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Parma, Ohio

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Parma is a city located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 85,655.

Geography

Location of Parma, Ohio
Location of Parma, Ohio

Parma is located at 41°23'31" North, 81°43'43" West (41.391852, -81.728502)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.7 km² (20.0 mi²). 51.7 km² (20.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.10% water.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 85,655 people, 35,126 households, and 23,323 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,656.9/km² (4,291.3/mi²). There were 36,414 housing units at an average density of 704.4/km² (1,824.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.67% White, 1.06% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 1.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 35,126 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,920, and the median income for a family was $52,436. Males had a median income of $39,801 versus $27,701 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,293. 4.9% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. 6.6% of those under the age of 18 and 4.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

The City contains 3 public high schools, Parma Senior High School, Valley Forge High School, and Normandy High School. Each school shares a common stadium for football games, also known as Byers Field. The rivalry that exists between these schools is well documented. Normandy High School is located in the South Eastern part of the city, and its population is made up of students from south Parma, and Seven Hills. Valley Forge is located in the South Western portion of the city, and includes students from South Western Parma, as well as Parma Heights. Parma High School is located in the center of the city, and includes students from central and northern Parma.

The city also is home to a positively recognized private Catholic high school named Padua Franciscan High School. Founded in 1961 as a school for boys, Padua Franciscan became co-educational in 1983 and is now the largest private, co-educational secondary school in northeast Ohio. Padua has recently embarked on aggressive expansionism. After initiating the "Greening of Padua" program to improve the overall look of the campus, Padua then acquired Camp Cordé - a 15-acre property to be used for Padua's boys and girls soccer programs. Padua's principal rivalry is with Holy Name.

Located in the middle of Parma is Parmatown Mall. It has recently been overshadowed in size by its neighboring super mall, South Park, which is located south of Parma, in Strongsville.

History

Recently Parma has been plagued by negative press in the local media as a result of perhaps widespread political corruption associated with a group of politicians known as "the Good Old Boys" or the "Parma Machine." In order to distract from their own suspect activities, these politicians concocted a "Witch Hunt" that wrongfully scapegoated innocent police officers. Revelations about the "Witch Hunt" (also referred to as the "Blue Scare"), including the highly questionable retroactive appointment of a special prosecutor who had been prosecuting (in violation of the Ohio Revised Code) select police union representatives who had raised concerns about possible political corruption, has led to calls for the resignations of many members of the current mayoral administration and city council. Henry VIII-like statements uttered by the mayor that "heads will roll," along with the press report of an email sent to the mayor by one of his top advisers who referred to Parma as a "fiefdom," has further fanned the fires of distrust amongst residents for anyone responsible for the costly misadventure that has essentially ruined Parma's image, hopefully not irreparably.

At present time, Parma has deteriorated into a community that provides almost no services to the residents despite it being one the most heavily taxed areas of the state. Currently there are a record number of homes for sale in Parma as a mass exodus is underway. Property values have plummeted due to the poor city services, steep tax rate and the weight of the incredible amount of homes currently for sale. The prospects for recovery appear dim as the current tax environment has created a disincentive for businesses to be located in Parma or for residents to even live in the city. People that both work and live in the city face a tax burden that is at the very top in the state. The bottleneck of people trying to get out has left those that remain with depressed home values and facing the prospect of their home being on the market for 6 to 12 months or more.

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