2026 editionMidwestPop. 11,900,510Capital Columbus17th state, admitted 1803Cook PVI R+5
Is Ohio a Good Place to Live? Ohio Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Ohio ranks #33 of 50 with a composite score of 52.1 and a C+ grade, strongest in education (#11) and weakest in economy (#44). The median household earns $72,212 (11% below the national median), homes typically cost $248,803 (33% below the national average), and violent crime is 276 per 100,000 (16% below the national average).
Ohio ranks #5 on home price to income, at 3.4x, and that number carries a state whose economy ranks #44; a modest paycheck buys a house here, but paychecks do not grow fast. The tradeoff is a property tax rate of 1.43%, 0.4 points above the national average, plus municipal income taxes layered on the state's.
Ohio by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Ohio's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Ohio overview
Ohio scores above the national average in 4 of 11 categories and ranks #9 of 12 states in the Midwest, behind 8 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is typical home value ($248,803, 33% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is unemployment rate (4.6%, 0.6 points above the national average). With 2 bottom-10 finishes and no top-10 category, its case rests on price rather than performance.
Where does Ohio rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Ohio is top 10 in 0 and bottom 10 in 2.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 30.3 | #44 of 50 | D | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.6% and median household income is $72,212. |
| Safety | 72.6 | #24 of 50 | B | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 275.6 violent crimes and 1,428.8 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 44.8 | #35 of 50 | C | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 75.6 years, 36.9% of adults have obesity, and 6.7% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 67.4 | #11 of 50 | B+ | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 279 in NAEP math and 260 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 86.2%. |
| Affordability | 78.4 | #15 of 50 | B+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $248,803 (3.4x median income); cost of living index 92.8 (100 = US); center-based infant care $13,936 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 56.6 | #30 of 50 | C+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $2,980 of debt per resident, has 76% of pensions funded, and holds a AA+ credit rating. |
| Growth | 31.0 | #34 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.34% last year; Census net domestic migration is +1 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 52.1 | #23 of 50 | B | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 23.8 minutes, 1% of workers use public transit, and 11.9% work from home. |
| Livability | 29.8 | #31 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.738 restaurants and 0.013 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.152 bars and 0.114 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 10.0 | #42 of 50 | C | 6% | 29.4 | 1.5% of its land is public, with 2.37 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 35.2 | #34 of 50 | C+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 43, 6% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 8.3. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Ohio's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Ohio bulges toward education and dips at economy.
How expensive is Ohio?
Ohio's cost of living index is 92.8 against a national baseline of 100, 7% below the national average and #17 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $248,803 (33% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $71,117, $1,095 less than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Youngstown is cheapest (index 87.4) and Dublin priciest (95.5).
Housing market snapshot · August
Cool marketRanked #42 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #9 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household earns enough to buy the typical home.
Full Ohio housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Ohio | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$3,318 | −$11,758 | #15 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$36,659 | +$31,418 | #8 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$41,197 | +$35,970 | #8 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Ohio?
Ohio's tax mix is high property tax, with income and sales taxes in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 9.36% of income, 0.6 points above the national average (#36 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.43% of home value (#40), and combined sales tax averages 7.29% (#30).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 56.6 out of 100, #30 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Ohio safe?
Ohio reports 276 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 16% below the national average and #24 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,429 per 100,000, 7% below the national average (#25 of 50). The safety score is 72.6 out of 100, #24 of 50; among tracked cities, Lakewood has the lowest violent crime rate.
Ohio vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Ohio
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | 50,007 | 81 | 935 |
| Kettering | 57,206 | 86 | 1,378 |
| Parma | 79,870 | 150 | 725 |
| Middletown | 51,617 | 165 | 1,718 |
| Elyria | 53,035 | 186 | 1,330 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Ohio cities we track with 50,000 or more residents. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Ohio?
Ohio's unemployment rate is 4.6%, 0.6 points above the national average and #40 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $72,212, 11% below the national median. Real GDP grew +1.4% in the latest year (#40 of 50) and GDP per capita is $58,499, 9% below the national average. The population is growing 0.34% a year, 0.2 points below the national average. The economy score is 30.3 out of 100, #44 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Ohio, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $239,780 | $220,598 | Cleveland-Elyria |
| Lawyers | $155,822 | $143,356 | Cincinnati |
| Software Developers | $146,333 | $134,626 | Columbus |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $109,245 | $100,505 | Cincinnati |
| General & Operations Managers | $107,990 | $99,351 | Cincinnati |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Ohio's schools and healthcare?
Ohio's education score is 67.4 out of 100, #11 of 50. Eighth graders average 279 in NAEP math (#11 of 50) and 260 in reading (#12 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 86.2%, 0.6 points above the national average (#27 of 50).
Ohio is #35 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 75.6 years, 1.3 years below the national average. 36.9% of adults have obesity (#38 of 50) and 6.7% of residents have no health insurance (#20 of 50). The health score is 44.8 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Ohio, and who is leaving?
Ohio lost a net 7,994 households to other states in the latest IRS release: 92,684 moved in and 100,678 moved out, -0.7 per 1,000 residents (#35 of 50). Arriving households report an average income of $67,237 against $78,108 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +20.5K people (197.9K in, 177.4K out, ±16.4K), pointing the other way, so treat the direction as uncertain.
Where they come from
- 1Florida10,564 · $71,737
- 2Kentucky6,362 · $56,992
- 3Pennsylvania6,060 · $61,901
- 4Michigan5,970 · $59,979
- 5Texas5,212 · $69,810
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Florida13,170 · $119,825
- 2Kentucky6,769 · $61,059
- 3Texas6,519 · $77,822
- 4Michigan5,728 · $68,708
- 5Pennsylvania5,284 · $60,629
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Ohio?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Ohio cities we track are Dublin (71.5), Lakewood (64.9), and Kettering (61.8). Youngstown is the cheapest (cost index 87.4), Dublin the richest ($160,296), and Columbus the fastest growing (+0.8% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Ohio cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Ohio
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Lakewood | 81 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Youngstown | cost of living index 87.4 |
| Most walkable | Cleveland | walkability 13.3 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Lorain | median AQI 39 (county) |
| Best schools | Dublin | 93.5% graduation rate |
| Richest | Dublin | $160,296 |
Among the 20 Ohio cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Ohio
The growth engine; Dublin, Westerville and the northwest suburbs are expensive by Ohio standards, while the city itself stays affordable and fills in fast.
The old industrial core; the cheapest housing in the state, lake-effect snow east of Cleveland, and the widest gap between city and suburb.
Cincinnati is the hilliest metro and the one with old money; Dayton is the cheap one, with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as its anchor employer.
Flat farm country with Toledo's Jeep plant and glass industry at the top; cheap, windy, and closer to Detroit than to Columbus.
Hills, Ohio University in Athens, Hocking Hills, and the lowest incomes in the state; no tracked cities, which tells you something.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | A+ | 71.5 | 49,294 | $160,296 | 109 | 95.5 |
| 2 | Lakewood | A | 64.9 | 50,007 | $68,954 | 81 | 93.9 |
| 3 | Kettering | B+ | 61.8 | 57,206 | $74,681 | 86 | 92.7 |
| 4 | Parma | B+ | 60.8 | 79,870 | $69,295 | 150 | 93.9 |
| 5 | Cuyahoga Falls | B | 57.0 | 50,909 | $72,705 | 228 | 93.4 |
| 6 | Columbus | C+ | 54.5 | 914,802 | $66,082 | 380 | 95.5 |
| 7 | Euclid | C+ | 52.9 | 48,823 | $50,285 | 106 | 93.9 |
| 8 | Elyria | C | 51.9 | 53,035 | $54,945 | 186 | 93.9 |
| 9 | Newark | C | 51.2 | 50,783 | $61,670 | 297 | 95.5 |
| 10 | Middletown | D | 48.4 | 51,617 | $57,102 | 165 | 95.4 |
| 11 | Hamilton | D | 47.9 | 63,468 | $55,166 | 295 | 95.4 |
| 12 | Cincinnati | D | 45.2 | 311,224 | $52,909 | 785 | 95.4 |
| 13 | Lorain | D | 44.5 | 65,395 | $48,685 | 565 | 93.9 |
| 14 | Toledo | D | 42.9 | 267,463 | $49,724 | 872 | 91.5 |
| 15 | Akron | D | 42.6 | 189,247 | $48,076 | 871 | 93.4 |
| 16 | Cleveland | F | 40.5 | 366,097 | $40,801 | 1,365 | 93.9 |
| 17 | Youngstown | F | 39.7 | 59,331 | $34,408 | 690 | 87.4 |
| 18 | Dayton | F | 38.5 | 136,579 | $45,247 | 1,230 | 92.7 |
| 19 | Canton | F | 37.7 | 69,755 | $43,188 | 1,091 | 89.4 |
| 20 | Springfield | F | 36.2 | 58,190 | $47,143 | 1,248 | 90.5 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Ohio cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Who is Ohio best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Ohio cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Ohio compare with its neighbors?
Ohio ranks #33. Among its bordering states, Indiana ranks highest (#22) and Michigan lowest (#45). Pennsylvania is the most similar on the composite score and Michigan the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | #33 | 52.1 | $72,212 | $248,803 | 92.8 | 276 | 9.36% | |
| Indiana | #22 | 59.2 | $71,959 | $260,095 | 93.3 | 254 | 9.09% | Compare → |
| Pennsylvania | #25 | 56.9 | $77,545 | $290,401 | 97.6 | 227 | 8.58% | Compare → |
| Kentucky | #41 | 44.8 | $64,526 | $232,577 | 90.2 | 212 | 8.93% | Compare → |
| West Virginia | #44 | 42.8 | $60,798 | $179,496 | 89.5 | 242 | 8.85% | Compare → |
| Michigan | #45 | 42.7 | $72,389 | $266,292 | 96.2 | 416 | 8.25% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Ohio city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Ohio numbers say when read together.
