In 1763, sixteen pioneers settled the area along the eastern border of present-day Cuyahoga County. In 1763, Orange Township was established, which included the present municipalities of Pepper Pike, Hunting Valley, Moreland Hills, Orange Village and Woodmere. Orange Township was the birthplace of President James A. Garfield in 1831. By the late 1880s, dairy farming and cheese production became the primary industry of the township. In 1924, residents of the northwestern quadrant of Orange Township voted to separate, and the village of Pepper Pike was incorporated. The name "Pepper Pike" was supposedly selected after the Pepper family, who lived and worked along the primary transportation corridor. Incorporated as a city in 1970, Pepper Pike operates under the mayor-council form of government. In the late 2000s, it was chosen as one of the top seven strangest city names by the WorldBook of Facts. Homes in the city require 1 acre so that residents can enjoy bucolic surroundings. Pepper Pike has been named a "Tree City USA" several consecutive years by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The RTA's greenline was originally planned to extend from Green Road to Brainard in Pepper Pike, but financial setbacks in the 1930s prevented its completion. The arrival of I-271 in the 1960s cemented the region's reliance on automobiles over the train system.
Geography
Pepper Pike is located at in the eastern section of Cuyahoga County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Demographics
The median income for a household in the city was $149,631, and the median income for a family was $166,765. The per capita income for the city was $89,235. About 5.2% of the total population were below the poverty line. Of the city's population over the age of 25, 78.1% held a bachelor's degree or higher.
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,979 people, 2,176 households, and 1,753 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 2,349 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 86.3% White, 6.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 2,176 households of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 19.4% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 49.2 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.1% were from 25 to 44; 32.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.
2000 census
In 2000, there were 1,000 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.3% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.7% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 34.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males. Pepper Pike's Israeli community had the twenty fifth highest percentage of residents, which was at 1.4%
Education
Pepper Pike is served by the Orange City School District, which also includes neighboring Orange, Moreland Hills, Woodmere, and Hunting Valley. The campus of Orange High School is located in Pepper Pike, along with the Orange Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. Ursuline College, a liberal-arts school founded in 1871, is located in Pepper Pike. The oldest Catholic women's college in Ohio, it has an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students as of 2018, and offers 30 undergraduate, nine graduate, and 10 degree-completion programs. The Japanese Language School of Cleveland, a part-time Japanese school, holds its classes at the Lillian and Betty Ratner School in Pepper Pike.
