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Columbus & Central Ohio Region

Columbus & Central Ohio Region

Contact:
Megan Gordon-Lakey
Regional Economic Development Director
77 S. High St., 29th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 466-9627
Fax: (614) 752-4858
Megan.Gordon@development.ohio.gov

Central Ohio Region Reports

Download current reports about the Central Ohio region in PDF or Excel format.

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Central Ohio is anchored by the state capitol of Columbus, with the largest Ohio city population and a rapidly expanding metropolitan area. The region offers strategic resources in logistics, research, professional services, and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing.

Central Ohio’s educated workforce and R&D dominance provides a highly supportive atmosphere for innovation in all of Ohio's primary market sectors. Columbus's economy has a far higher-than-average concentration in white-collar employment. Approximately 60 percent of the Columbus region's workers are in white-collar occupations, compared to 51 percent nationwide. The region is home to 26 colleges and universities with a total enrollment of more than 115,000 students and 20,000 annual graduates. Furthermore, several internationally recognized research institutes are located in Central Ohio such as The Ohio State University, worldwide private R&D leader Battelle Memorial Institute, and notable chemical research clearinghouse Chemical Abstracts Service.

Central Ohio is headquarters to insurance industry leader Nationwide and financial institution Huntington Bancshares Inc., and home to Honda of America Manufacturing’s headquarters and Marysville plant.

"Success comes with teamwork, and Honda's partnership with Ohio has been a winning combination," says Akio Hamada, president and CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing, celebrating the Marysville operation's 25th anniversary. Following Honda's inception in Ohio in 1979 with the Marysville Motorcycle Plant, the Marysville Auto Plant has grown to 16,000 employees since its launch in 1982 and a Center for Automotive Research Center study found Honda generates 3.5 supplier jobs for each position at the company. "We're already looking forward to the next 25 years," Hamada says.

The region is also a known logistics powerhouse. Located at the crossroads of Interstates 70 and 71, Central Ohio is also home to four general aviation airports. These airfields include one cargo operation and four railroad operations, two of which are fully intermodal transport yards. Central Ohio hosts many major logistics operations such as ODW Logistics (3PL), Excel Logistics, Pacer Global Logistics, and Midwest Express Group.

Well below other major metro areas, the Cost of Living Index for Columbus is 96. The average new, single-family home costs $267,000 and the average home resale is $141,700. An arts and culture hub, the Columbus Region is home to more than 100 art galleries, 18 museums, world-class performing arts groups and university exhibits and performances. Additional attractions include 55 three-star or -better restaurants, 87 golf courses, multiple arenas that attract big name shows, two race tracks, unique shopping districts, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, AAA baseball, PGA and LPGA events, and Ohio State University athletics.

Recent Notable Capital Investments

  • Pharmaforce – 70,000 square foot research and production facility, including the creation of 200 new jobs.
  • NetJets – Expansion of its Port Columbus campus, including a $200 million investment, the creation of 800 new jobs, and the retention of over 2,000 existing jobs.
  • Cardinal Health – Expansion of its Dublin headquarters, including a $50 million investment and the creation of 700 new jobs.
  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital - 700,000 square foot facility, including a $800 million investment and the creation of 2,400 new jobs.
  • J.P. Morgan Chase – Creation of 1,150 new jobs.
  • Battelle Memorial Institute - $200 million expansion, including the creation of 200 new jobs.

Columbus and Central Ohio Quickfacts

  • Population of over 1.7 million
  • The greatest population concentration is in Franklin County where 1.1 million people reside
  • Metropolitan area spans 4,000 square miles
  • Annual growth of 1.1%
  • One of the fastest-growing major metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the Midwest
  • 26 colleges and universities
  • 115,000 college students
  • Home to 14 Fortune 1,000 headquarters

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Regional Publications