The 10 Most Miserable Cities In Ohio For 2023


The most miserable cities in Ohio are New Carlisle and North College Hill for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Ohio?

Only a third of Ohioans say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that folks in Ohio don’t really have it too bad in the grand scheme of things.

But, we were curious – which Ohio cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using Saturday Night Science and data.

After analyzing the 255 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the Buckeye State.


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


Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.

Oh, and by the way, Athens is the happiest place in Ohio.

For more Ohio reading, check out:

The 10 Most Miserable Places In Ohio For 2023

New Carlisle, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Eric Fredericks | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,561
Poverty Level: 22.2%
Median Home Price $99,500
Married Households 31.0%
Households With Kids 40.12%
More on New Carlisle: Data | Cost Of Living

North College Hill, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 9,605
Poverty Level: 25.3%
Median Home Price $90,600
Married Households 22.0%
Households With Kids 42.96%
More on North College Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

East Liverpool, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 10,051
Poverty Level: 29.0%
Median Home Price $59,600
Married Households 29.0%
Households With Kids 32.48%
More on East Liverpool: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

East Cleveland, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 14,212
Poverty Level: 39.0%
Median Home Price $59,800
Married Households 11.0%
Households With Kids 26.37%
More on East Cleveland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Trenton, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,973
Poverty Level: 4.4%
Median Home Price $147,200
Married Households 40.0%
Households With Kids 47.07%
More on Trenton: Data | Cost Of Living

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,694
Poverty Level: 20.9%
Median Home Price $87,000
Married Households 17.0%
Households With Kids 30.18%
More on Warrensville Heights: Data | Cost Of Living

Whitehall, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 20,004
Poverty Level: 21.3%
Median Home Price $105,300
Married Households 18.0%
Households With Kids 36.29%
More on Whitehall: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Grafton, OH

Source: Wikipedia User TnrSmith | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,257
Poverty Level: 7.7%
Median Home Price $156,000
Married Households 19.0%
Households With Kids 31.58%
More on Grafton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Martins Ferry, OH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 6,370
Poverty Level: 21.5%
Median Home Price $80,600
Married Households 15.0%
Households With Kids 32.03%
More on Martins Ferry: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Garfield Heights, OH

Source: Wikipedia User AJHalliwell at en.wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 29,585
Poverty Level: 21.3%
Median Home Price $78,900
Married Households 24.0%
Households With Kids 30.04%
More on Garfield Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The Buckeye State

To rank the unhappiest places in Ohio, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.

So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.

Like magic.

Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:

  • Percentage of residents with a college degree
  • Average commute times
  • Unemployment rates
  • Cost of living
  • % of married couples
  • % of families with kids
  • Poverty rate

After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 255 places in Ohio with over 5,000 people.

We then ranked each place from one to 255 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).

Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index “earning” the title “Most Miserable City In Ohio.”

If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.

We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Ohio.

There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Ohio

As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Ohio is usually a subjective matter.

But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.

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

  1. Athens
  2. Grandview Heights
  3. Northwood

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Miserable Cities In Ohio For 2023

