Chagrin Falls vs. Hudson: 56 vs. 62 Historic Downtown Walk Scores, the Waterfall Under Main Street vs. the Village Green Clock Tower, and 24 vs. 30 Miles to Cleveland

Chagrin Falls and Hudson are two of Greater Cleveland's most sought-after historic suburbs, but their walkable cores sit in different packages. Chagrin Falls scores 56 on Walk Score in its downtown ZIP (44022), with the village waterfall dropping about 20 feet under the Main Street bridge at the center of town. Hudson averages 11 across the city, yet scores 62 in the Historic Hudson core around the village green. Chagrin Falls sits about 24 miles east of downtown Cleveland (about 30 to 35 minutes by car); Hudson about 30 miles south (about 35 to 45 minutes via I-77, OH-8, and I-480). Reported 2025 median sales run near $532,500 in Chagrin Falls and near $585,000 in Hudson.

In our experience helping buyers and sellers across Greater Cleveland, the two towns attract different households for structural reasons, not just taste. Chagrin Falls buyers are usually drawn by the waterfall village, the brick Main Street, and the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District; Hudson buyers by the village green, the Western Reserve architecture, and the Hudson City School District. This guide is a street-level comparison of historic downtown living, preservation rules, and walkability, verified against the Village of Chagrin Falls, the City of Hudson, Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Summit County sources, and published market and walkability sources on October 20, 2026. It is general educational information, not legal, tax, title, or mortgage advice; confirm current rules with the village, the city, and with qualified professionals before you act.

How walkable is downtown Chagrin Falls compared with downtown Hudson?

Walk Score ranks the Chagrin Falls downtown and village-center area (ZIP 44022) at 56, rated "somewhat walkable," with a Bike Score of 23. Address-level scores range widely across the village: the walkable core sits near 72 at 49 West Orange Street, while outlying addresses in the 44023 ZIP fall to 0. Hudson reports a citywide average of 11, rated car-dependent, across its roughly 22,262 residents, but the Historic Hudson neighborhood around the village green scores 62. The practical difference is density: Chagrin Falls compresses its shops, restaurants, and the falls into a compact Main Street core, while Hudson's historic center is a single walkable island inside an otherwise car-dependent suburb.

Metric	Chagrin Falls	Hudson
Walk Score, historic core	56, downtown and village-center area (44022), "somewhat walkable"	62 in the Historic Hudson neighborhood around the village green
Walk Score, citywide	Address-dependent: about 72 in the core to 0 in outlying 44023 areas	11 average across roughly 22,262 residents, rated car-dependent
Bike Score	23	Not separately published by Walk Score for the city
Walkable core	The compact Main Street waterfall village center	The village green historic core ringed by Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian homes

What is the historic downtown like in each town?

Chagrin Falls was settled in 1833 and incorporated in 1844, named for the three drops of the Chagrin River falls, including High Falls at about 20 feet, directly beneath the Main Street bridge. At incorporation the falls powered nine mills, making the village one of the region's early industrial centers. Today the anchor of downtown is Triangle Park, the wedge-shaped village green the village bought and drained in 1873, now holding a World War I monument and hosting concerts, holiday lighting, and the New Year's Eve Popcorn Ball Drop. The Popcorn Shop, a 1870s candy store at the river's edge, sits beside the falls. The commercial core is built in brick (much of it rebuilt between 1860 and 1875 after repeated fires), with Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian, and Queen Anne styles and brick sidewalks. Three National Register districts cover the village: the Triangle Park Commercial District (listed 1974), the West Side Historic District (1974), and the East Side Historic District (2013).

Hudson was founded in 1799 by David Hudson of Goshen, Connecticut, and incorporated in 1837, retaining a distinctly New England character as the home of Western Reserve College and Preparatory School, founded in 1826 and once called the "Yale of the West." The center of town is the Village Green, a New England-style common ringed with vintage Federal, Greek Revival, Victorian, Italianate, and Colonial homes, with a bandstand gazebo for summer concerts and the Ohio Historic Underground Railroad Marker, the first of its type in Northern Ohio, dedicated in May 2000. The Ellsworth Clock Tower, built in 1912 at North Main and Aurora Streets, stands 42 feet 9 inches tall and has been Hudson's symbol ever since. David Hudson's 1806 house at 318 North Main Street is the oldest standing structure in Summit County. The Hudson Historic District was added to the National Register in 1973, bounded roughly by College, Streetsboro, South Main, and Baldwin Streets, with boundaries expanded in 1989 and 2022.

