Graphic of the week: Income needed to meet basic needs varies by county in Ohio

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For many working Ohioans, the cost of basic necessities — such as housing, childcare, food, transportation and health care — is outpacing their income. A tool developed by United Way shows that a family of four with an infant and a preschool child in Ohio needs to earn $79,224 to afford living expenses. And in some parts of the state, the income needed is more than $90,000, as illustrated above.
 
More than a century of research has found strong connections between income and health. Many factors, including social, economic and physical environments, impact the likelihood that an individual will attain higher quality employment. In turn, workers who attain higher quality employment are more likely to have access to employment-related supports that can improve health, such as higher wages, health insurance coverage and paid time off.
 
In the coming weeks, HPIO plans to release a series of publications exploring health care affordability challenges in Ohio, and the potential impact of recent federal policy changes, such as Medicaid work requirements and cost-sharing, following the passage of the HR1 spending bill.