Which Cleveland Suburbs Have the Lowest Property Taxes? Why Westlake Keeps Coming Up

Which Cleveland Suburbs Have the Lowest Property Taxes? Why Westlake Keeps Coming Up

By Mike Ferrante, Broker Associate, The Mike Team at LPT Realty

Cuyahoga County has some of the highest property taxes in Ohio, but the rate isn't the same everywhere in the county. It swings a lot from one suburb to the next, and for a move-up buyer shopping at $400,000 to $600,000, that swing can be as big as a difference in purchase price. Westlake is one of the suburbs that sits near the bottom of the list.

The numbers

Here's the estimated annual tax on a $500,000 home in several Cuyahoga County communities, using tax year 2024 rates (the bills paid in 2025) as compiled by Stewart Title from the county's published rates:

Westlake came in around 1.66% of market value, roughly $8,300 a year on a $500,000 home. Next door, Bay Village ran about 2.37%, roughly $11,850. Shaker Heights ran about 3.08%, roughly $15,400.

Turn the tax into a payment, then into a price

Most buyers look at a tax bill as a separate line item. I'd rather you think of it as part of the price, because your lender does.

The difference between Westlake and Bay Village on that $500,000 home is about $3,550 a year, or roughly $296 a month. At a 7.03% rate (Freddie Mac's 30-year average the week of September 24), $296 a month carries about $44,000 of mortgage. In other words, for the same monthly payment, a buyer could spend roughly $44,000 more on the purchase price in Westlake than in Bay Village. Against Shaker Heights, the gap is about $592 a month, which carries roughly $89,000 of mortgage.

That's the real comparison: not just "which house is cheaper," but which house plus its taxes fits your payment.

What the percentage doesn't tell you

• It's applied to the county's value, not your purchase price. If you pay more than the county's current value, your bill may rise at the next reappraisal or update.
• Rates move. New levies pass, old ones expire, and reappraisals shift values. Tax year 2025 bills are already being paid in 2026, so check the current figures for the specific parcel.
• Credits and special assessments vary. Owner-occupancy credits, homestead credits and special assessments change the final bill. The percentage is an estimate.
• Low tax isn't automatically better. Taxes pay for schools, services and parks. A higher-tax suburb may be worth it for what you get. The point is to know the cost going in.

To check any community yourself, the Cuyahoga County Treasurer publishes tax rates by community, and every parcel's actual bill is searchable on the county's property site. We pull the actual bill on any house before our clients write an offer.

Why Westlake works for many move-up buyers

Beyond the rate, Westlake doesn't require a municipal point of sale inspection, it has Crocker Park and quick I-90 access, and it gives west side move-up buyers a real range of housing. For a family trading up from a smaller home, a lower tax rate can mean more house for the same payment, or the same house with more breathing room every month.

The same math works anywhere in Northeast Ohio, including when you're comparing across county lines to Lorain, Medina or Summit County. Ask for the full monthly number on every house you're serious about, taxes included, and compare those.

If you're weighing Westlake against other suburbs, we'll run the full monthly comparison on real listings for you. Reach The Mike Team at www.21mike.com, call +1(216)373-7727, or find us on Google.