Galion Ohio and Statewide Trends for People Moving Out

In 2018, United Van Lines (UVL) surveyed 110,000 families the company helped move - to learn about people moving out. According to the survey results, one of the interesting trends presented in the State of Ohio - with 56.2% - or 6,684 families - moving out of the state. (I'm not sure the math is right on that, but those are the numbers cited by Forbes.)

People moving out image courtesy of Pixabay

Ohio Ranked Seventh Place for People Moving Out

In fact, UVL found Ohio to be 7th in the rankings of states with people moving out in droves. This could be considered bad news for the state and small towns like Galion, or it could be used as an incredible opportunity by those who choose to stay. (I prefer to think of it as an opportunity.)

Job Growth in Ohio

In 2018, Ohio experienced a job growth rate of 1.4%. Now, if the state's population were increasing, that could be troublesome. However, Ohio's population as of the last census was 11,658,600, and with an outward migration of 56%, according to UVL's study, that means there are a few more jobs than there were before and a significantly smaller number of people to fill jobs.

I've actually heard these types of comments from Galion business leaders, that there aren't enough qualified people to fill the jobs so the companies can meet the demand for Galion-produced products. Based on the state's outward migration trend, that isn't likely to get better any time soon - however - it's a huge opportunity, too. Here's why.

Average Household Incomes for Ohio vs Galion

First, using the latest available census data, the median Ohio household income is $54,106 - however - in Galion, the median household income is $20,291. That's a huge gap, but the opportunity part is still coming. What's the difference that's causing that gap?

It would be oversimplistic to say it's just one thing. But, there's one big thing that stands out. Education levels - and that ties back to the comments from local business leaders about not being able to find qualified workers.

• Galion is a touch over the state average for high school graduates, with 90.1% graduating compared to the state average of 89.8%. 
• But, a high school diploma doesn't bring a lot of opportunities for jobs that pay well in 2019. 
• The number of Galionites with Bachelor's degrees or higher is where the city really sees a disparity that's linked to the lower average incomes in the city. 
• At the state level, 27.2% of Ohioans have a Bachelor's degree or higher. 
• At the city level, only 14.0% of residents have a Bachelor's degree or higher. 

Lost Potential Can Equal Increased Opportunity

That translates to a lot of lost income potential for Galion residents. It also creates a lot of opportunity with so many people leaving the state. Galionites have the option to get educated in viable fields where the earnings are MUCH higher.

Companies that need qualified people could also expand on their job training programs or partner with a local nonprofit to help people get the needed training.

Galionites also have the option to seek out jobs in other cities that match their current levels of education. A third option would be to embrace entrepreneurship and start a business based on something already learned and familiar.

The gross state product of Ohio is $684 billion, and it's based heavily on two key sectors: 

1. Manufacturing
2. Financial services

What's more, out of the 1,000 biggest public and private companies in the US, 49 are based in Ohio. Will you get a job with these major companies without higher education? Probably not, though you can try. What you can do, is learn about the skills these major companies all over the state and consider commuting, or find out what skills local companies need in their workers and then get an education in those fields.

While the outrush of people from the state and current income numbers for Galionites seem kind of bleak at first glance, these things really are great opportunities if properly acted upon.