Want to live and work in Ohio?

Ohio is known for its affordable cost of living. In Columbus, a one-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood runs between $1,100 and $1,500/month. In Cleveland and Cincinnati, prices are even lower: between $900 and $1,300. Smaller cities like Dayton, Toledo, and Akron have rents below $1,000 in many areas.

Groceries and services cost below the national average. Eating out at a casual chain runs $12 to $18 per person. Gas is reasonable. The heating bill can add up in winter. State income tax exists, with progressive rates. Sales tax ranges from 6.5 to 8%, depending on the county.

Families with an annual income of $60,000 to $80,000 can live well, with home ownership, two cars, and children in public schools. Those coming from expensive cities like New York, San Francisco, or Boston are often surprised at how far their money goes in Ohio. Property taxes vary by municipality, being higher in counties with better schools.

The healthcare sector is the state's largest employer. Cleveland Clinic attracts patients from around the world and employs about 70,000 people. University Hospitals (Cleveland), OhioHealth, and Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus) are also major employers. Healthcare salaries are good, especially in medical specialties and nursing.

Manufacturing still employs a significant number, though at a smaller scale than its peak. Honda has large factories in Marysville and East Liberty. Ford, GM, and Stellantis (Chrysler) maintain plants. Procter and Gamble, headquartered in Cincinnati, is one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, employing thousands in the region.

Columbus has a growing technology ecosystem, with Intel building an enormous chip factory in New Albany (investment exceeding $20 billion). JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide Insurance, and various insurers concentrate operations in the city. Universities are major employers (Ohio State, Case Western, University of Cincinnati). Remote work has grown, benefiting professionals who earn well and pay a low cost of living.

The US has no universal public healthcare. In Ohio, those with formal employment receive a health plan from their employer as part of their compensation. Family premiums can exceed $1,500, with the employer covering part. Those without coverage can buy a plan on the federal marketplace with income-based subsidies.

Low-income families are entitled to Ohio Medicaid. Children, pregnant women, and adults have coverage. Undocumented immigrants have access to emergency care and maternity services. Community clinics serve patients on an income-based sliding scale in all major cities.

Cleveland Clinic consistently ranks among the world's best hospitals, especially in cardiology, pediatric cardiology, and orthopedics. University Hospitals (Cleveland), OhioHealth (Columbus), Mount Carmel (Columbus), and UC Health (Cincinnati) are other major networks. Patients from around the world travel to Cleveland for complex treatments. A basic ER visit costs between $1,000 and $3,000 for those without insurance.

As in most of the Midwest, a car is practically mandatory in Ohio. The three major cities have bus systems (COTA in Columbus, GCRTA in Cleveland, Metro in Cincinnati), but coverage is limited and most people depend on cars. Cleveland is the only one with a light rail (RTA Rapid Transit) connecting the airport to downtown.

Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft work well in the three major cities. In smaller cities and rural areas, they are scarce. For intercity travel, interstate buses (Greyhound, Megabus) connect Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati to Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis. There is no relevant passenger rail (Amtrak stops, but infrequently).

The three major airports are Cleveland Hopkins (CLE), John Glenn Columbus International (CMH), and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG, technically in Kentucky but serving Cincinnati). All have direct flights to major US cities and some international connections. Dayton (DAY) has a regional airport. Interstates 70, 71, 75, 77, and 80 cross the state.

College football is almost a religion in Ohio. The Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus fill Ohio Stadium on game days (more than 100,000 fans). The rivalry with Michigan (called The Game) is one of the greatest in American sports. To integrate socially, understanding this ritual helps a lot.

Cleveland has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a museum dedicated to rock history. The city also has one of the world's best symphony orchestras (Cleveland Orchestra) and an important art museum. Cincinnati has a strong German heritage, with historic breweries, the annual Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, and Findlay Market.

Typical dishes reflect ethnic heritage: pierogi and kielbasa in Cleveland (Polish and Slavic heritage), Cincinnati chili (chili served over spaghetti, a local creation that divides opinion), and Buckeye candy (chocolate and peanut butter balls shaped like the local nut). Festivals like the Cleveland Asian Festival, Columbus Arts Festival, and Cincinnati events animate the year.

Ohio is home to about 550,000 people born outside the United States, close to 5% of the population. Columbus has become one of the fastest-growing immigrant hubs in the Midwest, with the second largest Somali community in the United States, concentrated in the north side of the city, and a significant Indian community tied to technology and medicine. Cincinnati also draws Indians and Chinese, especially around Mason and West Chester, and has an established Mexican community. Cleveland has Mexican and Central American clusters on the west side, Ukrainian, Polish, Slovenian, and Croatian presence in Tremont and Slavic Village, and a growing Ethiopian community. Akron and Cleveland together became one of the largest resettlement centers for Bhutanese-Nepali in the country, with more than 25,000 people, and Dayton has received Turkish-Meskhetian and African refugees.

The Consulate-General of Mexico in Columbus serves the entire state. Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS), based in Columbus, is the leading resettlement and legal aid agency in the state. ASIA Ohio (Asian Services in Action) serves Asian communities in Columbus, Akron, and Cleveland in more than a dozen languages. US Together operates offices in Columbus, Cleveland, and Toledo. The Bhutanese Community Association of Akron provides cultural and legal support. Public schools in Columbus and Cleveland run bilingual programs in Somali, Spanish, Nepali, and Arabic.