Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Established in 1889, it is one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs and part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 50,942 at the 2020 census, making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, behind Cleveland and Parma.
History
Establishment The area now called Lakewood was populated by the Ottawa, Potawatomi, Chippewa, Wyandot, Munsee, Delaware and Shawnee tribes until the Treaty of Ft. Industry pushed them west in 1805. Prior to the treaty, American settlers were prohibited from moving west of the Cuyahoga River. The treaty ceded 500,000 acres of some of the tribes' land to the United States for about $18,000 or 3.5 cents/acre. The Shawnee and Seneca, living with the Wyandot, were to get $1000 "...every year forever hereafter."
In 1806, the area was formally surveyed as Rockport Township, Township 7, Range 14, of the Connecticut Western Reserve. It was purchased from the Connecticut Land Company by a syndicate of six men headed by Judson Canfield on April 4, 1807, for $26,084. In 1818, permanent settlement began with the arrival from Connecticut of James Nicholson. Other early pioneers included Jared Kirtland and Mars Wagar. Settlements were mostly along Detroit Avenue, a toll road operated by the Rockport Plank Company from 1848 to 1901, with large farms and properties extending north to Lake Erie. Making bricks and planting orchards were among the most prolific occupations until natural gas and crude oil wells were developed in the early 1880s. By 1819, 18 families lived in Rockport Township. Early settlers sustained their lives through farming. The land was ideal for fruit farming and many vineyards began to emerge. Current street names reflect this history such as Orchard Grove and Blossom Park. The most common occupations in Lakewood were farming and the building trades.
Incorporation and growth A toll road was established from Cleveland to Lakewood by the Rockport Plank Road Company, operating from 1848 to 1901. Lakewood was incorporated as a village in 1889, and named for its lakefront location. In 1893, streetcars came from Cleveland to Lakewood with the construction of the Detroit Avenue line, followed by the Clifton Boulevard line in 1903 and the Madison Avenue line in 1916.
Under the Ohio Common School Act of April 9, 1867, three schools were allotted to East Rockport, called 6, 8, and 10; they were later designated East, Middle, and West. Each school had one teacher. As the community began to grow and more schools were required, the school board adopted the policy of honoring Ohio's presidents by assigning their names to the school buildings. The Rocky River Railroad was organized in 1869 by speculators as an excursion line to bring Clevelanders to the resort area they developed at the mouth of the Rocky River. Financially unsuccessful as a pleasure and amusement venture, the line was sold to the Nickel Plate Railroad in 1881. The railroad line still exists today, running in an east–west direction north of Detroit Avenue.
Notably, Lakewood was home to two pioneering automobile manufacturers: Winton Motor Carriage Company (est. 1897) and Baker Motor Vehicle (1899). By 1906, the latter became the largest electric vehicle maker in the world at the time.
Modern redevelopment Rockport Square was developed on the eastern end of the city in 2004 and incorporated residential townhouses all along Detroit Avenue.
Lakewood was accepted into the nationally renowned Ohio Main Street Program in 2005. In 2009, the American Institute of Architects and the Cleveland Restoration Society honored the City of Lakewood Department of Planning & Development and LakewoodAlive with an award for Creative & Effective Preservation Advocacy.
Lakewood operates a CERT program. This all-citizen emergency response program was created in 2005.
