Benchmarking Central Ohio report examines 58 key indicators over time and against peer metros
Columbus, OH (November 13, 2024)— The Columbus Foundation today released the latest report in the Benchmarking Central Ohio series, which analyzes a spectrum of metrics measuring community health and well-being. Since 2007, as a way to prioritize and make community knowledge accessible, The Columbus Foundation has commissioned community benchmarking reports to track and assess how the community is doing across key indicators over time and to understand how central Ohio compares to other metropolitan areas in the United States.
The 2024 report, developed in partnership with the Columbus-based firm Scioto Analysis, examines five key areas: population vitality, economic strength, personal prosperity, lifelong learning, and community well-being. Within these five key areas are dozens of indicators, ranging from housing affordability and small business ownership to pre-K enrollment and air quality. The study compares the Columbus metropolitan region to 22 other metropolitan areas throughout the United States, including peer communities of similar size and geography and high-performing communities.
“This report, now in its eighth edition, shows our commitment to providing information about and for our community. It is essential to regularly examine the region’s health, economic competitiveness, and quality of life so that we as a community can respond to pressing challenges and emerging opportunities,” said Doug Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation.
While the report features a rich and diverse collection of data, key findings include:
- Especially compared to other Midwest peers, central Ohioans are relatively young, with a median age of 36. The region is still aging, like other regions, but by proportionally lower margins.
- Immigrants and refugees are a crucial part of central Ohio’s ongoing and future growth. Central Ohio is one of two regions featured in the benchmarking report where more than half of the current immigrant and refugee population has arrived since 2010.
- Relative to the peer regions, central Ohio has higher per capita income and lower housing costs, meaning household incomes go further here than in many other peer regions.
- The Columbus metropolitan region continues to have one of the highest rates of poverty among the 23-region cohort, despite a recent decline in poverty amid rising incomes.
- Central Ohio faces some of the most severe public health challenges compared to other peer regions, ranking among the top five in obesity, diabetes, overdose deaths, and infant mortality.
The Columbus Foundation has commissioned seven previous central Ohio benchmarking studies: in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, and 2019. The Benchmarking Central Ohio 2024 report is the first in the series to be released since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering important insights on the region’s health and vitality in the wake of the pandemic. In future analysis, data points from this year’s edition will also serve as an important baseline for how the region was situated before the impact of Intel and other recently announced economic development projects becomes more apparent.
To download the Benchmarking Central Ohio 2024 report, or for more information on the study’s methodology, click here. To view previous Benchmarking Central Ohio reports, click here.
About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation, one of the top 10 community foundations in the United States, serves thousands of individuals, families, and businesses that have created unique funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible.