Cleveland in top 5 nationwide for new residents moving in during the pandemic

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland is a hot spot for people moving in during the pandemic.

“It’s nice to see an external study that kind of reinforces the strategy we’ve had in place for the last 10 or 15 years that’s paid dividends, not only for downtown, but for the community as a whole,” said Joe Marinucci, of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance.

Groups like the Downtown Cleveland Alliance have worked to revitalize downtown and the city, and now three key factors set the area apart:

1. Cost of Living: Diverse and relatively inexpensive housing
2. Amenities: Arts, culture, entertainment, and sports
3. Downtown Living: Millennials and Gen Z want densely-packed downtown living

Marinucci says his group looked at providing a vibrant downtown for young talent well before COVID.

“I’d be a lot (more) worried about Cleveland and downtown Cleveland in particular if we had the downtown we had 30 or 40 years ago when we didn’t have the residential base,” he said. “But we do.”

Cleveland has worked to provide affordable office space as well but the pandemic has businesses changing the way they could work in the future.

“My guess is that the market has changed,” said Marinucci. “We’re not going to be back in the position where companies totally work from home, but I think going forward, people are going to look for that flexibility.”

No one can predict the future so, for now, Marinucci will bask in the present.

“I think it’s great to see we’re being recognized as a location where talented people want to relocate to,” he said.

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