FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alison Goebel, Executive Director
agoebel@greaterohio.org
office: 614-224-0187

COLUMBUS, Ohio (November 1, 2022) – The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released a report Ohio + Columbus: A Tale of Two States, which analyzes 2020 Census data to identify significant trends in the state of Ohio and make the case for data-driven polices responsive to current trends.

Erica Spaid Patras, the reports lead author said,

"The report confirms demographic and economic trends in Ohio reflect one high-growth metro and city (Columbus) while much of the state exhibits the hallmarks of legacy places characterized by aging populations, marginal population change, and slow income growth."

The analysis highlights a number of startling data points, including:

• Ohio had a population gain of 3% from 2000 to 2020 but when the Columbus metro is removed, the parts of Ohio outside the Columbus area reflect a loss of -1%, or net loss of 100,000 residents

• The state as a whole and cities and metros outside central Ohio experienced significant decreases in people under age 54

• Ohio’s median household income is lower than the national average and has not kept pace with increases nationally in the last two decades

Alison Goebel, GOPC's Executive Director, said:

"With more than 64% of Ohioans living in a legacy city or the metro area anchored by one, state policy makers should think differently about the needs and opportunities of the Columbus area versus other places in Ohio."

GOPC offers tailored policy recommendations for the legacy areas of the state that:

• Protect the Fiscal Health of Ohio’s Cities

• Invest in Existing Places

• Reimage Local Zoning

• Champion Public Transit

• Reduce Risk and Increase Production in Legacy Real Estate Markets

The full report can be accessed on GOPC’s website.