Greater Cleveland is on the rise.

At Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Annual Event, we shared a series of facts on Greater Cleveland and plans for what's next in the region. From business growth to YPs to diverse boards to downtown’s vibrancy, the numbers tell an impressive story:  

Fact 1: A "Cleveland Index" of all publicly traded companies outperforms the S&P 500, since 2010 and especially since 2020. 

From 2010 to present, a Cleveland index of 33 publicly traded companies outperforms the S&P 500 market index (and the Russell 3000) according to analysis by Robert C. Smith from Cerity Partners.

Through Big Ideas and Bold Ventures, Cleveland companies - large and small - are thriving. With strong leadership, they are leveraging technology to operate, innovate, and create the future.

Fact 2: The Cleveland region is the 17th largest (CSA) in the U.S.: 

Greater Cleveland is a Top 20 Region, with: 

•  3.7 million people  
• A $266 billion economy  
• This makes Greater Cleveland the 3rd largest region in the Midwest and 17th largest in the U.S  

Scale matters to businesses and people – it means more places in which to work, live and play and more assets to leverage. It's also why Cleveland has four professional sports teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Monsters.  

Fact 3: YPs love CLE. 

Greater Cleveland has been gaining college graduates - for a long time. 

• Since 2010, the Cleveland and Akron MSAs added a net 74,000 college graduates
  
• With 190,000 college students, there are more students in Greater Cleveland than any other region in the state.  
  
  

Fact 4: Our company boards and leadership ranks are becoming more diverse. 

• Since 2018, Greater Cleveland companies have increased board ethnic and racial diversity from 11% to 19% of directors. 
• Greater Cleveland companies continue to see growth in mid- and senior-level leadership diversity, with 18.4% of positions filled by ethnic and racially diverse individuals.  
  
  

Fact 5: Downtown is growing. 

• Downtown has over 21,000 residents, a 91% occupancy rate and more apartments are under development. 
• Downtown has seen an 86% recovery compared to pre-pandemi traffic, ranking 5th among Midwest and East Cost cities (University of Toronto School of Cities) 
• Visitors to downtown events, sports and amenities already exceed pre-pandemic levels
  

Downtown Cleveland has been transformed into a “central community district” through public-private partnerships. 

Fact 6: Businesses are growing.  

 Last year, Greater Cleveland ranked: 

• 4th in business (GDP) growth among peer Midwest metros 
• 2nd in productivity growth

This growth is across all sectors: manufacturing, financial services, health care, and more, driven by companies leveraging technology to operate, innovate and create the future.