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Poverty "at a glance" in Columbiana County, Ohio
(August, 2007)
from Carol Bretz, Executive Director
Columbiana County is one of Ohio’s 29 Appalachian counties and shares many socioeconomic indicators with the other 29 counties. Columbiana County’s historical economic dependence on manufacturing resulted in an economy that was not diverse and increasingly vulnerable to globalization. When area steel mills began closing in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the county’s economy went into a tail spin from which it has never fully recovered. Even so, manufacturing remained a significant economic engine for the county as the number of manufacturing jobs continued to decline. Factors that make economic development difficult for the county include a workforce that has less educational attainment than Ohio as a whole, and lacks the skills for work in the technology sector. Some quick poverty statistics are listed below.
- In 1970 manufacturing jobs comprised 53.4% of Columbiana County’s total jobs. By 2006 manufacturing jobs comprised 15.1% of the county’s total jobs.
- The average weekly manufacturing wage for Columbiana County in the 4th quarter of 2006 was $764 or $19.10/hour, or $39,728/year. The average weekly retail wage for Columbiana County in the 4th quarter of 2006 was $395 or $9.88/hour, or $20,550/year.
- The Annual Average Unemployment Rate for Columbiana County in 2006 was 6.5%, Ohio’s rate was 5.5% and the U.S. rate was 4.6%. Columbiana County’ s Unemployment Rate has historically been higher than Ohio’s and the U.S.
- Columbiana County’s 2005 Personal Per Capita Income of $24,072 is only 75.5% of Ohio’s at $31,860. Columbiana County ranks 70th out of 88 counties in Personal Per Capita Income. Every other county in Northeast Ohio has higher Personal Per Capita Incomes than Columbiana County. Its neighbors to the south, Jefferson and Belmont Counties, also have higher Personal Per Capita Incomes.
- The 65+ population is 15.2% of Columbiana County’s total population compared to 13.3% for Ohio.
- As of October 2006, 43.16%, or 7,129, of Columbiana County public school students were eligible for free and reduced price school lunches. 35.9% of the student population was eligible for free lunches. A student is eligible for free lunches if the household income for a family of four is 130% of the poverty level or $26,845.
- 50.2% of Columbiana County households have incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. At 200% a family of four’s annual income is $41,300. The household income at 100% of poverty for a family of four is $20,650.
- Columbiana County ranks 18th out of 88 counties in its dependency on Transfer payments as a percent of Total Personal Income. Transfer payments comprise 24.8% of Columbiana County’s Total Personal Income in 2005. Ohio’s dependency ranking is 17.1% and the U.S. ranking is 14.9%. Transfer payments are payments for which no work is currently performed and include pensions, social security, public assistance, unemployment. A high dependency ranking means a county has a poorer, older, and less healthy population.
- Only 5% of Columbiana County adults aged 25 and older have obtained associate degrees compared to 5.9% for Ohio; only 7.4% hold baccalaureate degrees compared to 13.7% for Ohio; and only 3.3% hold masters or other advanced degrees compared to 7.4% for Ohio.
- In 1997, 15.78% of total tax returns filed in Columbiana County qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit. By 2003 the number of tax returns qualifying increased to 17.08%
- In 1995 there were 258 home foreclosures filed in Columbiana County. By 2006 the number of foreclosures increased to 558, a 116.3% increase. Columbiana County ranked 46th out of 88 counties in the foreclosure filing rate.
This data is from various state agencies including the Ohio Dept. of Education, the Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Services, and the Ohio Dept. of Development’s Office of Strategic Research.