Toledo finished in the middle third in the latest rankings of America’s “best places to live” by U.S. News & World Report, narrowly.
A close reading of the newly published report indicates that we avoided ending up in the bottom third mainly because of the low cost of living and the low cost of real estate found here.
Those are left-handed compliments, at best.
Overall, the report ranks Toledo 98 out of 150 cities. The magazine ranks “quality of life” and “desirability” at more than 50 percent of the ranking criteria. Suffice it to say, Toledo is not outstanding in either of those categories, at least in the view of the number-crunchers at U.S. News & World Report.
We beg to differ, and like most residents of this area, we have a high regard for the quality of life to be found in greater Toledo.
But that’s not the way the outside world sees us.
For what it’s worth, Toledo ranked higher than any other large Ohio city except Columbus, which has the benefit of being the state capital, and thus the constant beneficiary of the state’s government spending.
Cleveland came in 141st, because of its “weak economy” but good value for retirement. Ouch!
The annual ranking in U.S. News & World Report ought to be reviewed by state lawmakers to help them understand the impact of their policies on the state’s cities. After a decade of cutting back on the local government fund, cities are struggling to provide services and do the extra things that gain the attention of “quality of life” influencers.
That Columbus is the only city to benefit from state revenue sharing anymore is proven by the fact that Franklin County is the only urban county in Ohio to see an increase in population, according to the estimated U.S. Census for 2023.
Lucas County lost nearly 6,000 residents between 2020 and 2023, most of those (5,500) from Toledo.
No wonder real estate is so cheap. Toledo’s average home sale price is just 37 percent of the national average.
We Toledoans know Toledo has a good story to tell. But somehow the word isn’t getting out. Perceptions of desirability of residency for Toledo are low.
Those two metrics — finishing 98th out of 150 best places to live and losing 5,500 residents in three years — ought to be capturing the attention of city officials.
Outside metrics like these provide valuable context that might not be clear to people who have lived here their whole lives. Toledo needs policies that are influenced by the importance of making a competitive impression on the rest of the country.
Rankings like this should not be accorded excessive weight. After all, how does South Bend, Ind., rank 25th and Buffalo rank 34th? We get why Nashville is 50th. But how does Little Rock rate 53rd?
In reviewing the report’s web page, we refreshed our computer the many times required to get all the way to the 98th ranked city to find what it says about Toledo:
“‘You will do better in Toledo,’ say the signs by roads into the downtown area. The slogan, introduced in 1913, represents the positive attitude of Toledo’s residents. Though tourists might not flock to Toledo as they do to some nearby metropolitan areas, residents know what makes the area great, including a low cost of living and a wealth of outdoor activities.”
Obviously, the U.S. News & World Report hasn’t heard about the famous Toledo low self-esteem.
Maybe we are a pretty good place after all.
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