According to one measure of wellbeing, Ohio has improved in recent decades, but it lags most of the Midwest. Predictably, some parts of the state are doing better than others. And sadly, Black Ohioans continue to do worse as a group than most of their neighbors.
That’s all according to the Ohio Human Development Report, which was released this month by Scioto Analysis. It used data from the state and federal government as well as other sources to create a “Human Development Index” — a way of calculating health, education and income among various groups and tracking it over time.
The United Nations created the index — or HDI — in 1990 to compare nations, but the Scioto analysis report uses the concept to compare states, counties within Ohio and demographic groups. The hope is that such a “capabilities approach” will inform policymakers about where they should focus resources.
“A capabilities approach utilizes the Human Development Index to assess what people are able to achieve and how they function,”the report said. “Seeing as the HDI investigates health, education, and income, we are able to look at three ways that society is performing. We are then able to see the ways in which Ohio counties are not meeting their full potential in comparison to other counties and neighboring states. Our analysis using this measure highlights how Ohioans are faring and will help policymakers make thoughtful choices on ways to improve communities and assets.”
Among 12 midwestern states, Ohio has been roughly seventh-best, with most states following comparable trajectories since 1990. HDI values have run generally upward, with a sharp drop due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now are seeing the beginnings of a recovery.
The report found that while Ohioans have been doing better when it when it comes to income than they have regarding health and education.
“Compared to the other two HDI components, the income index values in Ohio are consistently higher than both the educational and health index values, showcasing how Ohio is lagging behind in non-economic areas of development,” it said.
Within the state, HDI scores tended to be higher in northeastern counties, large counties and suburban areas. They tended to be lower in rural counties to the south and southeast of Columbus.
Scoring highest was Delaware County to the north of Columbus. So it would seem that proximity to jobs, healthcare and schools has a positive impact on wellbeing.
“It is evident that when considering measuring and improving wellbeing on a county level, policymakers should consider how targeting programs to specific geographic regions can reduce inequities in well-being across the state,” the report said. “Mapping HDI by county demonstrates a clear need for support in rural Ohio counties, particularly those in Southern Ohio.”
Stagnating income and demographic divides have been stubborn in Ohio over the past two decades.
For Ohio’s Asians, average annual income rose from $70,000 in 2000 to about $73,000 last year when adjusted for inflation. For the state’s white people, it rose from about $53,000 to about $59,000.
For the state’s Black people, it barely budged from an already low level — $40,000 to about $41,000. The group has lagged similarly when it comes to health and education.
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