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BURNOUT INDEX — OH — #50th OF 50

Cleveland-Elyria
OH

23
/100
Below-average pressure
-5 vs. last update

Median household income is -15% vs. the national median with a BEA RPP of 93.9, implying relatively favorable purchasing power. Unemployment at 1.8% and a 24.4-minute average commute keep Cleveland-Elyria near the bottom of the burnout ranking. The labor market conditions here, on these three metrics, work less hard against you.

Scored 2026-10-26. Data: Census ACS 5-year 2023, BEA RPP 2024. Unemployment: BLS LAUS (most recent final month).

The receipts

Three components, three public sources. Each term is clamped to [0, 1] before weighting. The formula is published on the methodology page; any change to the weights requires a public ADR (ADR-0013+).

Component Raw value vs. national Weight Contribution Source
Pay-to-cost gap
Median HH income vs. cost of living.
Purchasing power index: 0.90 (wages below cost-adjusted national) 		$68,507
RPP 93.9 		-15% national
median income 		40% 3.8 Census ACS 2023 BEA RPP 2024
Mean commute
Minutes/day, ACS 5-year. Capped at 60 min. 		24.4 min 2.1 min shorter than
26.5 min national 		30% 12.2 Census ACS 2023
Unemployment rate
BLS LAUS (monthly, MSA-level). Capped at 8%. 		1.8% 2.1pp below
3.9% national (ACS period) 		30% 6.8 BLS LAUS LAUMT391741000000003
Total score 23

Cleveland-Elyria in context

Cleveland-Elyria ranks 50th out of 50 major US metro areas on the Office Blues Burnout Index. The index measures three labor-market signals that directly affect worker quality of life: the gap between wages and cost of living, commute time, and unemployment pressure. It does not measure culture, management quality, or RTO mandates — those signals are not yet available at MSA level from primary sources without scraping.

The metro area population is approximately 2,009,321, making it one of the top-50 US metros by size. The data covers the Cleveland-Elyria, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 17410), which typically extends well beyond the core city limits.

On wages vs. cost of living: median household income here is $68,507 per year (-15% the national median of $80,610). Against a BEA Regional Price Parity of 93.9 (national average = 100, higher = more expensive), that works out to a purchasing-power index of 0.90 relative to a national baseline of 1.0. Wages don't keep up with local prices on a cost-adjusted basis — that gap contributes 3.8 points to the burnout score.

On commute: the average one-way trip takes 24.4 minutes — 2.1 min shorter than the national mean of 26.5 minutes. The commute component contributes 12.2 points out of a possible 30 (capped when commute ≥ 60 minutes). Commute time is the most consistent predictor of reported job dissatisfaction in the academic literature; it compounds every other signal.

On unemployment: the rate is 1.8%, which is 2.1pp below the national reference figure of 3.9% for the ACS measurement period. The unemployment component contributes 6.8 points out of a possible 30 (capped at 8%). High unemployment signals a weak labor market where workers have fewer outside options — the classic condition for wage suppression and lower bargaining power. This figure is from BLS LAUS (2026-08-31), the most recent month BLS has finalized.

The score formula is editorial — 40/30/30 weights are a deliberate choice, not derived from regression. If you think the weights are wrong, the methodology page explains the rationale. Weight changes require a public ADR (ADR-0013+). The sources are federal, license-free for reuse with attribution.

HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

Formula (ADR-0012, binding):

burnout_score = round(
  40 × clamp₀₁(1 − normalized_wage / cost_norm)   // pay-to-cost gap
+ 30 × clamp₀₁(commute_min / 60)                  // commute
+ 30 × clamp₀₁(unemployment_pct / 8)              // unemployment
)

Where:

  • normalized_wage = $68,507 ÷ $80,610 (national median) = 0.8499
  • cost_norm = 93.923 ÷ 100 = 0.9392
  • pay_term = clamp₀₁(1 − 0.8499 ÷ 0.9392) = 0.0952
  • commute_term = clamp₀₁(24.4 ÷ 60) = 0.4067
  • unemp_term = clamp₀₁(1.8 ÷ 8) = 0.2250

Score = round(40 × 0.0952 + 30 × 0.4067 + 30 × 0.2250) = round(22.76) = 23

Full methodology, weight rationale, and source citations: /methodology#burnout-index. Weight changes are a brand contract — any modification requires ADR-0013+.

What changed since last update

Score moved from 28 to 23 (-5 points). Data sources refresh weekly on a schedule. Score changes reflect BLS LAUS monthly releases (unemployment) and are recomputed every Monday at 14:30 UTC.

Metros that feel like Cleveland

Same index, same three inputs. These metros land nearest Cleveland's 23/100 — which makes them the fair comparison when someone tells you the grass is greener.

Elsewhere in the East North Central

Both ends of the scale, for scale: Riverside carries the most pressure of the 50 metros ranked (38/100), and Columbus the least (24/100). See the full ranking →

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Raw JSON: /burnout-index/cleveland-oh.json · License: CC BY 4.0 · Cite as: Office Blues Burnout Index, Cleveland-Elyria, OH, officeblues.net/burnout-index/cleveland-oh, 2026-10-26

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