Every year in the United States, tens of millions of Americans move to a new home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the bulk of these moves are motivated by personal circumstances, often relating to housing, family, or employment. But when it comes to deciding on a place to live, it can also be helpful to weigh other, less subjective factors.

As a means of gauging and comparing degrees of development between countries — beyond standard measures like gross domestic product and economic growth — the United Nations created the Human Development Index. By accounting for factors related to health and well-being, educational attainment, and standards of living, the HDI offers an assessment of overall quality of life at the individual level within a given geography.

When applied to communities within the United States, the core principles of the HDI reveal that some parts of the country are far better places to live than others.

Using an index inspired by the HDI, 24/7 Wall St. identified the best counties in Ohio to live in. Counties are ranked on a combination of three measures – average life expectancy at birth, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the poverty rate. Of the 88 counties in Ohio, we ranked the 30 with the highest HDI score.

Across all of Ohio, average life expectancy at birth is 76.5 years. Additionally, 13.3% of the population live below the poverty line and 30.4% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Of the 30 counties on this list, 10 compare favorably to the state as a whole in each of these metrics.

Among these 30 Ohio counties, average life expectancy at birth ranges from 76.2 years to 81.7 years. Meanwhile, poverty rates vary between 4.5% and 16.5%, and bachelor’s degree attainment rates range from about 18% to over 50%.

Data used to calculate rankings are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All ACS data are five-year averages.

Why It Matters

Many of the most commonly cited economic indicators — including unemployment, GDP, and industrial output — are useful gauges of prosperity and productive capacity in a given area. But when it comes to measuring overall quality of life, any single metric inevitably falls short. To address these shortcomings, the HDI combines three key social and economic measures into a single index score, allowing for objective comparisons between communities across the United States.

30. Madison County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years
• Poverty rate: 10.2%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.4%
• Median household income: $77,062
• Population: 43,961

29. Fulton County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.6 years
• Poverty rate: 8.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 18.3%
• Median household income: $71,453
• Population: 42,602

28. Knox County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.1 years
• Poverty rate: 12.9%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 23.7%
• Median household income: $71,246
• Population: 62,657

27. Lorain County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years
• Poverty rate: 13.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 27.2%
• Median household income: $67,272
• Population: 313,101

26. Erie County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.2 years
• Poverty rate: 11.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.5%
• Median household income: $65,171
• Population: 75,299

25. Wyandot County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.7 years
• Poverty rate: 6.9%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 21.2%
• Median household income: $68,552
• Population: 21,818

24. Cuyahoga County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.5 years
• Poverty rate: 16.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.2%
• Median household income: $60,074
• Population: 1,256,620

23. Wayne County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years
• Poverty rate: 8.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.0%
• Median household income: $70,320
• Population: 116,680

22. Auglaize County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.9 years
• Poverty rate: 6.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.7%
• Median household income: $75,231
• Population: 46,263

21. Miami County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.4 years
• Poverty rate: 8.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.7%
• Median household income: $71,440
• Population: 108,818

20. Mercer County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.5 years
• Poverty rate: 6.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.4%
• Median household income: $73,278
• Population: 42,321

19. Butler County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.4 years
• Poverty rate: 11.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.9%
• Median household income: $77,062
• Population: 388,327

18. Hancock County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years
• Poverty rate: 10.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 28.5%
• Median household income: $67,006
• Population: 75,072

17. Ottawa County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.8 years
• Poverty rate: 8.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.9%
• Median household income: $69,515
• Population: 40,367

16. Licking County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.1 years
• Poverty rate: 9.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 29.5%
• Median household income: $78,505
• Population: 178,844

15. Summit County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.8 years
• Poverty rate: 12.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 34.6%
• Median household income: $68,360
• Population: 539,361

14. Portage County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.8 years
• Poverty rate: 11.3%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.7%
• Median household income: $69,796
• Population: 161,217