Rank City Population Poverty Level Median Home Value % Married % Kids
1 New Carlisle, OH 5,561 22.2% $99,500 31.0% 40.12%
2 North College Hill, OH 9,605 25.3% $90,600 22.0% 42.96%
3 East Liverpool, OH 10,051 29.0% $59,600 29.0% 32.48%
4 East Cleveland, OH 14,212 39.0% $59,800 11.0% 26.37%
5 Trenton, OH 12,973 4.4% $147,200 40.0% 47.07%
6 Warrensville Heights, OH 13,694 20.9% $87,000 17.0% 30.18%
7 Whitehall, OH 20,004 21.3% $105,300 18.0% 36.29%
8 Grafton, OH 6,257 7.7% $156,000 19.0% 31.58%
9 Martins Ferry, OH 6,370 21.5% $80,600 15.0% 32.03%
10 Garfield Heights, OH 29,585 21.3% $78,900 24.0% 30.04%
11 Galion, OH 10,402 20.2% $80,100 37.0% 32.54%
12 South Lebanon, OH 6,157 4.0% $177,500 34.0% 55.11%
13 Cheviot, OH 8,683 20.3% $109,600 25.0% 34.79%
14 Mount Healthy, OH 6,976 19.6% $96,000 20.0% 28.91%
15 Willard, OH 6,204 17.2% $91,100 27.0% 36.45%
16 Hamilton, OH 63,127 16.4% $113,500 27.0% 32.28%
17 Wellston, OH 5,408 26.9% $91,700 34.0% 34.1%
18 Campbell, OH 7,831 30.7% $67,100 21.0% 34.42%
19 Lima, OH 36,352 24.9% $71,900 22.0% 34.04%
20 Forest Park, OH 19,940 8.4% $125,400 16.0% 30.4%
21 Maple Heights, OH 23,511 22.9% $75,000 24.0% 27.96%
22 Warren, OH 39,334 34.6% $68,900 20.0% 24.4%
23 Lorain, OH 65,051 26.3% $97,000 25.0% 28.7%
24 Bedford Heights, OH 10,942 11.1% $110,100 14.0% 15.63%
25 Kenton, OH 8,032 22.5% $80,800 34.0% 30.13%
26 Geneva, OH 5,948 20.5% $109,000 23.0% 25.72%
27 Marion, OH 36,053 22.0% $83,400 27.0% 28.69%
28 Youngstown, OH 61,274 35.3% $48,600 16.0% 26.81%
29 Trotwood, OH 23,157 25.5% $78,600 19.0% 24.37%
30 Canton, OH 71,097 30.3% $76,800 22.0% 29.24%
31 Euclid, OH 49,382 20.6% $87,400 19.0% 24.21%
32 Obetz, OH 5,351 8.7% $147,400 35.0% 38.75%
33 Conneaut, OH 12,276 21.7% $97,800 28.0% 29.78%
34 Fostoria, OH 12,785 24.6% $69,600 31.0% 33.59%
35 Uhrichsville, OH 5,275 20.1% $70,500 37.0% 31.98%
36 Springfield, OH 58,992 22.0% $86,900 27.0% 31.15%
37 Huber Heights, OH 42,650 7.9% $127,900 29.0% 33.21%
38 Cleveland, OH 374,861 31.4% $74,700 14.0% 24.13%
39 Xenia, OH 25,411 18.5% $116,700 29.0% 28.98%
40 Painesville, OH 20,311 21.4% $114,900 22.0% 34.54%
41 Middletown, OH 50,114 20.4% $111,800 27.0% 27.71%
42 Zanesville, OH 24,809 26.7% $85,300 25.0% 28.19%
43 Dayton, OH 138,416 28.6% $73,300 15.0% 26.01%
44 Reynoldsburg, OH 39,803 9.9% $182,100 25.0% 34.19%
45 Washington Court House, OH 14,440 21.2% $114,300 35.0% 33.07%
46 Ashtabula, OH 18,091 31.3% $76,300 25.0% 27.05%
47 Fairfield, OH 44,550 7.1% $170,900 27.0% 30.0%
48 Barberton, OH 25,309 17.5% $91,200 31.0% 26.79%
49 Portsmouth, OH 18,369 34.7% $79,300 24.0% 28.34%
50 Pataskala, OH 17,598 6.7% $208,300 34.0% 39.43%
