Cleveland, OH
This Is the Best U.S. City to Retire for $1,800 or Less a Month
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TAL-cleveland-ohio-RETIREUS0124-ddd935714aa8445e8a2d205648850a3d.jpg?ssl=1 "This Is the Best U.S. City to Retire for ,800 or Less a Month")
With high interest rates and inflation making it harder for Americans to save for retirement, affordability is of utmost importance when deciding where to spend your golden years. Recently, Ohio has emerged as one of the most retirement-friendly states in the country as several of its cities — most notably, Akron, Youngstown, and Toledo — have been highlighted in different reports for their low cost of living.
But if you’re after big-city life and all the amenities that come with it post-retirement, then put Cleveland on your radar, too. The second most populous city in The Buckeye State and the largest on Lake Erie, just ranked eighth in GoBankingRates.com’s list of cities to retire on less than $2,500 per month.
GoBankingRates crunched the numbers and estimated that monthly expenses — like groceries, entertainment, and transportation — would cost less than $1,700. (Or $1,690, to be exact.) Add to that $622 in monthly mortgage costs, and you should have a budget of at least $2,312 to retire in Cleveland. The company also points out that Cleveland is the largest city on their list, “and living there would give retirees a lot of options of things to do.”
The city, which sits at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, is home to about 372,000 residents, 14,6 percent aged 65 or over, according to census data. Because of Lake Erie, the city’s climate is milder than the rest of the state, so Clevelanders enjoy warmer winters and cooler summers.
Thankfully, the city has plenty of parks and hiking trails where residents can enjoy the weather and keep active. Cleveland’s Metroparks system boasts 25,000 acres worth of amenities, offering activities like hiking and biking (the area has 325 miles of trails), golf, fishing, and swimming. Sports fans can watch the city’s three major league teams (the Cavaliers, the Browns, and the Guardians) live at world-class sports venues.
And music and art fans can always pay a visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland’s Art Museum, two of the country’s finest cultural destinations. (Cleveland residents are granted complimentary access to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and general admission at the city’s art museum is free.) Moreover, Playhouse Square, Cleveland theater district, is the second largest in the country after New York City.
According to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, housing is the main factor that drives the lower cost of living in Cleveland. While utilities and groceries cost slightly above the country’s average, housing is the least expensive category.
“Cleveland is one of the most affordable and accessible markets that sits close to a major metropolitan area,” Janis McCormick, regional vice president, Ohio East, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services/Luxury Portfolio International, told Travel + Leisure. In December 2023, the median home price in Cleveland was $113,300, according to Zillow, while the national median was $382,600.
“We are seeing a trend with empty nesters who are selling their family homes and buying or renting near the downtown area and surrounding cities such as Tremont, Ohio City, and Gordan Square, and along the lakefront. The inner-ring communities of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, and Lakewood are excellent locations for those who want a short trip to the cultural scene. Smaller, quaint and serene communities like Chagrin Falls, Bay Village and Hudson offer a variety of housing products and all feature downtown areas with restaurants, shops, outdoor festivals, farmers markets, and concerts,” McCormick explained.
Her No. 1 piece of advice for potential buyers, especially those out-of-state, is to explore the city, as “there are vast differences from the East Side to the West Side, and from urban, the suburban, village and rural areas,” and then find a knowledgable, local real estate agent to work with.
“Cleveland and northeast Ohio offer so many possibilities for anyone looking to retire to an affordable, active, convenient location to anywhere in the country,” she said.
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians both opened the 2026 MLB season with series wins, showcasing timely hitting, resilience, and standout individual performances to secure victories in their early matchups.
Why it matters
As two of Ohio’s major league baseball franchises, the Reds and Guardians victories to start the season demonstrate the state’s continued passion for the sport and the competitiveness of these regional rivals as they aim to contend for playoff spots in the new year.
The details
The Reds took two of three games from the St. Louis Cardinals, including a dramatic 9th-inning comeback win in the series opener. The Guardians also won their series against the Chicago White Sox, taking two of three games with a walk-off hit in the finale.
- The 2026 MLB season began on March 26, 2026.
- The Reds-Cardinals series took place from March 26-28, 2026.
- The Guardians-White Sox series was played from March 27-29, 2026.
The players
Cincinnati Reds
A professional baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio that competes in the National League of Major League Baseball.
Cleveland Guardians
A professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that competes in the American League of Major League Baseball.
St. Louis Cardinals
A professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri that competes in the National League of Major League Baseball.
Chicago White Sox
A professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois that competes in the American League of Major League Baseball.
Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›
What’s next
The Reds and Guardians will look to continue their strong starts as they face off against division rivals in the coming weeks, with the Reds hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Guardians traveling to take on the Detroit Tigers.
The takeaway
The early season success of Ohio’s MLB teams demonstrates the state’s enduring passion for baseball and the potential for these regional rivals to contend for playoff spots in 2026, setting up an exciting season ahead for fans in the Buckeye State.
AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) – A mother and her 12-year-old son are dead after a shooting Saturday night near Firestone Stadium in Akron. A suspect is in custody.