Geography
Lakewood is located about west of Downtown Cleveland. The city borders Lake Erie to the north, the Cleveland neighborhoods of Edgewater and Cudell to the east, and the neighborhoods of Jefferson and Kamm's Corners to the south. It borders the suburb of Rocky River to the west at the Rocky River valley. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Neighborhoods
Historical housing throughout the city and an active historical society are the norm in Lakewood. The "Make Lakewood Beautiful" program involves contests in which residents compete to make their homes look and resemble their original design and architecture, and awards are given to several homeowners each year. The city offers tours of the most famous homes in the spring, summer, and fall. Arts District - Centered around the Beck Center for the Arts, on the west side of Lakewood. Birdtown - Southeastern corner of Lakewood, a well-known 8-street residential district on the southeast side of the city that was built specifically for the workers of the nearby National Carbon Company in the 1890s. The houses are distinctive and most of the streets are named after birds. Birdtown was designated a National Register Historic District in 2006. It is adjacent to Madison Park, the former Union Carbide factory, and the W. 117th St. Rapid Transit Station. Many of the original houses built there were boarding houses. Birdtown achieved National Historic Register status in 2006. Clifton Boulevard - Lined with big trees and multi-family homes, apartment complexes, and 4×4 brick structures, and turn of the century single family colonials, the seven-lane Clifton Boulevard is one of the busiest streets in greater Cleveland. Clifton Park - The wealthiest neighborhood of Lakewood is situated in the northwestern corner of the city, and consists mostly of magnificent Victorian mansions. It is bounded by Sloane on the south, Webb Road on the east, the Rocky River on the west, and Lake Erie on the north. Built in the late 19th century, this area has been historically, and continues to be, home to many of greater Cleveland's most prominent citizens. Includes the private Clifton Beach community. Downtown Lakewood - The main section of Lakewood is centered at Detroit Avenue and Warren Road. Downtown Lakewood spans from Bunts Avenue to the east and Arthur Avenue to the west along Detroit. This district was formally identified when Lakewood was chosen as a member of the national MainStreet program in 2005. The area is lined with office buildings, restaurants, and variety shops. Lakewood Library, the USPS, and the site of the former Lakewood Hospital are all located in this district. The Edge - This easternmost neighborhood includes many concert venues, pubs, and taverns. Victorian Village - This was named after the large Victorian homes on Grace, Clarence and Cohassett Avenues on the city's east end. When constructed in the early 1900s, it served as residences for executives from the National Carbon Company. The Gold Coast - Collection of high rises on the northeast end of Lakewood, bordering Lake Erie. Rockport Square - Rockport Square (not to be confused with the former Rockport Township) is an urban renewal project along Detroit Avenue on the eastern side of the city. Construction began in 2004 of roughly 200 condos, lofts, and live-work spaces. West End - The West End is the westernmost neighborhood of Lakewood, along the Rocky River Reservation. In 2002, the administration of Mayor Madelaine Cain proposed to seize homes in this area using eminent domain, to replace them with retail development. After a citizen-led resistance attracted national media attention from 60 Minutes, the West End proposal failed in a 2003 referendum.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Lakewood city, Ohio – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)51,92144,34142,16491.66%85.06%82.77%Black or African American alone (NH)1,0883,2382,6741.92%6.21%5.25%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)119127570.21%0.24%0.11%Asian alone (NH)7969771,2191.41%1.87%2.39%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)139160.02%0.02%0.03%Other race alone (NH)611231920.11%0.24%0.38%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1,3791,1692,1362.43%2.24%4.19%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,2692,1472,4842.24%4.12%4.88%Total56,64652,13150,942 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Lakewood had a population of 50,942. The median age was 35.2 years. 15.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.9 males age 18 and over.
Non-Hispanic White residents made up 82.8% of the population, followed by 5.3% non-Hispanic Black residents, 2.4% Asian residents, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native residents, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander residents, 1.3% some other race, 6.3% two or more races, and 4.9% Hispanic or Latino residents of any race as of the 2020 census.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 26,441 households in Lakewood, of which 17.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 28.4% were married-couple households, 28.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 47.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 28,802 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 42,936 84.3% Black or African American 2,777 5.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 88 0.2% Asian 1,224 2.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 19 0.0% Some other race 674 1.3% Two or more races 3,224 6.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,484 4.9%
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 52,131 people, 25,274 households, and 11,207 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 28,498 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.5% White, 6.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 25,274 households, of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 55.7% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
As of the 2007 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $42,602, and the median income for a family was $59,201. Males had a median income of $42,599 versus $35,497 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,939. About 10.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. Of the city's population over the age of 25, 39.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Ethnicity and immigration