the area offers a range of opportunities for renters looking for good proximity to the city and excellent overall access to affordable rent. While many of the home options in this area are single-family properties, there are plenty of top options in apartments and condos also present throughout the area. You'll find some new construction with the potential for more in the future. An area still growing as the Cleveland Clinic expands closer to Midtown, new shops and dining are expected to arrive as well.

Cedar Lee

The Cedar Lee District isn't very large, spanning about a mile from Dellwood to Superior along Lee Road. It's home to numerous small businesses, smaller apartment complexes, duplexes, and mid-rise apartments. Close to the Cleveland Heights area, Cedar Lee is a walkable but urban-centric area. Perhaps one of the most noted locations within the neighborhood area is the Cedar Lee Theatre, an anchor within the community that was one of the first to play motion pictures. The theater opened its doors in 1925, and while it has plenty of periods of ups and downs, it is still an excellent destination for independent films and performances.

There are dozens of restaurants, bars, and small shops here, most of which are smaller, locally-owned destinations rather than large national chains. Locations like Zagara's Marketplace, a small grocery store, and Atma Center, a butcher shop, have long provided for the community's needs. Cedar Lee's other benefit is its location. As noted, it's only a short drive into Downtown Cleveland along Superior, and the lake is a matter of about 15 minutes of a drive away. Located on the East Side, it's still only a short drive to any of the sports facilities in the city itself.

Gettysburg Estates

Like the previously mentioned Downtown Parma, the Gettysburg Estates area sits proudly in  the city/suburb of Parma, located along State Road. While it's only about a 17-minute drive into Downtown Cleveland from this neighborhood, many people live and work right in Parma itself. The community sits along a busy thoroughfare and has numerous small neighborhoods and apartment complexes for residents throughout the neighborhood. You'll find some great options in one and two-bedroom apartments in larger, multi-floor buildings, most of which were built in the 1960s and onward. Some newer and renovated properties exist throughout this area as well.

The Gettysburg Estates area is a more suburban area on the West side of Cleveland. Getting to I-480 to head downtown only takes about a 10-minute drive. Residents here will also find that there's The Shoppes at Parmatown and the Metroparks nearby, along with several smaller parks. State Road Park, Big Creek Parkway, and West Creek Reservation are located within a short drive. Also notable, this area of Parma also provides residents with access to youth and adult sports programs with area league soccer, football, baseball, and more.

North Broadway

The North Broadway area of Cleveland offers a blend of older and newer homes, many of which are rentals. This is a community located about 8 miles to the South of Cleveland itself. Much of the area was built initially in the 1920s to 1940s, featuring large duplex homes and properties with four residential areas. Mostly a residential area, North Broadway is not very walkable, but it is close to the area's shops and dining area, which is within a short few minutes drive.

This area is close to I-490 and Opportunity Corridor, creating an opportunity for easy commuting from the East Side into Downtown and the southern suburbs of the city. I-90 brings residents right into the Downtown area and The Flats, as well as within a short drive of the lake itself. At the heart of this are the Historic Broadway and East 55th Street retail district, an area with smaller shops. Also notable are the Kingsbury Run and Morgana Run valleys, which are park-like areas that are naturally beautiful. Bohemian National Hall and Our Lady of Lourdes are two of the area's most notable architectural structures dating to the mid-1900s.

Union-Miles Park

Located near the old village of Newburgh, a very Irish and Welsh culturally dominated area of the city, Union-Miles Park has changed dramatically over the years. Today, the area, which still sits near the steel mills along East 91st and 93rd streets, following into the Harvard Avenue area and down towards Solon, offers a mixture of rental options in apartments, small homes, mixed-use buildings, and duplexes.

Union-Miles brings with it the Miles YMCA and Earle Turner Recreation Center, but it's also home to Calvary Cemetery. This is an older cemetery that has a significant amount of green space in this area that people use as a walking trail. Miles Park Historic District is a public square area in the center of this region, noted for its small shops and a few bars. Much of the rest of the community is residential. The area itself isn't very large, but it is close to I-490 and I-90, making it possible to get into the city rather easily (about 20 minutes away). One of my other favorite parts of town, University Circle is about 10 minutes away as well.