Akron police responded to multiple 911 calls around 8:10 p.m. for a shooting near 30 West Wilbeth Road.
Officers found a car partially on fire that had crashed into the tree line on Hemlock Street south of West Wilbeth Road.
Inside the car, officers found 12-year-old Jericho L. Mangual, who had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene around 8:34 p.m.
The driver, 47-year-old Tania Mangual, the mother of the 12-year-old, had also been shot. She was taken to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where she died around 8:50 p.m.
A 2-year-old boy, also her son, was inside the car and was not injured. He was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital as a precaution.
Witness describes fiery crash
Jackie Travis, who lives across the street, watched police respond to the crash.
“It was on fire underneath and the engine was on fire,” Travis said.
Charred ground and branches mark where the car came to rest.
Suspect identified, turned himself in
Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls, including one from a 49-year-old woman who fled the scene after being shot. She provided detectives with information that helped identify the suspect as 28-year-old Brandon T. Casto.
Akron Police detectives executed a search warrant at an apartment connected to the suspect and found multiple firearms, firearm accessories and a large collection of ammunition.
Investigators learned that Casto told friends he was fleeing Akron. He turned himself in more than 100 miles away in Meigs County. He is currently being held at the Southeast Regional Jail in Nelsonville, facing two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault.
Police have not released a motive or Casto’s connection to the family.
A growing memorial now marks the spot where the car crashed. People who say they know the family left candles and a white teddy bear.
Akron Police Major Crimes Unit detectives are still examining the circumstances surrounding this incident, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The 60th Annual Car Parts Warehouse I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama wraps up this weekend, marking the last show at the longtime International Exposition (I-X) Center.
Organizers say 900 cars are parked for the event, featuring flashy cars and rebuilt classics.
Cleveland City Council approved plans last year to repurpose the event space for an unnamed private company. What replaces it, nobody is saying.
“Never miss, never miss,” said Jack Marino, who has attended many shows at the I-X Center. “It’s sad because it’s sort of a tradition to this area.”
Marino said he is worried about what Cleveland could lose when the building closes.
Show features diverse collection
“Anything that has a piston that makes it go is in the show. We even have a tank here that was built in 1964 when we were the Cleveland tank plant,” said Scott McGorty with the I-X Center.
George Conrad owns 221 cars and brought a few to the show, including a purple classic.
“Knowing this is possibly the last show, hopefully not. I wanted to bring an eclectic mix of really different things,” said Conrad.
Conrad said someone else started the build on the purple car and never finished it.
“Kind of a step child project to me. An older gentleman had purchased it and started the build and unfortunately he passed away,” said Conrad. “We took the project on, completely disassembled it and kind of restarted the whole thing. Three years, we don’t want to talk about the money.”
Conrad finished it just in time. There will not be another show according to the organizers of the autorama.
No replacement venue in sight
The I-X Center has hosted events for decades, including the garden show, the auto show, the boat show and the RV show. The city and the building’s owner have not released details on what comes next. Only that the expo space will close.
Organizers say no other building in Northeast Ohio is big enough to host the autorama.
“This show has always been about people as much as it is about cars,” said Steve Legerski, show manager for the I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama. “For 60 years, families have grown up coming to this event together. Builders have debuted lifelong projects here.”
The event features hundreds of vehicles, specialty exhibits, competitions and a marketplace.
The final consumer show inside the Cleveland I-X Center begins Friday and runs through Sunday, March 29. The show is the 60th Annual Car Parts Warehouse I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama.
Tickets are available at www.pistonpowershow.com and at all 23 Car Parts Warehouse retail locations.
The I-X Center was built in 1942 as the Cleveland Bomber Plant and was a manufacturing site for the B-29 bomber during World War II.
Later, it was known as the Cleveland Tank Plant and tanks and other military vehicles were built there.
Once the war ended, the center had several different uses before becoming the I-X Center in 1985.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Video: Uncovering the World’s Newest and Deadliest Drugs
‘Hannah Montana’ still straddles the best of both worlds : Pop Culture Happy Hour
Another Starlink satellite has inexplicably exploded
Iran’s internet blackout hiding strike damage and suppressing dissent, Israeli officials say
Fugitive illegal alien convict on the run after attempting to strike ICE officer with vehicle: DHS
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Fugitive illegal alien convict on the run after attempting to strike ICE officer with vehicle: DHS
EU to urge Israel to scrap death penalty bill as ‘grave regression’
Army reviewing after helicopters hovered alongside Kid Rock’s swimming pool as he saluted
Emanuel pushes back on ‘straight White man’ question, says ideas matter most in 2028
French police make two more arrests over foiled attack on Bank of America
-
Sports1 week agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
Miami, FL5 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
South-Carolina2 days agoSouth Carolina vs TCU predictions for Elite Eight game in March Madness
-
New Mexico1 week agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Politics1 week agoSchumer gambit fails as DHS shutdown hits 36 days and airport lines grow
-
Minneapolis, MN5 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Tennessee1 week agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Science1 week agoRecord Heat Meets a Major Snow Drought Across the West