Feature	Chagrin Falls	Hudson
Founded	Settled 1833, incorporated 1844	Founded 1799, incorporated 1837
Signature landmark	The Chagrin River falls, about 20 feet, under the Main Street bridge	The 1912 Ellsworth Clock Tower at North Main and Aurora, 42 feet 9 inches tall
Central public space	Triangle Park, the wedge-shaped green bought and drained in 1873	The Village Green, a New England-style common with a bandstand gazebo
Notable older structure	The Popcorn Shop candy store at the river's edge (1870s)	David Hudson's 1806 house at 318 North Main, the oldest standing structure in Summit County
National Register districts	Triangle Park Commercial (1974), West Side (1974), East Side (2013)	Hudson Historic District (1973, expanded 1989 and 2022); Western Reserve Academy campus listed 1976

What historic preservation rules apply to exterior changes in Chagrin Falls and Hudson?

Both towns run mandatory architectural review for exterior work, so buyers should know the process before they plan a renovation. In Chagrin Falls, the Architectural Board of Review (ABR) reviews all exterior alterations to buildings, structures, and homes village-wide, meeting the first and third Tuesday of each month at Village Hall, 21 West Washington Street. Its authority comes from Chapter 1146 of the village code (Historic Preservation Regulations), which bars erecting, altering the exterior appearance of, enlarging, moving, or demolishing any building without ABR approval; painting is exempt. The board can issue Historical Significance Reports and designate a home a Historically Significant Property, after which changes that adversely affect its design or historic significance can be rejected.

In Hudson, the Architectural and Historic Board of Review (AHBR) reviews zoning-certificate applications and issues certificates of appropriateness for construction, alteration, and repair, with its powers codified in Chapter 1202.04 of the city code. Most exterior changes, including siding, window and door replacement, fences, sheds, and additions, require a zoning certificate; reroofing and painting are exempt outside the Historic District. Properties in or adjacent to the Hudson Historic District face historic review before a building permit is issued, and the city runs a dedicated Historic Preservation program. Our Cleveland historic district exterior restrictions guide covers the broader review landscape across the region.

Metric	Chagrin Falls	Hudson
Review body	Architectural Board of Review (ABR)	Architectural and Historic Board of Review (AHBR)
Legal basis	Village Chapter 1146, Historic Preservation Regulations	City Chapter 1202.04, Codified Ordinances
Meeting schedule	First and third Tuesday, Village Hall, 21 West Washington Street	Second and fourth Wednesday, Town Hall, 27 East Main Street
What is reviewed	All exterior alterations, erections, enlargements, moves, or demolition village-wide	Most exterior changes: siding, windows, doors, fences, sheds, additions; historic review before permits in or adjacent to the district
Exempt work	Painting	Reroofing and painting outside the Historic District
Designation tool	Historical Significance Reports; Historically Significant Property designation	Historic Preservation program and certificates of appropriateness for district properties

How much do homes cost in Chagrin Falls vs. Hudson?

Published medians put the two towns close together, with different reporting periods and product mixes. cleveland.com's Cuyahoga County year-end data put the Chagrin Falls 2025 median sale at $532,500 across 84 sales, down from $540,000 in 2024; third-party trackers range from about $530,000 over the last 12 months to about $585,000, with small-volume months skewing higher. For Hudson, homes.com reported a median near $585,000 with about 5 percent year-over-year growth, Redfin reported about $657,000 over the last three months, and Zillow's average home value ran about $558,920. Both are affluent Cleveland-commuter suburbs, and the difference in any given month is as much about the mix of homes that sold as about the market itself, so compare the actual listing, not the neighborhood median.

Source and period	Chagrin Falls	Hudson
2025 median sale	$532,500 across 84 sales (cleveland.com / Cuyahoga County year-end data); $540,000 in 2024	About $585,000 (homes.com, about +5% year over year)
Alternative estimates	About $530,000 last 12 months to about $585,000 (homes.com)	About $657,000 last 3 months (Redfin); about $558,920 average home value (Zillow)
Product mix	Detached historic and newer construction on varied lot sizes; small monthly volumes make medians volatile

How long is the commute from each town to downtown Cleveland?

Chagrin Falls sits about 24 miles east of downtown Cleveland, a drive of roughly 30 to 35 minutes at typical traffic, most commonly on the I-271 and Route 422 corridor through the Chagrin Valley. Hudson sits about 30 miles south, route-dependent between 24 and 32 miles, with a drive of roughly 35 to 45 minutes, most commonly via I-77, OH-8, and I-480. The trade is a matter of direction, not just distance: Chagrin Falls buyers commute east along the valley, while Hudson buyers ride the I-77/OH-8 corridor that also reaches Akron in the other direction. Our Greater Cleveland market coverage puts both towns in the context of the whole metro, and our moving to Northeast Ohio guide walks through the region's housing, costs, and commutes side by side.

