EAST CLEVELAND — The community has gained a new perspective about a tough situation in East Cleveland. A new US Census report found it has the lowest median family income in the US for cities with a population of 5,000 or more as of 2023.
“It made me feel terrible because when I was growing up, East Cleveland was thriving,” said Brandon Fields, an East Cleveland resident.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median family income in East Cleveland is $37,500.
“When we heard that report, it was almost laughable because it seems like East Cleveland just can't catch a break,” said another resident, Art McKoy.
McKoy has owned his barber shop in East Cleveland for 40 years and says he has watched the neighborhood go from a vibrant suburb to a city with abandoned homes, illegal dumping and a high crime rate.
"When I tell people to move to East Cleveland, they say no, I don't want to go to East Cleveland. And it gives us such a bad stigma. So many people don't want to come, and many people want to stay away,” McKoy said.
Over the years, East Cleveland’s ranking has gotten worse. In 2021, the city dropped from the ninth-lowest to the second-lowest median family income in the US and is now number one.
East Cleveland is the only Ohio city of its size with a median family income below 40,000 dollars.
“It hurts you to see people take away from something that they could build up instead. People need homes. We have so many homeless people out here all day living in the streets and there’s too many resources for this city to be like it is,” Fields said.
Many East Cleveland homeowners say they keep their homes because they are in a prime location.
“It’s a beautiful location, it's right in the heart of everything, right next to the Gold Coast, right across the bridge and university circle. It's prime land and the people who live here are strong and they love East Cleveland,” McKoy said.
Mckoy is hoping that the new infrastructure coming to East Cleveland will encourage more families to move to the area.
“In two-years people will see a difference, and because of that we will see the income and prosperity begin to come to East Cleveland again,” said McKoy.
Also in that report, Cleveland had the second lowest median family income for a city with 50,000 people.
