Cleveland was founded in 1857 as the seat of newly formed White County. It was incorporated as a town in 1870 and as a city in 1949. It was named for General Benjamin Cleveland, a War of 1812 figure and grandson of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a Revolutionary War figure.
At the 2010 census, the population was 3,410. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,907 people, 729 households, and 468 families residing in the city. The population density was 602.7 people per square mile. There were 808 housing units at an average density of 255.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 86.58% White, 10.70% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population. There were 729 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.84. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,949, and the median income for a family was $37,417. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $21,676 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,801. About 12.4% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
The town is home to two Jewish summer camps, Camp Barney Medintz and URJ Camp Coleman (under the auspices of the Union for Reform Judaism, which are essentially back-to-back. The town is also home to two Christian summer camps, Strong Rock Camp and Retreat and Woodlands Camp. Travelers pass through the town on their way to other destinations just a few miles away, such as the Bavarian-themed town of Helen, Unicoi State Park, the Smithgall Woods-Dukes Creek Conservation Area, and the Chattahoochee National Forest, including Anna Ruby Falls.
