Why Does Ohio Suck? (11 Reasons Why)

In a 2021 city ranking, Ohio was not the worst state to live in, but it did place 36th on the list. This does not mean that you should not live there. It just means that Ohio should not be your first choice.

Ohio has received the reputation of being a place that sucks to live in. Throughout the years, it has been on a steady decline. But why does Ohio suck?

Why Does Ohio Suck?

1. Low Life Expectancy From Birth

Overall life expectancies in Ohio are 76.6, which puts it below many other places in the United States, putting the state towards the bottom of the list.

Reasons for this can be attributed to a few different things. First is the state’s inequalities, which puts most people under the poverty levels set by the CDC.

People living in Ohio also have to contend with limited spending of the government on topics that would increase public health and health care.

2. Limited Diversity Is An Issue

Diversity is a huge issue in many areas of the nation. A few years ago, Ohio ranked as one of the lowest-diverse states in the US. In fact, it ranked number 9, and not in a good way.

Three-quarters of the population was born in the state, and most households only speak English. You may have guessed already, but over 81% of the citizens are white, with 77% being non-Latino.

Racial inconsistencies can be found in every area of the state, especially regarding the top-paying jobs and government positions that belong primarily to rich white people.

3. Poverty Is A Big Problem

Poverty is a state of living where you cannot pay for the basic needs of life. Ohio has a 13.5% poverty rate, with the children’s poverty level hitting 16.8%.

This means that almost a quarter of the state’s population of children has had to live in poverty. Struggling through their young lives without proper food or clothing.

Poverty’s effects on the state’s economy and the nation are astronomical. More money that has to be used by the government to help people survive causes the gross margins of the state to decrease.

4. Unemployment Rates Are Dangerously High

Unemployment rates in the state have decreased over the last year, but it currently sits at 3.9%. It is at the top of the range of the safe zones for this aspect of the economy.

High unemployment rates cause a decrease in the available workforce in Ohio. As well as increasing the number of state funds that must be diverted to help families that drop down under the poverty levels.

5. Weather Changes Within Minutes

You can walk around on a hot summer day and get into the middle of a crazy thunderstorm within minutes. It may not sound much different than the nation’s other states, but it is.

When you consider that winter coats are still needed when Mother’s Day comes around, you can see that winter likes to hang on, with little bits of the sun shown to the people as a teaser.

6. Ohio Is A Politic Battleground State

Politicians from the federal, state, and local levels all swarm to Ohio to compete for votes. It was designed as a battleground state because you never know which politician most would vote for.

A political battleground state is one that the politicians running for office must take, so they will flood the state throughout the campaigns in the hope of obtaining the majority vote.

7. Ohio Is Known For Obnoxious Sports Fans

If you are a sports fan devoted to your team, you may like living in Ohio because they have received the reputation of being some of the worst fans in the nation.

They are not just obnoxious, but if you are openly supporting the team against their state’s team, you may find yourself laying in a pool of your own blood in a nearby alley.

8. Potholes That Can Swallow Cars

For every 100km of road, there are currently 7.3 complaints about potholes on all the Ohio roads. Potholes that are large enough to swallow a tire or even a car.

These bad roadways have been attributed to the salt the state uses during the winter to keep the roads from freezing into a solid sheet of ice.

You could say that the potholes are worth the issues that could be caused by the ice and snow, but you would surely have someone argue with you about the damage a pothole can do to a car.

9. Lots Of Serial Killers And Hardcore Criminals

505 is the number of victims the state had, which places them as the 6th worst place for serial killer activities. Since these criminals are rare, that is not a good position to hold.

Two of the most famous of these criminals called Ohio their home. Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer were proud citizens of the state, along with many more such as Ariel Castro and Randal Lee Roberts II.

10. Crime Rates Are Especially High

When you take 1000 citizens of the state, around 21% will be victims of some type of crime. This includes violent crimes, as well as property crimes.

Crime rates in Ohio can be linked to poverty and unemployment levels. Simply because people that have no money and are hungry will do just about anything, especially when children are involved.

11. Residents Are Not Happy

There is a noticeable lack of satisfaction and happiness when you wander around some of the streets in Ohio. Happiness breeds success, and sadness perpetuates failure.

Emotional and mental well-being, work environment, social environments, and drug addiction lead to this decline in happiness, affecting the state’s economy because of the lack of productivity.

To learn more, you can also read our posts on why Ohio is so boring, why Texas sucks, and why New York is so popular.

Conclusion

Ohio may not be the worst state in the nation to live in, but it is close. It can be argued that all the states have their bad aspects of life, which would be a valid point.

What it all boils down to are the numbers. Statistics do not lie. But in the end, how and where you live is up to you, and you are the only one that can change it.