Moving from St. Louis to Cleveland

The Story

St. Louis-to-Cleveland is Wash U → Cleveland Clinic move. MO 5.95% → OH 6% near-wash ($50/yr cost). Housing 9% cheaper, COL 5% lower. Pull: Cleveland Clinic — top US medical capital (US News #2 — Wash U Medicine direct academic bridge), Case Western Reserve, KeyBank HQ, Lake Erie.

Why This Move

Why people move from St. Louis to Cleveland.

Cleveland Clinic — Wash U Medicine direct academic bridge (top US #2)
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
5% lower COL
Browns + Cavs + Guardians sports
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Cost Comparison

The money side of MO → OH.

St. Louis

Median home$235,000
Income tax4.95% MO + 1% STL (~5.95%)
Cost index84

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 St. Louis transplants.

Mapped to the St. Louis neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Tremont

If Central West End was your scene — walkable urban, restaurants
Ohio City

If Soulard was your vibe — walkable, breweries, market
University Circle

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

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

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

If Webster Groves 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.

MO 5.95% becomes OH 6% — near-wash ($50/yr cost)
Housing 9% cheaper — $235K STL becomes $215K Cleveland
COL 5% lower
Climate similar humid continental, lake-effect snow
Property tax OH 1.5% higher than MO 1.0%
Car-dependent both
Wash U → Cleveland Clinic direct academic medicine bridge
Sports — gain Browns/Cavs/Guardians, lose Cardinals/Blues

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-70 E to I-71 N

560 miles via Indianapolis. 8.5 hours / 1-2 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 560 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$3,200-$6,000
Container/PODS$2,400-$3,800
DIY (26-ft truck)$1,800-$3,200
Best monthsApr-Oct (avoid winter)
Lead time4-6 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions