Why Does Everyone Hate Ohio? 10 Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Ohio is one of the US states located in the Midwestern region. Its location is perfect for people who want to live in a cozy and relatively cheap place but have quick access to big cities like Chicago, New York, Washington, or even Toronto. You just jump on a plane in Columbus or Cleveland and in 2-3 hours you are in New York, for example.

Sounds cool for nomads. And yes, you can actually find a lot of advantages in Ohio. But still, the state is known for being hated by so many Americans including those who live there. Or let’s say it this way, especially by those who live there. So, what’s wrong? Why is Ohio being hated so much?

We’ve prepared 10 facts that you won’t find in travel blogs. Let’s get started!

1. Really cold winters

Well, you can expect neighboring states to be as cold as Ohio but this is what most citizens say when they are asked about the bad sides of Ohio. The temperatures are not extremely low if you look at the stats, but what makes it feel cold is the humidity.

The weather in winter here is mostly cloudy. The location on the bank of the huge Erie lake makes it even worse. So, even a slightly below-zero temperature will lead to discomfort in most Ohio cities and towns.

And yeah, you shouldn’t expect to see a lot of sun during winter here. So, the weather is not for someone who loves to relax and chill out outside during the winter months.

2. Crazy drivers

Have you heard about road rage? We believe this term was born here, in Ohio. If you have ever driven here, you know what we mean. These drivers are just mad. Even if you obey all the road rules and they don’t, they will still open the side window in their trucks and throw some bad words towards you with crazy expressions on their faces.

If you don’t want to be offended on the road, the best thing you can do is to use public transport in Ohio. But you know what? Public transport is also awful here. Especially, if you are in a smaller city or town.

3. Rude people

Now we come to the key of why road rage is a problem in Ohio. It appears to be that the majority of people you’ll meet in Ohio are quite rude. Like, you would see a mind-blowing difference if you just came from Chicago, for example. People are not friendly at all, they are pretty much concentrated on their own comfort and it may seem they hate you a little bit.

Of course, this will differ from one community to another. Also, when you get to know these people better, they don’t seem that bad. But the first impression is always the same – people in Ohio may really seem grouchy.

4. The job market really sucks

If you decide to downshift and move from your nasty but expensive New York apartment to a cheap and good-looking house in Ohio, you should think twice. Finding a good job here is really hard. The economy of the state is underdeveloped – not so many big companies are presented here to compete with other employers and offer good job positions.

People mostly work in small companies for decades or own tiny businesses. But the problem is they don’t really earn a lot and this is one reason for them being quite rude. You will feel it after some time – people don’t get a good choice of jobs and they really suffer because of it.

5. Salaries are not really good

The entry-level-position worker will get around $30,000 a year in one of the bigger cities in Ohio. That’s not much at all. Yes, the average salary tends to be about $45,000, but it’s still not really a lot. In Chicago, for example, you can expect to get about $60,000 in average salary, in New York it’s even higher than that.

So, a clear indication of an underdeveloped economy is the salary and this is the fifth horrible thing about Ohio you should know before you decide to relocate. While Ohio seems like a not really expensive state to live in in terms of accommodation costs, taxes, and average prices, you aren’t likely to be a really well-paid worker there.

6. High level of seasonal depression

Ohio enters the TOP-10 American states with the highest level of seasonal depression. This connects all of the facts presented above. And yes, this is a registered and proven fact you can find in many medical investigations. This proves people are not that happy in Ohio and they even need to go to a doctor to have some medicine to help them cope with these feelings.

Well, all over the US you may see quite a high rate of depression. But it seems like another important disadvantage to be added to this list. It’s really important to know if you are looking for a place to relocate to and try to find a happier life. Probably, it shouldn’t be the state with that high depression rate.

7. High levels of pollen

If you are allergic to pollen, Ohio, especially Columbus, is probably the last place you will want to relocate to. People who suffer from allergies aren’t happy here because they annually need to take some medicine in a certain season to avoid feeling bad. Columbus is one of the cities that’s on the taboo list for those who suffer from pollen allergy.

This proves that the state may be dangerous for your health, not only mental but also physical. And for some of us, this is the most important factor to consider before relocation. So, cheaper houses shouldn’t tempt you unless your health is ready for this challenge.

8. People are leaving Ohio

One of the most important factors you should look at before relocating to a certain place is the percentage of people leaving this state. Ohio is among the TOP-10 American states that citizens leave and relocate to other places. Why? Because of all those reasons we’ve talked about today. First of all, it’s the job and salaries, and also it’s about health issues.

If people leave this state, why do you think you will love it? The more winning strategy, in this case, is to relocate to a state which most people choose as their destination.

9. Hot summers

Are you cold in winter in Ohio? Just wait a bit and the Ohio summer will bake you a little. High moisture makes it almost unbearable when the temperature is still normal. You will always feel hot and sweaty in Ohio in the summer because of the climate's peculiarities. And this is really depressing.

So, your favorite seasons are one month of spring and one month of autumn when it’s not cold and not hot. Any other time, you’ll be freezing like in a fridge or boiling like in an oven. Not a really good scenario, we should say.

10. Tons of rain in all seasons

The location of Ohio state makes it almost impossible to not expect rain at any time of the year. In winter, it’s almost always snowing here. But in all other seasons, you are expected to get a huge amount of rain every week. It doesn’t save you from boiling hot weather in summer, it only makes it worse.

And this is what you should know about the weather in Ohio. It will boil you a little then pour some rain on you regularly and finally freeze you. Hard to imagine a person who will volunteer to go to such a place.

Final words

We can’t say that Ohio is the worst place in the United States. This is a state that has some problems with jobs and salaries and the weather here is not the best you can expect. But still, the place is loved by millions of people. It’s developing slowly and we believe it can become a place where you will want to go.

But still, you should consider all those inconvenient things we’ve listed above so that you could be ready for some challenges.

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