The Growth and Opportunity Scorecard aims to account for macroeconomic factors while reporting on local progress and offers measures for each qualitative objective embedded in the goal. It quantitatively defines a “continuously regenerating economy” with “good jobs and rising incomes,” “for everyone,” and sets a benchmark of success for each.
The 2025 G&O Scorecard gives us a clear-eyed look at where we stand. The big picture shows a classic “good news, bad news” story. While our region showed some resilience in a tough economic climate, these modest gains didn’t translate into better financial health for many families, largely because incomes couldn’t keep pace with the rising cost of living.
A key part of this story is the end of temporary increases in SNAP benefits included in COVID-19 relief funding. This support was a critical lifeline for many, and the data now reflects its absence, especially in measures of family income and poverty.
A Continuously Regenerating Economy
This part of the scorecard looks at our region’s core economic engine. In a challenging national environment, Northeast Ohio held its ground better than most of our peer cities.
- Keeping Pace with Peers: Our traded sector (the part of our economy that sells goods and services outside the region) saw a slight decline of -0.1%, but that was significantly better than the -1.5% drop our peer cities experienced. The Canton and Cleveland metros even saw positive growth on this front.
- Closing the Gap in New Business: We are getting closer to our peers in the rate of job growth from new companies. While our overall growth here is slow, the Youngstown metro was a standout performer, beating the peer target.
With Good Jobs and Rising Incomes
When we shift from economic metrics to the well-being of our residents, the story becomes more complicated and concerning.
- The Squeeze on Families: The most significant challenge we see is in the financial health of local families. The percentage of families earning a wage that can sustain them saw a sharp and substantial drop, from 64.7% down to 58.7%. This is very likely linked to the end of pandemic relief programs that provided a temporary financial floor.
- A Bright Spot in Employment: On a positive note, more of our working-age adults are employed, with the rate ticking up from 72.1% to 73.0%
For Everyone
Our goal isn’t just growth, but equitable growth for everyone, regardless of race or place. This remains our most significant challenge, with some key metrics worsening.
- Widening Gaps: The income gap between races widened, increasing from $1,700 to $2,000 and reversing previous progress. This likely reflects the disproportionate impact of the end of COVID relief on households of color. The gap in unemployment rates between races saw no improvement.
- Poverty on the Rise: Following a period of progress, the number of people living in areas of concentrated poverty increased dramatically, jumping from just under 195,000 to nearly 237,000. This trend was also likely made worse by the end of pandemic aid. Cleveland, in particular, saw a significant increase, reversing its gains from the prior year.
In summary, the 2025 scorecard reveals the real-world effects of a post-pandemic economy without its prior safety nets. It shows us where we need to focus our efforts: building a more inclusive economy where families can not only find jobs, but earn enough to get ahead.
