Economic Vitality Index

Mapping the Vitality of Ohio Counties

The COVID-19 pandemic caused economic hardship for millions of Americans. This research maps the vitality of all 88 Ohio counties in 2019, before the pandemic. Mapping the vitality of Ohio's counties pre-pandemic is the first step in understanding the true scope and scale of the unprecedented contraction in economic activity seen during the pandemic.

Interactive Maps:

This project's selection of interactive maps set the baseline to be compared with future datasets to provide a full picture of areas experiencing economic duress and success.

• 2021 Interactive Maps
• 2020 Interactive Maps
• 2019 Interactive Maps

 View full methodology, sources, and a table displaying all 88 Ohio counties and their scores across six variables.

Reports:

Economic Vitality Index: Is There a Pandemic Recovery In Ohio? 
February 2023
The 2021 update of the Economic Vitality Index (EVI) illustrates the ongoing effects of the global pandemic and economic slowdown and highlights the impacts of policy responses aimed to ease its detrimental and uneven impacts on the economies of Ohio's 88 counties.

COVID-19 Impact on the Economic Vitality Index of Ohio's 88 Counties
February 2022
This brief illustrates the results of the updated 2020 Economic Vitality Index (EVI) to understand the overall economic impact of the pandemic, including the role of the economic stimuli and related policy responses. This update of the 2019 EVI shows how Ohio's 88 counties have been affected by COVID-19.

Economic Vitality Index: Mapping Ohio's 88 Counties
December 2020
Along with the unimaginable death of hundreds of thousands, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic hardship for many more millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of businesses, large and small. After experiencing the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, we are now faced with an unprecedented contraction in modern times as workers see their hours reduced – or jobs eliminated – and businesses scale down operations or close their doors altogether. As part of its effort to aid in responding to Ohio's economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, the Center for Economic Development (Center) is tracking the overall economic vitality of counties in Ohio. A first step in commencing this research is to establish a baseline evaluation of performance prior to the pandemic's start as a benchmark measurement to compare against post-pandemic. This brief illustrates 2019 baseline data and will be updated annually as economic stimuli, policy responses to the pandemic, and their economic impacts progress.