U-Haul Ranks Cleveland Heights as a Fast Growing City

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH - The city is one of the fastest growing in the nation for its size, according to data from moving company U-Haul. For cities with a population between 10,000 and 50,000, Cleveland Heights is the 8th fastest growing city in the nation.

The top five cities in the 10,000 to 50,000 population size category were Granbury, Texas; Tualatin, Ore.; Longview, Wash.; Porter, Texas; and Opelika, Ala. Cleveland Heights was the only Ohio city to make the list.

If U-Haul's data is correct, it would represent a reversing of the city's population decline over the past five or so years. US Census data says that in 2010, Cleveland Heights had 46,238 residents. By 2015, the population was down to 44,962.

However, if there's a glimmer of hope that U-Haul's numbers are indeed true it must be Millennials. The age-demographic said in a 2016 survey that two of the three most important qualities in a city are affordable rent and affordable housing. They also want access to non-chain restaurants and parks and paths. All of which the culture rich Cleveland Heights can offer.

The company determined the growth numbers by looking at net gain of one-way U-Haul truck arrivals over departures for a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

"U-Haul migration trends data is among the most sought after in the industry because it is the most comprehensive, dotting the map in more places with more equipment and reaching more customers than anyone else," U-Haul Executive Vice President Stuart Shoen said in a press release.

The company touted itself as the authority on migration trends in a press release, saying its network is active in all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. There are more than 21,000 U-Haul locations throughout those areas.

Photo from Google Earth