51 Franklin, OH 11,650 19.0% $120,900 32.0% 30.11%
52 Mansfield, OH 47,437 25.4% $86,700 22.0% 22.97%
53 Rittman, OH 6,153 11.5% $129,900 38.0% 29.98%
54 Elyria, OH 52,853 20.3% $112,200 27.0% 26.7%
55 Jackson, OH 6,225 23.0% $100,600 33.0% 29.81%
56 Akron, OH 191,483 23.0% $87,100 22.0% 26.01%
57 West Carrollton, OH 13,051 14.6% $112,500 28.0% 28.56%
58 Brooklyn, OH 11,291 12.2% $119,700 23.0% 22.74%
59 Toledo, OH 271,454 24.5% $87,400 23.0% 27.94%
60 South Euclid, OH 21,882 13.3% $110,200 26.0% 30.44%
61 Sandusky, OH 25,066 22.6% $85,200 25.0% 28.04%
62 Fremont, OH 15,954 17.3% $97,300 30.0% 30.63%
63 Union, OH 6,832 5.1% $113,200 42.0% 34.86%
64 Lancaster, OH 40,360 15.1% $141,300 33.0% 30.07%
65 Clyde, OH 6,322 10.6% $106,600 36.0% 33.66%
66 Bucyrus, OH 11,690 18.2% $91,000 37.0% 29.45%
67 Englewood, OH 13,441 4.8% $137,300 31.0% 24.64%
68 Richmond Heights, OH 10,748 10.0% $145,000 18.0% 18.49%
69 Urbana, OH 11,166 16.6% $118,900 37.0% 30.73%
70 Bedford, OH 13,073 11.2% $94,800 28.0% 23.17%
71 Aurora, OH 17,108 1.6% $312,000 35.0% 35.21%
72 Logan, OH 7,010 25.1% $117,500 38.0% 40.71%
73 Eastlake, OH 17,743 6.7% $137,100 34.0% 22.34%
74 Struthers, OH 10,058 18.6% $73,900 33.0% 28.3%
75 Brook Park, OH 18,592 9.7% $126,700 33.0% 25.75%
76 Parma, OH 80,880 9.9% $126,100 30.0% 23.36%
77 Belpre, OH 6,676 14.3% $132,100 12.0% 24.68%
78 Germantown, OH 5,748 13.8% $143,400 42.0% 37.24%
79 Bellefontaine, OH 13,792 12.2% $117,900 39.0% 36.29%
80 Newark, OH 49,703 16.8% $139,900 30.0% 30.6%
81 Pickerington, OH 22,682 3.7% $245,100 36.0% 48.46%
82 Ravenna, OH 11,369 22.2% $108,900 28.0% 20.05%
83 Sheffield Lake, OH 8,985 8.6% $111,400 34.0% 22.33%
84 Niles, OH 18,319 11.0% $88,300 30.0% 21.44%
85 Moraine, OH 6,413 21.7% $105,800 31.0% 32.89%
86 Delphos, OH 7,165 11.6% $95,600 44.0% 30.71%
87 Ironton, OH 10,647 25.8% $90,100 24.0% 28.44%
88 Riverside, OH 24,472 15.8% $103,300 23.0% 28.08%
89 Circleville, OH 13,933 25.4% $137,900 32.0% 27.98%
90 Delaware, OH 41,004 7.1% $216,700 34.0% 35.91%
91 Marysville, OH 24,922 6.9% $214,400 32.0% 34.1%
92 Mason, OH 34,337 3.3% $320,800 26.0% 39.44%
93 Bellevue, OH 8,201 13.5% $101,300 38.0% 32.3%
94 Medina, OH 26,011 8.3% $188,100 37.0% 34.88%
95 Springdale, OH 11,024 11.4% $144,300 23.0% 27.35%
96 Miamisburg, OH 19,878 12.7% $161,100 37.0% 35.62%
97 Hillsboro, OH 6,471 26.5% $109,600 31.0% 27.27%
98 Wauseon, OH 7,277 5.1% $131,400 38.0% 38.19%
99 Shaker Heights, OH 29,197 8.0% $252,100 23.0% 29.19%
100 Monroe, OH 15,560 3.4% $201,800 40.0% 37.38%
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

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