Metric	Chagrin Falls	Hudson
Distance to downtown Cleveland	About 24 miles east	About 30 miles south, route-dependent between 24 and 32 miles
Drive time	About 30 to 35 minutes at typical traffic	About 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic
Primary route	I-271 / Route 422 corridor through the Chagrin Valley	I-77 / OH-8 / I-480 corridor

What do property taxes cost in Chagrin Falls and Hudson?

Chagrin Falls straddles two counties, and the tax bill changes with the side of the village the parcel sits on. Published estimates put the median effective residential rate near 2.10 percent of market value on the Cuyahoga County side (44022) and near 1.87 percent on the Geauga County side (44023). Hudson sits entirely in Summit County, with a median effective residential rate near 1.78 percent and a range of roughly 1.71 to 1.98 percent across the city. Both towns sit above the Ohio state median effective rate near 1.60 to 1.80 percent, and both carry school, city, and county levies that show up in the same bill. The official references are the Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Tax Rates by Community page, the Geauga County Treasurer, and the Summit County Fiscal Officer.

Tax figure	Chagrin Falls	Hudson
Median effective residential rate	About 2.10% on the Cuyahoga County side (44022); about 1.87% on the Geauga County side (44023)	About 1.78% in Summit County, range roughly 1.71% to 1.98%
Counties served	Cuyahoga and Geauga; the village straddles the county line	Summit County only
Ohio median context	Ohio's median effective residential rate is near 1.60% to 1.80%; both towns sit at or above it
Levy components	School, city or village, county, and special-district levies all appear on the same bill; figures vary by parcel

These figures are comparison tools, not quotes. Actual bills vary with each parcel's assessed value, current levies, and reduction factors, and the current tax-year rates should be confirmed on each county's official rate list. This is general educational information about property taxes, not tax advice; a tax professional or the relevant county office can produce the exact figure for a specific address.

What are the school districts for Chagrin Falls and Hudson?

Chagrin Falls is served by the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District, a small PK-12 district of roughly 1,665 to 1,671 students across four schools (primary, intermediate, middle, and high school) serving eastern Cuyahoga County and part of Geauga County. Hudson is served by the Hudson City School District, with roughly 4,468 to 4,600 students across five schools organized by grade band: McDowell Early Learning (preschool to kindergarten), Ellsworth Hill Elementary (grades 1 to 2), East Woods Intermediate (grades 3 to 5), Hudson Middle School (grades 6 to 8), and Hudson High School (grades 9 to 12). We are an objective data provider on this point: we do not rank or rate districts beyond citing the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's published 1-to-5-star report cards, which put Chagrin Falls at 5 stars overall with a 4.781 rating on the 2024-25 report card and Hudson at 5 stars overall with a 4.625 rating on the same report card. We encourage every family to review the districts' own published data, test scores, and programming and decide what fits them. The official sources are chagrinschools.org, hudson.k12.oh.us, and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce report card portal.

What we tell buyers comparing Chagrin Falls and Hudson

In our experience helping buyers and sellers on Cleveland's east and south sides, the practical workflow differs by town. In Chagrin Falls, we walk buyers through the village's Chapter 1146 review before they fall for a Victorian: the Architectural Board of Review sits on all exterior alterations village-wide, the Chagrin River and its watershed shape many lots, and buyers on the Geauga County side should check well and septic records before an offer, which our Geauga County well and septic guide covers in detail. In Hudson, the Architectural and Historic Board of Review handles certificates of appropriateness under Chapter 1202.04, properties in or adjacent to the Historic District need review before a building permit, and the citywide 11 Walk Score means most errands beyond the green are a drive.

Neither town is objectively better; they answer different questions. Chagrin Falls answers the question of a compact waterfall village where the falls, the candy shop, and the green sit within a few blocks of each other. Hudson answers the question of a New England-style green ringed by Federal and Victorian homes with a larger, more family-oriented footprint. The right choice is the one that matches how you actually live, and the numbers above are the evidence to make that call.

Want the transaction picture too? Our Cleveland point-of-sale inspection checklist covers the city's disclosure certificate and what changed in 2026, and our Cuyahoga County property tax appeal guide walks through the Board of Revision process if a valuation notice lands higher than expected.