Ohio

Ohio is one of the unhealthiest states, study says. See where it ranks

Published

2 years ago

July 9, 2024

Press Room

Ohio is one of the unhealthiest states, study says. See where it ranks

Three Ohio counties were named among the unhealthiest in the country in a study released earlier this year.

Now, Ohio takes No. 9 in the least healthy state population rankings, per a Forbes study.

Here’s why Ohio rates as one of the least healthy states in the country.

What makes Ohio one of the unhealthiest states in the U.S.?

Being healthy can allow one to participate in all activities and enjoy their life. Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that six in 10 American adults have at least one chronic disease and four in 10 have two or more.

So, what makes Ohio No. 9 in the rankings of the unhealthiest states?

The Forbes study utilized 21 metrics across three categories—disease risk factors and prevalence, substance abuse, and lifestyle habits and health outlook. Ohio had a low score in all three categories (where 100 is the worst score):

Disease Factors and Prevalence Score: 68.02
Substance Abuse Score: 77.53
Lifestyle Habits and Health Outlook: 80.89
Overall score: 78.38

The Buckeye State was among the 10 worst for substance abuse and lifestyle habits/health outlook, and was No. 11 for disease risk factors and prevalence.

Ohio’s relatively poor showing in the Forbes study stands as an improvement from when it ranked close to last for health in a 2021 study by the Columbus-based Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

Cuyahoga County is one of the most unhealthy counties in the country

The Forbes study also looked at 100 of the most populated counties in the US. Cuyahoga County in Ohio is No. 2 in the top five unhealthiest counties in the country, earning a score of 99.38 out of 100.

Cuyahoga County has the highest rate of heart disease (7.2%) in the nation, putting many of its residents at risk for potentially fatal complications such as aneurysms, heart attacks, and strokes.

Other Cuyahoga County statistics include:

2nd highest percentage of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (8.5%)
4th highest percentage of adults who have had a stroke (3.8%)
4th highest percentage of adults with high blood pressure (37.3%)
5th highest percentage of adults with chronic kidney disease (3.6%)
6th highest percentages of adults with diagnosed diabetes (13.6%), cancer (7.5%), and adults who are current smokers (18%)

Rankings in the Midwest: Where Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan landed

Joining Ohio in the top 10 unhealthiest states are West Virginia (No. 1 overall, 100.0 score), Kentucky (No. 5, 87.46) and Indiana (No. 10, 76.37).

Michigan came in at No. 14 (63.66 score).

Additionally, three other counties in the Midwest join Cuyahoga County in the top five least healthy counties list. Michigan takes two spots, Wayne County (No. 1) and Macomb County (No. 4), and Kentucky takes one with Jefferson County (No. 2)

Top 10 unhealthiest states

The full list of the 10 unhealthiest states in the Forbes study (with overall scores in parentheses):

West Virginia (100.0)
Mississippi (96.04)
Tennessee (94.39)
Arkansas (88.06)
Kentucky (87.46)
Alabama (83.70)
Louisiana (82.81)
Oklahoma (81.69)
Ohio (78.38)
Indiana (76.37)

Top 10 healthiest states

At the other end of the spectrum, the 10 healthiest states in the US are scattered around the country (with overall scores in parentheses):

Hawaii (0.00)
Utah (11.34)
Connecticut (13.33)
Minnesota (16.16)
Massachusetts (17.02)
Colorado (18.67)
New Jersey (19.23)
New Hampshire (20.35)
Washington (23.01)
New York (23.04)

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Ohio

Restrictions on social media use among children restored in Ohio

Published

1 hour ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Restrictions on social media use among children restored in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — As concerns have grown over the impact of social media on young people, lawmakers are pushing to keep protections in tact to keep children safe online.

This week the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio’s law, the Social Media Parental Notification Act, requiring parental consent for children under the age of 16 to use social media must be restored. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the act into law in July 2023.

Netchoice, the trade group that represents Tik Tok, Snapchat, Meta and other tech companies contested Ohio’s law in 2024, arguing that it was overly broad, vague and represented an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.

“An unconstitutional law protects no one, and we remain focused on ensuring the First Amendment rights of Ohioans are protected,” Paul Taske, NetChoice Litigation Center Director said.

Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit’s panel does not agree with this view point, determined that the law is not unconstitutional and had the block on the law’s enforcement vacated.

“At bottom, the Act imposes a parental consent requirement,” Judge Eric Clay wrote. “That requirement constitutes a marginal burden that precisely targets the multi-faceted problem that Ohio has identified: Children’s unsupervised assent to terms and conditions for use of platforms that take advantage of and harm them.”

The Social Media Parental Notification Act is a way to protect children’s mental health against the “intentionally addictive” nature of social media, according to U.S. senator Jon Husted.

The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson says the ruling is “a win for Ohio families.”

“The court agreed that parents –- not social media companies –- should get a say in what kids see online,” he said in a statement. “We have an obligation to keep our children safe, and today, the most dangerous place for our kids is the internet. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight.”

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Ohio

Black bear spotted in Licking County as sightings rise across Ohio

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Black bear spotted in Licking County as sightings rise across Ohio

LICKING COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) — When you think of wild animals in central Ohio, a black bear likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. That’s why one Licking County family said they couldn’t believe their eyes.

It was an average afternoon drive home for father and son, Justin and Aaron Rhodes, when something walked into the road in front of them.

“I didn’t even think it was real at first, so that’s why I had to do the double take,” Justin said.

Aaron said he thought it was “just a weird looking dog”.

To their disbelief, it was a bear. The sighting comes just one year after the animal was spotted in Licking County for the first time in more than two decades.

“It’s kind of hard to believe that they’re even around this area,” Justin said. “I’ve lived in this area for about 24 years now, so it’s been quite a while, and I’ve never seen one before.”

These sightings are becoming more common. The Ohio Division of Wildlife said the black bear population is growing in the state, and they expect those trends to continue. Ohio saw a record number of confirmed sightings in 2025.

Lindsey Krusling, a wildlife communications specialist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said they are seeing more breeding females establish homes in the state, signaling the species is returning. Experts said the work restoring natural forest land is a big reason why.

“We’re starting to get some black bears coming in from neighboring states like Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky,” Krusling said. “They’re naturally crossing those state borders and coming back to Ohio because we have more of that habitat available to them, especially those forested areas.”

As the black bear population grows, the Division of Wildlife is expanding its research. They are putting radio collars on some bears they find in the state to help track data, such as if the bears are staying here, how far they’ve traveled and if they’re successfully having cubs.

“We’re trying to get quite a bit of data from these bears, and we’re super excited to see where this takes us,” Krusling said.

The research is in the beginning stages, but they expect population growth to continue, Krusling said.

Sighting reports can be submitted here to help the Division of Wildlife track black bear populations throughout the state.

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Ohio

Lorain woman killed, three children injured in Ohio Turnpike crash in Elyria (UPDATED)

Published

22 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Lorain woman killed, three children injured in Ohio Turnpike crash in Elyria (UPDATED)

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