NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Cleveland, OH

Metro Market Score 58.1 (Challenging), ranked #265 of 330 metros. 2,667 establishments, 14,780 jobs.

Metro Market Score 58.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

💰High-Cost Market

Cleveland scores 58.1 on the Metro Market Score for real estate and rental and leasing, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

67.9

LQ: 0.92

Rank #224 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

82.4

$67,752 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 39.7

Employment growth index

Rank #200 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

12.3

YoY wage change index

2,667 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Cleveland

2,667

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

14,780

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$67,752

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.92

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Ohio

#11 of 11

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

Ohio state rank

#14 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

+17.7

worse than median (40.5)

Cleveland vs Ohio Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to Ohio overall. The state ranks #14/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Cleveland	OH Statewide
Overall Score	58.1 Challenging	33.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#265 of 330 metros	#14 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Cleveland

Retail Trade 38.7 Construction 47.0 Accommodation and Food Services 48.6 Information 51.7 Administrative and Support Services 56.7 Other Services 57.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.4 Finance and Insurance 63.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 69.5

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other Ohio Metros

Sandusky 25.2 #43/330 Canton-Massillon 33.8 #87/330 Lima 34.2 #91/330 Springfield 36.0 #107/330 Mansfield 38.5 #124/330 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek 40.5 #144/330 Toledo 48.8 #210/330 Youngstown-Warren 50.9 #223/330 Akron 52.8 #238/330 Columbus 54.8 #249/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Cleveland's 58.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Spartanburg, SC 58.0 #264/330 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 58.0 #263/330 Lake Charles, LA 58.2 #266/330 Greensboro-High Point, NC 58.0 #262/330 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 58.6 #267/330 Charlottesville, VA 57.3 #261/330 Champaign-Urbana, IL 59.2 #268/330 Wildwood-The Villages, FL 59.2 #269/330 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 57.0 #260/330 Pittsburgh, PA 59.5 #270/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering Ohio

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Pennsylvania 24.5 #1/51 Indiana 30.2 #10/51 Kentucky 30.3 #11/51 Michigan 39.3 #26/51 West Virginia 40.6 #27/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Cleveland's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the wage competitiveness component (82.4) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Cleveland, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment