This section gives information on Ohio's economic indicators, such as poverty rates, income levels, and labor force participation rates. These provide important context on the ability to afford housing.

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Section Highlights

• Adjusted for inflation, household incomes are declining. After nearly a decade of improvement, Ohio's median annual household income peaked in 2019 at over $71,000 (in 2023 dollars). By 2023, the median income had fallen to $67,873 per year.
• The median income for Ohio households with a white householder has also fallen during the same time period, dropping 2.7% from 2021 to 2023 when adjusted for inflation. At the same time, the median household income for Black heads of household grew by 3.6%. This has reduced the income gap between white and Black householders to the narrowest gap ratio on record.
• In 2023, 13% of Ohio households were living below the federal poverty level, roughly on par with the national poverty rate. Poverty is most prevalent in Southeast Ohio (17%) with Athens County having the highest rate in the state (25%).
• Ohio's unemployment rate has started to increase after a return to pre-pandemic levels. Having dropped to 3.4% in May 2023, the percentage of the labor force that is unemployed increased to 4.5% by December 2024.

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Jump to: Household Income | Poverty | Labor Force Participation & Unemployment | Downloadable Tables | Notes

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