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As of the 2000 Census, the city proper had a total population of 478,403, and was the 33rd largest city in the United States, (now estimated as the 43rd largest due to declines in population) and the second largest city in Ohio. The city's population has been shrinking since it peaked at 914,808 in 1950 (which, at the time, was the nation's seventh largest). It is the center of Greater Cleveland, the largest metropolitan area in Ohio. The Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area which in 2000 ranked as the 23rd largest in the United States with 2,250,871 people. Cleveland is also part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Elyria Combined Statistical Area, which in 2000 had a population of 2,945,831, and ranked as the country's 14th largest. According to the 2010 Census, released on March 9, 2011, Cleveland's population has declined 17% since 2000, down to 396,815 residents. This places Cleveland among the fastest-declining cities in the United States over the past decade. The state of Ohio is expected to lose two Congressional seats as a result of the 2010 Census and based upon the steep decline in Cleveland's population political observers believe both of those districts will be eliminated in northeast Ohio. Suburbanization changed the city in the late 1960s and 1970s, when financial difficulties and a notorious 1969 fire on the Cuyahoga River challenged the city. The city has worked to improve its infrastructure, diversify its economy, and invest in the arts ever since, and now Cleveland is considered an exemplar for public-private partnerships, downtown revitalization, and urban renaissance. In studies conducted by The Economist in 2005 Cleveland was ranked as one of the most livable cities in the United States, and the city was ranked as the best city for business meetings in the continental U.S. The city faces continuing challenges, in particular from concentrated poverty in some neighborhoods and difficulties in the funding and delivery of high-quality public education. Residents of Cleveland are called "Clevelanders". Nicknames for the city include "The Forest City", "Metropolis of the Western Reserve", "Sixth City", "The Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World", and "C-Town". Due to Lake Erie's northern border with the city, the Cleveland area is also referred to by residents and local businesses as "The North Coast". |