The 10 Poorest Cities In Ohio For 2023


The poorest places in Ohio are East Cleveland and Youngstown for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

Like all states, Ohio has certain places that are going on hard times. These Ohio places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.

Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Ohio.

To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 255 cities in Ohio with more than 5,000 people.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the poorest city in Ohio? According to the facts, East Cleveland is the poorest place in Ohio for 2023.

This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.

For more Ohio reading, check out:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Poorest Cities In Ohio For 2023

1. East Cleveland

East Cleveland, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 14,212
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $21,699 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 39.0% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 5,543
More on East Cleveland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

East Cleveland, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Ohio thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.

The city of 14,212 people averages the lowest median household income in Ohio and the 3rd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.

2. Youngstown

Youngstown, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Blue80 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 61,274
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Income: $31,020 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.3% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 21,651
More on Youngstown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The second poorest city in Ohio is Youngstown.

The city ranks as having the 4th highest incidence of poverty and 3rd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 5th highest in the Buckeye State.

3. Athens

Athens, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Ruhrfisch, Nyttend, Dbenbenn, and Yassie | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 24,507
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Income: $33,524 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 43.1% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 10,565
More on Athens: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Placing as the third poorest city, Athens’s median income ranks as the 5th lowest.

And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 43.11089774363897% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.

But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Buckeye State.

4. Warren

Warren, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Jack Pearce from Boardman, OH, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 39,334
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Income: $30,377 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.6% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 13,595
More on Warren: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Warren ranks as the fourth poorest place in Ohio.

The town ranks as having the 2nd lowest median household income and the 6th highest incidence of poverty in the state.

That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.

5. Portsmouth

Portsmouth, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Spongefan | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 18,369
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Income: $34,183 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.7% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 6,376
More on Portsmouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The fifth poorest city in Ohio is Portsmouth.

The city ranks as having the 7th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 5th highest in Ohio.

Still not the best news for Portsmouth.

6. Cleveland

Cleveland, OH

Source: Flickr User Tim Evanson | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 374,861
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $33,678 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.4% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 117,570
More on Cleveland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Cleveland ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Buckeye State.

It ranks as having the 7th highest incidence of poverty and the 6th highest unemployment rate.

7. East Liverpool

East Liverpool, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 10,051
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Median Income: $32,722 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.0% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,918
More on East Liverpool: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

East Liverpool places as the seventh poorest city in Ohio.

The city of over 10,051 ranks as having the 13th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.

8. Cambridge

Cambridge, OH

Source: Wikipedia User The original uploader was Willjay at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 10,116
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 3)
Median Income: $35,798 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.1% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,143
More on Cambridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Cambridge ranks as the eighth poorest city in Ohio.

The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as the 216th highest in the state.

9. Ashtabula

Ashtabula, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 18,091
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Income: $36,012 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.3% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,666
More on Ashtabula: Data | Cost Of Living

Ashtabula couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Ohio; it ranks number 9.

While the median income is the 11th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Ashtabula ranks as having the 8th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Ohio.

10. Canton

Canton, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 71,097
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Median Income: $34,611 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.3% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 21,529
More on Canton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Ohio is Canton.

The city of 71,097 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Buckeye State.

Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Ohio for 2023

The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.

However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2017-2021 American Community Survey:

  • Poverty Level
  • Median Household Income

After we collected the data for all 255 places with more than 5,000 people in Ohio, we ranked each place from 1 to 255 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.

We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, East Cleveland, crowned the “Poorest Place In Ohio For 2023”.

This report has been updated for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Ohio.

Summary: The Poorest Cities In Ohio For 2023

Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Ohio, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Ohio.

When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.

If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Ohio, according to data:

    Richest: The Village Of Indian Hill
    2nd Richest: Powell
    3rd Richest: New Albany

