The federal government says central Ohio had the best economy of any area in the state last year. Jim Letizia reports.
The report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows the region's economy grew by 3.3 percent last year, which is eight-tenths of a point higher than the average American metro area. That growth is 77th among the nation’s 382 metro areas, and is stronger than in other big midwestern cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis and Minneapolis. The bureau says the region's 124.4 billion dollar econony ranks 30th in the nation. Columbus is ranked 3rd in Ohio, behind Cleveland and Cincinnati. Cleveland ranked 27th in the nation and Cincinnati is ranked 28th. The bureau says growth was sparked by increases in the financial, insurance, real estate and rental-and-leasing sectors, as well as the sectors of professional and business services. Economists also note Columbus is helped by being a government town and a college town. The bureau ranks the economies of Springfield and Mansfield as the worst in the state last year. Mansfield's economy fell by 2.1 percent, and Springfield's economy fell by 2 percent.
