The Cuyahoga County Planning Commission has published the Our County 2026 Data Book, presenting a data driven comprehensive overview of the trends shaping Cuyahoga County.  Through analysis of key indicators, the report highlights both the County’s strengths and the challenges that will drive future planning, policy decisions, and regional growth.  The Data Book serves as a strategic resource to guide leaders, inform residents, and support long-term community progress.

The Our County 2026 Data Book is the second in a series of Data Books providing insights into Cuyahoga County and its peer counties. The Data Book looks at the Cuyahoga County as a whole, comparing it with other urban counties across the Midwest.

The 10 peer counties selected for comparison (and their central cities) are:

• Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Erie County (Buffalo, NY)
• Franklin County (Columbus, OH)
• Hamilton County (Cincinnati, OH)
• Hennepin County (Minneapolis, MN)
• Jefferson County (Louisville, KY)
• Marion County (Indianapolis, IN)
• Milwaukee County (Milwaukee, WI)
• Monroe County (Rochester, NY)
• Wayne County (Detroit, MI)

The Data Book covers 63 indicators across six categories, with the indicators displayed as trend lines, bar charts, and ranked lists by county.

The six categories are:

• Demographics—Covers benchmarks of the population, including size, racial composition, and age distribution. It also covers counties’ households and their size.
• Economy—Presents indicators that measure the economic systems of the counties, including the location of job centers and the income, education and occupation of residents.
• Housing—Covers indicators that describe living situations, including the type of housing, whether it is owned or rented, and its affordability.
• Environment—Looks at the extent of development, air quality, and natural hazards risk.
• Transportation—Measures transportation infrastructure, how we get to work, the availability of vehicles, and access to public transit.
• Health- Examines regional health trends and outcomes

The Our County 2026 Data Book aims to assist the County in understanding its indicators by providing county entities with data that informs funding and programming decisions.  By providing recent data in an accessible format, data can be shared quickly in ways that are easy to understand and visualize for a variety of users.  The data is provided so communities can see how national, county, or local policies are affecting them.

“The Data Book reflects our commitment to supporting communities with reliable information that drives thoughtful planning and collaboration,” said Mary Cierebiej, Executive Director of the County Planning Commission.  “When we all share the same understanding of our region’s strengths and challenges, we can work together more effectively to build a thriving Cuyahoga County.”

Information in the Data Book comes from a variety of sources, including data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control, among others.