This section looks at the use of home energy and utilities–including increasingly vital broadband internet access–and how utility costs and transportation costs affect household budgets. Many Ohioans struggle to afford their monthly utility bills or the expenses associated with having to own a car. These additional costs beyond a rent or mortgage payment can make some places in Ohio less affordable to call home.

Section Highlights

• Adjusted for inflation, the average cost of utilities has become less expensive to households over the past decade—down 21% for homeowners and 18% for renters since 2009—due in large part to a reduction in the cost of natural gas.
• One in 14 Ohio households (7%) relies on the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) to help with the cost of utilities. The need for assistance is by far the highest in Southeast Ohio, where 13% of households participate in the program.
• Many Ohioans lack reliable internet services at home. One-in-eight Ohio households (12%) lacks a broadband subscription, limiting access to reliable internet services. This is higher than the national average (11%). Reliable internet access is most lacking in Southeast Ohio, where 22% of homes either have no broadband subscription or no computer.
• A typical Ohio household spends $13,781 per year on transportation costs, mostly from car ownership. On average, Ohio households spend 27% of income on transportation, slightly higher than the national average (22%) and 12 percentage points higher than the recommended threshold of affordability, according to the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
• The typical Ohio household spends a combined 51% of income on housing and transportation—what is referred to at the H+T® Affordability Index—six percentage points higher than the threshold of affordability devised by the Center for Neighborhood Technology. The more Ohioans spend on housing and transportation the less they can spend on other vital household costs like medical expenses and childcare.

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