Big City Problems in Ohio’s Small Towns

John A. Begala
Former Executive Director

November, 2016

For all the cultural, social, and political forces that conspire to separate and divide “big city” and “small town,” and for all that is written about Ohio as a microcosm of the nation’s “culture wars,” Ohio’s small hub towns and cities share many of the same characteristics, problems, and challenges as its eight major cities. This report provides a composite profile of 47 “Small Hub Towns and Cities” located in about half of Ohio’s 88 counties – communities that are centers of civic, social, or economic life for areas extending beyond their borders.