Ohioans prefer to stay put

Welcome to Ohio … now you're stuck in Ohio.

• It turns out there's some truth to that tongue-in-cheek Buckeye State meme.

Driving the news: Once somebody moves to Ohio, they're more likely to continue living here, compared with people in most other states, according to a new Dallas Fed report.

Why it matters: Residents sticking around is key to maintaining a stable population and workforce, which is vital to economic growth, per the study.

By the numbers: Ohio's outmigration rate is the fourth-lowest of any state, at just 16 outmigrants per 1,000 residents. That statistic measures both people born here and people who have moved here from elsewhere.

• Meanwhile, 70% of native Ohioans stay, ranking our state the 15th "stickiest" overall.

The big picture: The Dallas Fed analyzed census data to determine the share of people born in a state who still lived there as of 2021, plus overall outmigration.

• Texas is the stickiest state, with 82% of natives staying and an outmigration rate of 15 per 1,000 residents.
• Wyoming is the least sticky, with 45% of natives staying and an outmigration rate of 61 per 1,000 residents.

State of play: Ohio offers several large metropolitan areas to live in, ample job opportunities, and a relatively low cost of living compared to other states, which the report says are all factors that influence a state's attractiveness.

Yes, but: Columbus is pulling a lot of the weight when it comes to population growth and economic well-being, per a 2022 report from the Greater Ohio Policy Center.

• Ohio's overall population grew 3% between 2000-2020. But with the Columbus metro area removed, the state actually recorded a net loss of 1% — or about 100,000 residents, census data shows.

Editor's note: This story and map were updated after the Dallas Fed corrected its report to represent the number of outmigrants as a per capita rate, not a percentage.