Ohio Real Estate

When the Iroquois Native American tribe settled into new found land they called it Ohio, which meant "Great River." That great river today is known as the Ohio River. It is said that the French then translated it as the beautiful river.

Ohio, the Buckeye State, has beautiful homes throughout the state, some found in historic neighborhoods and others found in new housing developments. As a whole, the state has several cities with affordable housing including Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron and the state's capital, Columbus.

Three major cities in Ohio including Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland all bring a different element to Ohio's culture.

Columbus, OH, the largest city (according to population) in Ohio, is known for its historic neighborhoods. One of those neighborhoods, the Victorian Village, has dozens of three-story Victorian brick, Italianate, and Tudor homes.

Columbus also hosts several annual events including First Night Columbus, the Jazz and Rib Fest (now in its 27th year), and the Arnold Classic, a body-building competition. The median home price in January 2007 was $166,000.

Cleaveland, Ohio, located in northeastern Ohio offers another kind of historic experience this one including music. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland. The city is made up of 36 neighborhoods which include 25 historic districts and more than 250 land marks. It is estimated that, as of 2000, more than 700,000 people lived in the City of Cleveland. Cleveland was named one of the top 10 international visitor hotspots by Travel and Leisure Magazine and named one of the 10 top places to do business in the nation by Fortune Magazine. Partners for a Livable Community, a national non-profit group that helps communities solve problems, named Cleveland as one of the four best livable cities. Median price for a home in Cleveland, OH as of January 2007 was $152,300.

Cincinnati, located in southwestern, Ohio is tucked away in the hills of the Ohio River Valley. Charles Dickens said it best when he wrote in his "American Notes" that the "inhabitants of Cincinnati are proud of their city as one of the most interesting in America and for good reason."

Cincinnati has 52 neighborhoods. Some of those neighborhoods include tree-lined streets with inexpensive homes and extremely larger, more expensive homes in the hills that overlook the city. One historic neighborhood named Over the Rhines is a historic, yet recently revitalized neighborhood with 19th Century architecture. This neighborhood also boasts one of the oldest farmers markets - the Findlay Market.

Like Cleveland, OH, Cincinnati has also been ranked one of the top 10 places to work and live by Fortune Magazine. The city has 313,467 people according to 2006 population estimates. The median home price in Cincinnati in January 2007 was $155,700.

Ohio Demographics

Ohio, as of 2006, had an estimated population of 11.5 million people who span 83 counties. Nearly 13 percent of the population or 1.3 million people in Ohio are poor. The counties of Lawrence, Athens, Meigs, Scioto and Vinton, found in the southeastern part of Ohio, have the highest rates of people living in poverty.

Delaware, Medina, Union, and Warren counties, located in Central Ohio, have the lowest rates of people living in poverty and also are the counties with the highest increases in population ranging from 1.01 percent to 5.8 percent, indicators of a strong and growing local economy.

Nearly 85 percent'a majority of the population in Ohio is white, ll.3 percent are African American.

Ohio Economy

Ohio is heavily populated with Fortune 500 businesses. More than 60 Ohio-based corporations are considered by Fortune Magazine to be the largest public companies by revenue in America. Together, they generate $504.9 million in annual revenue. Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus have a large number of businesses including Proctor & Gamble, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and Kroger. General Mills, with eight locations in the state, employs 26,000 people in Ohio.

Ohio's per capita income from 2005 to 2006 increased by four percent to $33,338. However, the unemployment rate in Ohio is 5.7 percent, which is somewhat higher than the national average of 4.5 percent.

Ohio Education

Ohio is home to more than 140 institutions of higher education. There are 13 state universities, 15 community colleges, 8 technical colleges and 24 state and regional campuses. Twenty-one percent of the population in Ohio that is 25 or older has a bachelor's degree or higher. Cincinnati is one of the most literate cities in the nation ranking 7th in a study of cities with a population of at least 200,000 people.