Ohio
How much do full-time workers have to make hourly to afford a two bedroom apartment?
Basic tips for tenants and renters to avoid eviction in Columbus
Basic tips for tenants and renters trying to avoid eviction and landlord issues in Columbus, explained by Community Mediation Services of Central Ohio.
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch
How much must Ohioans earn per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment? It might be more than you think.
Full-time workers must earn more than $20 per hour ($20.81) to afford a two-bedroom apartment, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.
That’s more than $40,000 a year. And, there’s a large gap between renters’ income and the cost of rent, according to the report.
In recent years, rent prices have increased rapidly, but income hasn’t kept pace. For instance, the so-called “housing wage” — or the amount workers must earn per hour to afford a two bedroom apartment — has increased 9% since last year.
Learn why evictions are rising: Eviction filings at 20-year high in Columbus, Franklin County and set to worsen
“Wages for Ohio’s most common jobs have increased significantly since the pandemic,” Ohio Coalition Executive Director Amy Riegel said in a media release. “Employers are trying to keep pace with inflation, but the skyrocketing cost of rent has effectively erased these wage gains, pushing affordable homes out of reach for a large swath of Ohio’s workforce.”
What jobs pay enough to afford rent in Ohio? Columbus? Cincinnati?
The report, called “Out of Reach Ohio,” shows that only two of the 10 jobs with the most employees in Ohio pay more than $20.81 per hour. Those are general operations managers and registered nurses.
Workers in some areas may have to make even more than $20.81 per hour, as rents are higher than the state’s average in some places.
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In Columbus, those wanting two-bedroom apartments must make $25.04 an hour to afford it. In Cincinnati, they have to make $22.98, and in Cleveland their income must be $21.31 per hour.
As rents rise, people lose their homes
Evictions are at a 20-year high and increasing in Franklin County this year, and Ohio landlords filed nearly 108,000 eviction cases in 2023. That’s more than any year since 2015, according to the report.
Meanwhile, homelessness increased 7% in Ohio from 2022 to 2023.
“Aging Ohioans and people with disabilities living on a fixed income are especially vulnerable to rent shock,” Riegel said in a release. Meanwhile, Social Security payments have increased only minimally in recent years.
“Ohioans who worked hard for 40 years or more should be enjoying their golden years. Instead, many are rationing medications and wondering how they’re going to feed themselves and pay the rent.”
How does Ohio’s housing wage measure up against other states?
The Out of Reach report also ranks states’ housing wages.
Ohio came in 41st, meaning 40 other states have higher housing wages. Still, Ohioans making minimum wage ($10.45 per hour in the state) would have to work 80 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
More: What’s the plan to help people afford housing as Columbus’ COVID rent assistance runs out?
West Virginia has the lowest housing wage, with those wanting a two-bedroom apartment needing to make $18.46 per hour. The state’s minimum wage is $8.75, so minimum-wage workers must work 84 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
California has the highest housing wage, at $47.38 per hour needed for a two-bedroom apartment. A minimum wage worker in that state earns $16 an hour and would have to work 118 hours per week to afford the same apartment.
What can be done about increasing rent?
Ohio’s budget last year included some early steps to address the state’s affordability crisis, Riegel said. But the state needs to do more, she said.
One of her suggestions? The Ohio Housing Trust Fund, the primary source of state funding for local housing and homelessness programs, should be strengthened.
“This year’s Out of Reach report shows that despite rising wages, cooling inflation, and low unemployment, low-wage workers and other renters continue to struggle with the high cost of rent,” said Diane Yentel, national coalition president and CEO, in a release.
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She urged Congress to tackle the housing affordability crisis, as it impacts the whole country, not just Ohio.
“Addressing the challenge requires long-term federal investments in affordable housing. As evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal policies and resources play a pivotal role in establishing a robust housing safety net, preventing evictions and homelessness, and mitigating housing instability among renters with the lowest incomes,” Yentel said. “Likewise, federal renter protections are needed to ensure decent, safe, and accessible living conditions for tenants around the country.”
dking@dispatch.com
@DanaeKing
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Thousands of people are expected to head to downtown Columbus for the 23rd annual Home Improvement Show this weekend.
Organizers say visitors can find ideas for everything from small interior design projects to major renovations.
The event is being held at the Ohio Expo Center and includes seminars, exhibits and demonstrations from local and national companies.
The show begins at noon Friday and runs until 6 p.m.
It continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Adult tickets cost $5 at the door.
Matt Patricia’s contract extension earlier this offseason included a pay raise that figures to make him the highest-paid assistant coach in college football this year.
But Patricia, who will make $3.75 million in guaranteed compensation as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator in 2026, also held an appreciation for his situation.
“Ohio State is such a special place, not only just the history, the tradition, the football program, the school, but the people here,” Patricia said. “Having a chance to have a little stability with my family, it’s hard when you have to move your family around, your kids and the new school and all that.”
Before he joined Ryan Day’s staff last year, the 51-year-old Patricia had bounced around as an assistant in the NFL for much of the decade.
He spent 2021 and 2022 in a variety of roles with the New England Patriots, then a year as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. He took off from coaching in 2024. The frequent relocation gave him perspective.
“We had an unbelievable experience settling into Columbus,” Patricia said. “Everybody’s been so nice and welcoming. It feels like home. It’s a big deal for us to be in a place where everybody’s happy. That’s really important.”
