Ohio covers 40,948 square miles, with a 2020 estimated population of 11,799,448 people – 2,348,859 living in rural areas (USDA-ERS). Columbus, the capital, is located in the central part of the state. The state's largest cities are Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. According to 2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 81.7% of the state's population is white, 13.1% is African-American, 2.5% is Asian, 0.3% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 4.0% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Ohio Rural Healthcare Facilities

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Ohio

6.2% of the Ohio residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2020). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Ohioans in 2020 was $53,641, with the rural per capita income at $46,140. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Ohio is 12.8%, compared with 13.0% in urban areas of the state. 11.9% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 9.0% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Ohio is 7.8%, while in urban Ohio it is at 8.2% (USDA-ERS, 2020).

Ohio State Office of Rural Health
Phone: 614.466.8508
Email: HealthPolicy@odh.ohio.gov
Works to strengthen rural healthcare delivery systems across Ohio. Coordinates rural health initiatives statewide by collecting rural health information, coordinating resources, providing technical assistance, and encouraging recruitment and retention.
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