Education is Ohio's strongest suit
Ohio is a #33 state overall but #11 of 50 for education, 22 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 67.4 against a national average of 57.5. Affordability (#15) is next. Education carries 12% of the composite.
Economy is where Ohio falls furthest behind
Ohio ranks #44 of 50 for economy, 11 places below its overall #33, with a score of 30.3 against a national average of 47.1. At 15% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Typical home value is 33% below the national average
Ohio's typical home value is $248,803, 33% below the national average of $368,697, #9 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The largest gap in the other direction is unemployment rate: 4.6%, 0.6 points above the national average. Source: Zillow Research ZHVI, latest release.
More households leave than arrive
Ohio ranks #35 of 50 on net household flow per 1,000 residents (-0.7). The households arriving report $10,871 less in average income than those leaving ($67,237 against $78,108), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount shrinks. Florida is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed less here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $3,318 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#15 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $36,659 surplus; a retiree couple at a $41,197 surplus. Infant childcare runs $13,936 a year, 11% below the national average.
Ohio sits 3rd among its 6-state neighborhood
2 of Ohio's 5 bordering states rank above its #33; the closest match on the composite is Pennsylvania. Median income among them runs from $60,798 in West Virginia to $77,545 in Pennsylvania; Ohio is at $72,212.
Frequently asked questions about living in Ohio
Is Ohio a good place to live?
Ohio ranks #33 of 50 with a C+ grade, #9 of 12 in the Midwest. It is bottom 10 in outdoor access and economy. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 3 of 6 (home prices, cost of living, and violent crime) and trails on income, unemployment, and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Ohio rank among US states?
Ohio ranks #33 of 50 overall with a composite score of 52.1 (grade C+), and #9 of 12 states in the Midwest. Its best category rank is #11 (education) and its worst #44 (economy). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so C+ means rank 27–34.
Is it expensive to live in Ohio?
At #17 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Ohio is 7% below the national average: its index is 92.8 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $248,803 (33% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $71,117 against a median household income of $72,212. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $3,318 shortfall after all costs, #15 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Ohio have a state income tax?
Yes. Ohio's top state income tax rate is 6% (#33 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 9.36% of income, 0.6 points above the national average. Property tax is 1.43% of home value and combined sales tax 7.29%.
What is the crime rate in Ohio?
Ohio reports 276 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 16% below the national average and #24 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,429 property crimes per 100,000, 7% below the national average (#25). Its safety score is 72.6 out of 100, #24 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Ohio have good schools?
Ohio is #11 of 50 for education (score 67.4 out of 100). Its public school students average 279 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#11) and 260 in eighth-grade reading (#12), and the high school graduation rate is 86.2%, 0.6 points above the national average (#27). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Dublin has the highest graduation rate at 93.5%.
Why are people leaving Ohio?
Ohio lost a net 7,994 households in the latest IRS release: 92,684 moved in and 100,678 moved out, -0.7 per 1,000 residents (#35 of 50). The largest source of arrivals is Florida (10,564 households) and the most common destination is Florida (13,170). Arriving households report an average income of $67,237 against $78,108 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Ohio a red or blue state?
Ohio leans red: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+5, meaning it votes about 5 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What is it like living in Ohio?
Practical, mostly. Ohio is three metros that do not feel alike, Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, plus farmland and factory towns between. Commutes are short at 23.8 minutes, sports are a civic religion, and winter runs from November into March with real snow along Lake Erie. People do not move here for scenery. They move because the math works and family is two hours away.
Is Ohio a good place to raise a family?
Middle of the pack, #21 of 50, better in the right suburb. Childcare runs $13,936 a year, 11% below the national average, and the big-metro suburbs have well-funded districts, paid for through property tax and levies. Cleveland and Dayton city schools are a different proposition, and safety follows the same suburb-versus-city split. The honest pitch is a paid-off house and grandparents nearby, not top-ten anything.
Is Ohio tax-friendly for retirees?
Reasonably. Social Security is not taxed, there is a small retirement income credit, and qualifying seniors get a homestead exemption. At $75,000, a retiree couple comes out at a $41,197 surplus, #8 of 50. The drag is property tax at 1.43% on a house you own outright, and Florida is where Ohio retirees keep going anyway, which says winter matters more than the tax table.
Does Ohio get tornadoes?
Yes, though the overall hazard is low. FEMA scores Ohio 8.3, #6 lowest. Tornadoes hit the western half most, the Dayton area has taken direct strikes, and river flooding along the Ohio is the other recurring problem. Lake-effect snow east of Cleveland is a nuisance, not a disaster. Earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfire are off the list, which is why home insurance here is cheap.
Why is Ohio so cheap?
Because it stopped growing before the rest of the country got expensive. Population growth is +0.34%, #33, so housing built for a bigger industrial workforce is still standing, especially in Cleveland, Toledo and Youngstown. Values are rising again, +3.4% in a year and 2.2 points above the national average, because Columbus is finally short of houses. Cheap and flat wages travel together, though: median income is 11% below the national median.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Ohio's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.