13. Hamilton County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.4 years
• Poverty rate: 14.9%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 40.3%
• Median household income: $68,249
• Population: 827,671

12. Clermont County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years
• Poverty rate: 8.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 30.2%
• Median household income: $79,573
• Population: 208,851

11. Fairfield County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.7 years
• Poverty rate: 8.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 31.1%
• Median household income: $82,969
• Population: 159,371

10. Putnam County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.8 years
• Poverty rate: 6.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 25.9%
• Median household income: $79,453
• Population: 34,400

9. Lake County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.2 years
• Poverty rate: 7.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 29.9%
• Median household income: $76,835
• Population: 232,236

8. Franklin County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.7 years
• Poverty rate: 14.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 41.7%
• Median household income: $71,070
• Population: 1,318,149

7. Wood County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.3 years
• Poverty rate: 12.9%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 37.5%
• Median household income: $70,537
• Population: 131,564

6. Greene County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.5 years
• Poverty rate: 10.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 41.2%
• Median household income: $81,243
• Population: 167,567

5. Medina County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years
• Poverty rate: 6.0%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.9%
• Median household income: $89,968
• Population: 182,347

4. Union County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.9 years
• Poverty rate: 5.2%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 39.3%
• Median household income: $104,496
• Population: 63,411

3. Geauga County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.9 years
• Poverty rate: 5.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 39.4%
• Median household income: $97,162
• Population: 95,455

2. Warren County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.2 years
• Poverty rate: 5.1%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 44.7%
• Median household income: $103,128
• Population: 243,189

1. Delaware County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.7 years
• Poverty rate: 4.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 57.4%
• Median household income: $123,995
• Population: 216,074

Rank	County	Avg. life expectancy at birth (yrs.)	Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%)	Poverty rate (%)	Population
1	Delaware, Ohio	81.7	57.4	4.5	216,074
2	Warren, Ohio	79.2	44.7	5.1	243,189
3	Geauga, Ohio	80.9	39.4	5.8	95,455
4	Union, Ohio	78.9	39.3	5.2	63,411
5	Medina, Ohio	80.0	35.9	6.0	182,347
6	Greene, Ohio	78.5	41.2	10.6	167,567
7	Wood, Ohio	78.3	37.5	12.9	131,564
8	Franklin, Ohio	76.7	41.7	14.5	1,318,149
9	Lake, Ohio	78.2	29.9	7.6	232,236
10	Putnam, Ohio	79.8	25.9	6.6	34,400
11	Fairfield, Ohio	77.7	31.1	8.7	159,371
12	Clermont, Ohio	77.5	30.2	8.4	208,851
13	Hamilton, Ohio	76.4	40.3	14.9	827,671
14	Portage, Ohio	77.8	31.7	11.3	161,217
15	Summit, Ohio	76.8	34.6	12.4	539,361
16	Licking, Ohio	77.1	29.5	9.8	178,844
17	Ottawa, Ohio	77.8	26.9	8.8	40,367
18	Hancock, Ohio	77.5	28.5	10.5	75,072
19	Butler, Ohio	76.4	31.9	11.8	388,327
20	Mercer, Ohio	78.5	20.4	6.4	42,321
21	Miami, Ohio	77.4	24.7	8.5	108,818
22	Auglaize, Ohio	77.9	20.7	6.6	46,263
23	Wayne, Ohio	77.5	24.0	8.8	116,680
24	Cuyahoga, Ohio	76.5	35.2	16.5	1,256,620
25	Wyandot, Ohio	76.7	21.2	6.9	21,818
26	Erie, Ohio	76.2	26.5	11.5	75,299
27	Lorain, Ohio	77.5	27.2	13.5	313,101
28	Knox, Ohio	78.1	23.7	12.9	62,657
29	Fulton, Ohio	77.6	18.3	8.5	42,602
30	Madison, Ohio	77.5	20.4	10.2	43,961

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