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Ohio

Rank City Population Poverty Rate Median Income People In Poverty
1 East Cleveland 14,212 39.0% $21,699 5,543
2 Youngstown 61,274 35.3% $31,020 21,651
3 Athens 24,507 43.1% $33,524 10,565
4 Warren 39,334 34.6% $30,377 13,595
5 Portsmouth 18,369 34.7% $34,183 6,376
6 Cleveland 374,861 31.4% $33,678 117,570
7 East Liverpool 10,051 29.0% $32,722 2,918
8 Cambridge 10,116 31.1% $35,798 3,143
9 Ashtabula 18,091 31.3% $36,012 5,666
10 Canton 71,097 30.3% $34,611 21,529
11 Campbell 7,831 30.7% $35,714 2,404
12 Bowling Green 30,715 30.9% $37,356 9,505
13 Zanesville 24,809 26.7% $36,012 6,630
14 Hillsboro 6,471 26.5% $36,798 1,713
15 Oxford 22,783 44.8% $41,749 10,212
16 Dayton 138,416 28.6% $37,536 39,525
17 Mansfield 47,437 25.4% $37,009 12,027
18 Ironton 10,647 25.8% $38,654 2,742
19 Steubenville 18,122 25.4% $39,432 4,608
20 Trotwood 23,157 25.5% $40,428 5,896
21 Lima 36,352 24.9% $37,668 9,060
22 Kent 27,912 23.4% $36,799 6,542
23 Lorain 65,051 26.3% $42,201 17,092
24 Marietta 13,559 24.4% $40,798 3,305
25 Jackson 6,225 23.0% $39,928 1,434
26 Toledo 271,454 24.5% $41,671 66,407
27 Ravenna 11,369 22.2% $38,765 2,519
28 Wellston 5,408 26.9% $44,875 1,453
29 Akron 191,483 23.0% $42,129 43,974
30 Alliance 21,864 25.8% $44,862 5,651
31 Marion 36,053 22.0% $41,884 7,924
32 Martins Ferry 6,370 21.5% $41,005 1,371
33 Sandusky 25,066 22.6% $42,140 5,656
34 Logan 7,010 25.1% $44,443 1,756
35 Fostoria 12,785 24.6% $44,170 3,141
36 Springfield 58,992 22.0% $42,131 12,995
37 Kenton 8,032 22.5% $42,731 1,808
38 Warrensville Heights 13,694 20.9% $41,712 2,867
39 Galion 10,402 20.2% $39,923 2,104
40 Maple Heights 23,511 22.9% $44,773 5,378
41 Cincinnati 308,664 24.7% $45,235 76,274
42 Euclid 49,382 20.6% $42,056 10,176
43 Moraine 6,413 21.7% $43,042 1,391
44 Whitehall 20,004 21.3% $42,400 4,259
45 Mount Healthy 6,976 19.6% $41,389 1,369
46 Circleville 13,933 25.4% $46,205 3,532
47 Wilmington 12,523 21.9% $44,474 2,747
48 Geneva 5,948 20.5% $43,345 1,216
49 Garfield Heights 29,585 21.3% $45,189 6,314
50 Struthers 10,058 18.6% $42,714 1,869
51 Uhrichsville 5,275 20.1% $44,421 1,062
52 North College Hill 9,605 25.3% $51,120 2,426
53 Bucyrus 11,690 18.2% $44,068 2,129
54 Coshocton 11,051 21.0% $45,884 2,325
55 Salem 11,920 15.6% $41,949 1,859
56 Cheviot 8,683 20.3% $45,428 1,761
57 Washington Court House 14,440 21.2% $46,905 3,061
58 Girard 9,571 19.8% $45,355 1,897
59 Toronto 5,395 18.7% $44,960 1,010
60 Painesville 20,311 21.4% $47,976 4,339
61 Elyria 52,853 20.3% $46,034 10,724
62 Chillicothe 22,047 20.2% $45,899 4,462
63 Norwood 18,983 21.6% $48,703 4,108
64 Middletown 50,114 20.4% $47,116 10,218
65 Fremont 15,954 17.3% $44,832 2,760
66 Barberton 25,309 17.5% $45,017 4,420
67 New Carlisle 5,561 22.2% $52,838 1,234
68 Conneaut 12,276 21.7% $52,373 2,664
69 Greenville 12,785 12.6% $42,091 1,607
70 Willard 6,204 17.2% $46,679 1,066
71 Mount Vernon 16,885 19.3% $49,139 3,256
72 Xenia 25,411 18.5% $48,868 4,701
73 New Philadelphia 17,622 17.1% $49,228 3,015
74 Van Wert 10,793 15.1% $47,811 1,633
75 Bryan 8,668 14.8% $47,594 1,281
76 Port Clinton 6,055 16.9% $50,507 1,025
77 West Carrollton 13,051 14.6% $47,688 1,907
78 Franklin 11,650 19.0% $52,750 2,215
79 Ada 5,187 17.7% $51,507 917
80 Hamilton 63,127 16.4% $50,034 10,343
81 Tiffin 17,882 12.8% $45,603 2,283
82 Belpre 6,676 14.3% $48,232 955
83 Napoleon 8,907 16.6% $51,507 1,477
84 Massillon 32,199 14.5% $49,426 4,676
85 Oberlin 8,253 22.7% $62,696 1,877
86 Shelby 8,294 16.2% $51,240 1,342
87 Newark 49,703 16.8% $52,570 8,365
88 Lancaster 40,360 15.1% $50,994 6,092
89 Fairborn 34,398 17.4% $54,076 5,981
90 Riverside 24,472 15.8% $52,739 3,869
91 Bedford Heights 10,942 11.1% $45,478 1,216
92 Urbana 11,166 16.6% $54,414 1,852
93 Niles 18,319 11.0% $45,590 2,018
94 Findlay 40,323 13.5% $50,921 5,462
95 Columbiana 6,680 9.2% $44,128 611
96 Parma Heights 20,764 14.8% $53,642 3,079
97 Columbus 898,143 18.4% $58,575 164,999
98 Ashland 19,544 13.1% $51,224 2,566
99 Eaton 8,355 11.4% $48,512 953
100 Wapakoneta 9,921 15.1% $55,876 1,496
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

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