Houses by Type & Budget · Cleveland, OH
Houses for Rent Near University Circle, Cleveland
University Circle is Cleveland's hub for Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Rental houses near it cluster in the bordering neighborhoods of Glenville, Hough, and Fairfax, generally $750 to $1,300 a month, with both the RTA Red Line and HealthLine bus rapid transit serving the area directly.
Renting a house near University Circle
University Circle is the Statistical Planning Area on Cleveland's east side that contains Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance Music Center, and sits directly adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic's main campus. It's one of the few Cleveland neighborhoods served by both RTA rapid rail (the Red Line) and the HealthLine bus rapid transit route, making it a major destination for both students and hospital staff.
University Circle itself is dominated by campus buildings, museums, and hospital facilities rather than residential streets, so most rental houses are found just outside it, in the bordering neighborhoods of Glenville (to the north), Hough (to the west, between downtown and University Circle), and Fairfax (to the south, adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic). We manage rental homes in all three of these neighborhoods. See our Glenville neighborhood page or Fairfax listings for area-specific detail on rent, layout, and availability — Fairfax itself borders the Cleveland Clinic's campus if the Clinic, rather than University Circle broadly, is your main destination.
Because University Circle concentrates so many institutions in a small footprint, renters here often prioritize walkability and transit access over driving distance — a house a mile or two out in Glenville or Hough can still mean a short, direct bus ride to campus or the hospital.
How much does it cost to rent near University Circle?
Apartments directly around University Circle run higher than the citywide median — per Apartments.com (accessed July 4, 2026), the average apartment near University Circle rents for roughly $1,186 a month. Houses in the bordering neighborhoods, where our own portfolio sits, tend to run at or below that per-unit apartment average, especially for older 2- and 3-bedroom homes with basements and yards rather than amenity-heavy new construction.
For a citywide comparison point, Zumper's July 4, 2026 report puts Cleveland's overall median asking rent at $1,250/mo, while RentCafe's July 2, 2026 report on professionally-managed apartment buildings shows a higher citywide average of $1,564/mo. University Circle's immediate apartment market sits closer to the RentCafe figure, while houses in Glenville, Hough, and Fairfax generally sit closer to or below the Zumper median.
| Neighborhood (ZIP) | Position relative to University Circle | Typical monthly rent |
|---|---|---|
| Glenville (44108) | North of University Circle | $750 – $1,150 |
| Hough (44103) | West, between downtown and University Circle | $750 – $1,300 |
| Fairfax (44104) | South, adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic | $750 – $1,250 |
Getting to and from University Circle
The RTA Red Line runs directly to University Circle with a stop serving the institutions there, part of the same heavy-rail line that connects Cleveland Hopkins Airport to downtown Tower City. The HealthLine bus rapid transit route runs along Euclid Avenue in a dedicated busway, connecting Public Square downtown to University Circle and on to East Cleveland, with frequent service throughout the day.
Both Glenville and Hough have direct bus access into University Circle, and Fairfax borders the Circle on foot from the Clinic side, meaning a short walk or single bus ride covers the whole commute for most renters in these three neighborhoods.
Why demand is strong around University Circle
University Circle concentrates several of the region's largest employers in one place: the Cleveland Clinic, the region's #1 employer per Crain's Cleveland Business's 2025 largest-employers list, plus Case Western Reserve University and other higher-education institutions that together employ roughly 9,600 people regionally according to the same Crain's data. That density of hospital and university jobs is a major reason rental demand in the bordering neighborhoods stays consistent throughout the year, unlike neighborhoods further from a major job center.
For renters weighing a house against an apartment near campus, the trade-off is usually space versus proximity: a house in Glenville or Hough offers more square footage and often a yard, in exchange for a slightly longer commute than a unit inside University Circle's own apartment buildings.
Section 8 vouchers near University Circle
Every home we manage in Glenville, Hough, and Fairfax accepts Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and is HUD-inspection-ready. The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) administers vouchers locally under HUD's Housing Choice Voucher program, with preliminary applications accepted year-round through CMHA's own portal.
Remember that Ohio has no statewide law requiring voucher acceptance, and Cleveland itself has no source-of-income protection ordinance, so this is a landlord-by-landlord policy across University Circle's bordering neighborhoods. Full detail is in our Section 8 housing guide. Ready to tour? Book a free showing once you find a home you like.
Frequently asked questions
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