Nearly half of Ohioans don't make enough to be economically secure, report says

[Diamond_Dog]

According to the Urban Institute’s American Affordability Tracker, average rent, groceries, and day care for two in Ohio are more than $55,000 a year.

While not officially impoverished, a large swath of the population faces expenses beyond its means.

“Conventional measures of economic insecurity, like the poverty rate, only capture acute need and shed no light on the hardships of millions of people who struggle to pay their bills and save for the future — people who are economically insecure and not poised to thrive,” the report said.

“Without adequate data, policymakers cannot develop effective solutions to help their constituents and communities meet their economic challenges.”

The report’s findings might be of interest to politicians who want to help parents. That’s because when kids are involved, the numbers are worse.

Nationwide, 56% of households with kids fall below the security threshold. Forty four percent of families without kids did.

If a household is headed by a single parent, matters are even worse. Nearly 90% don’t earn enough to meet the security threshold, the report said.

In two-parent households with three or more kids, two thirds fall below the threshold.

The numbers are also bleak for households with an older person in need of care. In those, 75% don’t make enough to be economically secure.

And there are racial disparities.

Among non-Hispanic whites, 41% don’t make enough to be secure. Among Blacks and Hispanics, about 65% don’t.

In its report, the Urban Institute said the government needs to address the fact that so many families are having such a hard time getting by.

“Millions of Americans struggle to pay their bills, fear unexpected expenses, and are ill-prepared to weather job losses, sickness, and hazardous climate and environmental events,” it said.

“Many of these people are too often rendered invisible when narrow or inadequate measures of poverty drive public conversation and policy changes.”

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https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/03/20/nearly-half-of-ohioans-dont-make-enough-to-be-economically-secure-report-says/