Patricia had a significant impact on the Buckeyes in his first year replacing Jim Knowles. Despite heavy roster attrition following their national championship season, he kept the defense atop the Football Bowl Subdivision. For the second straight season, no one allowed fewer points than Ohio State.
The 9.3 points per game allowed by the Buckeyes were the fewest by any defense since Alabama in 2011.
The success made Patricia a hot commodity on the coaching market, rebuilding his reputation as a sharp and creative football mind only a decade removed from his tenure as a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator for the Patriots. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant.
Patricia said he heard about opportunities in the NFL and elsewhere across the college football landscape, though none of them would pry him away from Ohio State.
“It wasn’t necessarily something where you’re looking to leave,” Patricia said, “but you do have to listen when those things come up. I’m just glad everything worked out.”
His challenge in his second season mirrors his previous one, as the Buckeyes are again managing the loss of eight starters on defense.
But unlike 2025, they have fewer returning pieces, relying on a larger class of transfers to help fill the holes on the depth chart.
“With as much coming into the program for the first time, not only are you trying to catch them up on the football scheme, but you’re also trying to catch them up on everything else,” Patricia said. “This is how we work, this is how we do things, this is the standard we’re looking for, this is how we practice, this is how we prepare, this is how we go to school. That has to be also taught. It becomes a lot, but that’s why you bring in the right guys that have the mental makeup to do all that.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
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Principal Jessica Williams speaks about the new Gahanna Lincoln High School on Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Gahanna, Ohio.
Which central Ohio school districts get the most bang for their buck?
On average, school districts in Ohio spend $16,069 per-pupil for education, according to the education think tank Fordham Institute.
However, different district types spend different amounts of money. For example, large urban districts with very high poverty spend around $21,000 per-pupil, but small towns with low poverty spend around $14,900. The district type closest to the state average are those considered rural and high poverty and suburban districts with low poverty.
Aaron Churchill, lead Ohio researcher for the Fordham Institute, said that urban districts – like Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest district – often have higher spending because they can pull more in tax revenue and the state supports them at a higher rate because they are serving a higher proportion of disadvantaged students. Small, high-poverty towns on the other hand, generate less tax revenue from property values and district employee wages, the highest expense for schools, may be lowered by less market competition.
Churchill said schools should be focused on directing their funding toward initiatives that improve student outcomes and achievement.
“It’s making sure we’re focused on quality, we’re focused on performance, and that we’re rewarding performance,” Churchill said. “And we don’t do enough of that in the education system now.”
Churchill said there is a long-running debate among education researchers about whether increasing spending translates to meaningful results for students. Overall, school funding has increased on average over $2,000 per-pupil since 2015 and reached a record-high in 2025, according to the Fordham Institute.
“You can see in the numbers that we’re spending more than we ever have,” Churchill said. “The real million-dollar question is ‘Can our schools spend the money well?’”
Which central Ohio districts have the best results compared to funding?
The Dispatch compared overall spending per-pupil for central Ohio school districts to the ODEW’s performance index, using 2025 state data.
The Performance Index uses the performance level results for students in third grade through high school on Ohio’s state testing. The Performance Index (PI) score accounts for the level of achievement of every student, not just whether they are “proficient.” Higher performance levels receive larger weights in the calculation, but all achievement levels are included. Overall, the state average of performance scores was 91.8, according to 2025 state data.
The central Ohio school district with the highest spending was Columbus City Schools, which spent $24,505 per pupil and received a PI score of 60.7. The district with the highest PI was Grandview Heights Schools, which received a 106 PI score and spent $21,567 per pupil. New Albany-Plain Local Schools was a close second in PI at 105.1 while spending more than $4,000 less than Grandview Heights at $16,923 per-pupil.
Here’s how central Ohio schools stack up by spending versus achievements on tests, according to the Ohio Department of Education (sorted by highest spending per-pupil):
- Columbus City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $24,505; PI score: 60.7
- Grandview Heights Schools – Spending per-pupil: $21,567; PI score: 106
- Bexley City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $21,025; PI score: 102.7
- Dublin City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $18,702; PI score: 97.6
- Worthington City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $18.573 ; PI score: 94.3
- Madison-Plains Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $17,646; PI score: 88
- New Albany-Plain Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,923; PI score: 105.1
- Westerville City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,815; PI score: 89.7
- Olentangy Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,780; PI score: 103.9
- Groveport Madison Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,236; PI score: 72.6
- Upper Arlington City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16,282; PI score: 103.6
- Canal Winchester Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $16.154; PI score: 89.1
- Average Ohio school district – Spending per-pupil: $16,069; PI score: 91.8
- Reynoldsburg City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,956; PI score: 72.2
- Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,742; PI score: 89.7
- Hilliard City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,694; PI score: 90
- South Western City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,600; PI score: 78.5
- Whitehall City Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,593; PI score: 66.95
- Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $15,163; PI score: 94.5
- Jonathan Alder Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $14,803; PI score: 95.9
- Pickerington Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $14,470 ; PI score: 90.9
- Big Walnut Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $14,239; PI score: 95.1
- London City – Spending per-pupil: $13,750; PI score: 81.3
- Marysville Exempted Village Schools – Spending per-pupil: $13,608; PI score: 95.5
- Licking Heights Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $13,585; PI score: 85.4
- Hamilton Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $12,971; PI score: 82.2
- Bloom-Carrol Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $12,720; PI score: 90.89
- Licking Valley Local Schools – Spending per-pupil: $12,587; PI score: 85
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
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