Moving from Memphis to Cleveland

The Story

Memphis-to-Cleveland is St. Jude → Cleveland Clinic move. TN 0% → OH 6% costs $6,000/yr. Housing 9% cheaper, COL 3% higher. Pull: Cleveland Clinic — top US medical capital (US News #2 — St. Jude pediatric bridge), Case Western Reserve, KeyBank HQ, Lake Erie.

Why This Move

Why people move from Memphis to Cleveland.

Cleveland Clinic — top US medical capital (US News #2)
St. Jude pediatric → Cleveland Clinic Children's direct bridge
Case Western Reserve — Tier 1 research, top med school
KeyBank HQ + Progressive Insurance HQ + Sherwin-Williams HQ
Lake Erie lakefront + cultural revival
9% cheaper housing
Browns + Cavs + Guardians sports
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Cost Comparison

The money side of TN → OH.

Memphis

Median home$235,000
Income tax0% (TN)
Cost index78

Cleveland

Median home$215,000
Income tax3.5% OH + 2.5% Cleveland (~6%)
Cost index80

What to Do in Cleveland

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Cleveland, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (30 min south) — 33,000 acres; only national park between Chicago and East Coast
Cleveland Metroparks (Emerald Necklace) — 23,000 acres ringing the city — 18 reservations connected by trails

Culture & Arts

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — I.M. Pei-designed museum on Lake Erie waterfront
Cleveland Museum of Art — Free admission; one of top art museums in US
Cleveland Orchestra (Severance Hall) — One of America's 'Big Five' orchestras; world-class
West Side Market — 1912 public market; 100+ vendors — Cleveland icon
Playhouse Square — Largest theater district in US outside NYC; 11 venues
FirstEnergy Stadium (Browns) — NFL Cleveland Browns on Lake Erie
A Christmas Story House — Tremont; original house from the 1983 film, museum + tours

Family-Friendly

Great Lakes Science Center — Hands-on science with NASA Glenn exhibit on lakefront

Where to Eat

Cleveland's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Cleveland resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute French Shaker Square

Trains formerly incarcerated in fine dining; Brandon Chrostowski (Top Chef)
Mabel's BBQ Cleveland-style BBQ East 4th Street

Michael Symon's BBQ joint downtown
Lola Bistro Modern American East 4th Street

Michael Symon icon (status check seasonally)
Lolita Mediterranean-American Tremont

Symon's Tremont restaurant; James Beard winner alumni
Greenhouse Tavern Farm-to-table East 4th Street

Jonathon Sawyer; James Beard winner — first US restaurant LEED-certified
Trentina Northern Italian University Circle

Jonathon Sawyer; tasting menus
L'Albatros Brasserie French University Circle

Zack Bruell; classic French bistro
The Plum Cafe and Kitchen American Ohio City

Bart Pickens; chef-driven seasonal

Where to Live

Best Cleveland neighborhoods for Memphis transplants.

Mapped to the Memphis neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Tremont

If Cooper-Young was your scene — walkable urban, restaurants
Ohio City

If Midtown was your vibe — walkable, breweries
University Circle

If you wanted museum/medical — Case Western, MOMA
Shaker Heights (suburb)

If East Memphis was your model — top schools, planned
Lakewood (suburb)

If you wanted lakefront — walkable, charming
Cleveland Heights (suburb)

If Germantown was your goal — leafy, top schools

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Cleveland.

Climate

Humid continental with lake-effect. Cold cloudy winters (22-37°F) with 65 inches lake-effect snow. Warm humid summers (60-82°F). Famously cloudy — only 165 sun days/year. 39 inches rain.

Summer60-82°F
Winter22-37°F
Sun days/yr165
Rainfall39 inches

Walkability

Walk Score60/100
Transit Score46/100
Bike Score51/100

Cleveland is somewhat walkable in central neighborhoods, car-dependent in suburbs.

Outdoors & Recreation

Cuyahoga Valley National Park — 33,000 acres, Brandywine Falls, Towpath Trail
Cleveland Metroparks — 'Emerald Necklace' 23,000 acres around city
Lake Erie waterfront — Edgewater Park beach, sailing
Rocky River Reservation — popular Metroparks reservation
Towpath Trail — 110-mile rail-trail through Cuyahoga Valley

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

TN 0% becomes OH 6% — costs $6,000/year on $100K
Housing 9% cheaper — $235K Memphis becomes $215K Cleveland
COL 3% higher
Climate flips humid subtropical to humid continental, lake-effect snow
Property tax OH 1.5% higher than TN 0.7%
Car-dependent both
St. Jude → Cleveland Clinic Children's direct bridge
Sports — gain Browns/Cavs/Guardians, lose Grizzlies

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-40 E to I-71 N

760 miles via Knoxville, Cincinnati. 11.5 hours / 1-2 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 760 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$3,800-$7,000
Container/PODS$2,800-$4,500
DIY (26-ft truck)$2,000-$3,500
Best monthsApr-Oct (avoid winter)
Lead time4-6 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions