Moving from Cleveland to Akron

Income evidence should be separated between this corridor and each metro’s broader mover pool. In the IRS release discussed above, Cleveland-to-Akron returns carried $69,947.92 of adjusted gross income per return. Across all inbound returns, average AGI was $69,258 for Cleveland and $63,413 for Akron; across outbound returns, the respective figures were $79,426 and $71,226. These are mover-tax-return measures, not wages for prospective tenants. IRS flow means tax-return households. It does not identify renters, every mover or future demand. The figures describe filing households observed in the migration data and should not be assigned to an Akron property’s applicant pool.

The ACS 2024 5-year release reports median household income of $70,678 in Cleveland and $72,371 in Akron. That broad household measure favors Akron directionally, but it is not the corridor’s mover AGI and not a lease applicant’s verified income. BLS CES payroll employment for the 12 months to 2026-06 declined 0.15% in Cleveland and 0.55% in Akron. The destination thus combines a higher ACS household median with a weaker recent payroll reading. Payroll change does not establish property vacancy or collections. Household diligence should compare the mover’s actual compensation and commute costs; underwriting should examine tenant income documentation, local employer exposure and renewal performance at the subject property.

The cross-release rent-to-income screen combines Zillow ZORI dated 2026-06-30 with ACS 2024 5-year median household income. Cleveland’s $1,474 asking rent corresponds to a 25.03% screen, while Akron’s $1,268 corresponds to 21.03%; the annual rent contrast is $2,472 lower at the destination. Because the rent and income observations come from different releases and represent metro aggregates, these are directional screening ratios, not current household budget shares. A mover still needs a unit-specific quote, utility estimate, deposit terms and actual after-tax household income before treating Akron’s lower headline rent as a personal budget figure.

HUD’s FY2026 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $11 lower in Akron than in Cleveland. Fair Market Rent is a HUD Section 8 standard, not a Zillow market-rent observation, so its close spacing does not replace neighborhood rent checks. At the same Zillow observation date, Akron’s metro ZHVI home-value benchmark was $10,286 lower; ZHVI is not a transaction price or comparable-sale record. The gross-yield screen was nevertheless 6.2% in Akron against 6.92% in Cleveland, and gross yield is not a net return. The underwriting question is whether achievable property rent and actual operating expenses support the target price after taxes, insurance, repairs, management, vacancy and capital reserves.

HMDA 2024 purchase originations show investor shares of 13.11% in Cleveland and 10.15% in Akron. Occupancy type is a descriptive buyer-mix screen, not proof of buyer competition. Census Building Permits Survey data through June 2026 show 1.82 permitted units per thousand residents in Cleveland and 1.01 in Akron. Permits are authorizations rather than completed deliveries, and the comparison does not establish future vacancy or rent pressure. For an Akron acquisition search, the useful follow-up is an address-level review of active competing rentals, recently completed units, projects under construction and the property types represented in local permits.

Redfin’s metro tracker through 2026-05-01 reports Akron at 23 median days on market, 1.8 months of supply and price drops on 27.33% of listings. These are for-sale listing-market snapshots; they do not establish rental vacancy, achievable rent or negotiating room for a particular building. FEMA National Risk Index county data place inland flood as the top named hazard in both markets. FEMA’s metric is a modeled climate/hazard loss ratio only: 0.0812% for Cleveland and 0.0785% for Akron. The next risk question is property-specific: flood-zone status, prior water intrusion, drainage, roof and foundation condition, insurer quotes, deductibles and the capital plan should be checked at the address rather than inferred from the metro contrast.