More young adults in Central Ohio are leaving the nest compared to elsewhere in the U.S., a recent analysis finds.

Why it matters: While living at home as a young adult is sometimes viewed negatively as a "failure to launch," it can also reflect economic realities, cultural preferences, caregiving needs and other factors.

By the numbers: In the Columbus area, only 12.5% of adults ages 25 to 34 were living with their parents as of 2023, per a Pew Research Center analysis of census data.

Context: That's well below the national rate (17.7%).

• Nine of the 10 cities with the largest share living at home (all at least 29%) are in California, Texas or Florida.

Zoom out: Pew identifies the Midwest as the region where adults were least likely to live in a parent's home.

• While cities like Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit are slightly above average, most — including Indianapolis (11.9%) and Des Moines (8.9%) — are significantly below.

What they're saying: Even compared to other Midwest notables like Cleveland or Detroit, Columbus' position as a younger city attracting new transplants is likely keeping our numbers down, says Sarah Hayford, an OSU sociology professor and director of the university's Institute for Population Research.

• "Columbus is a city that has more economic growth and population growth," she tells Axios. "As a demographer, population mobility is key."

Case in point: Hayford is right; we are a young city.

• Census data shows that in 2022, Columbus' median age of 36.9 was lower than the country's (39) and well below cities like Cleveland (41.8) and Detroit (40.4).

Between the lines: Our figures are also a reflection of our demographics.

• Pew points out that white adults are less likely to live with parents than their Asian, Hispanic or Black counterparts, a major contributing factor in a city with a 53% white population and a newer immigrant population.
• "Those racial differences are also related to racial wealth gaps and differences in housing stock as well," Hayford says.

The polls are open today from 6:30am-7:30pm for voters to decide a variety of issues.

Our primary election pro tips:

🔎 Find your polling place.

🗳️ View your sample ballot.

📰 Review the issues we've covered. They include a statewide bond, some unusually contentious Columbus council and school board races, and over a dozen proposed property tax increases — including three that failed in November.

🚶‍♂️Don't fret about long lines. While over 67% of voting-age Ohioans voted last November, presidential and gubernatorial elections typically have much higher turnout than other elections.

The Crew leads the Eastern Conference — now, it's time to put their record to the test.

MLS record: 7-1-3, 24 points

• 1st in the East, 2nd in MLS.

On the field: A dominant (if sloppy) 4-2 home win Saturday over Charlotte FC.

• That's five wins in six games, the only loss being to Inter Miami in an ill-fated trip to Cleveland.

Between the lines: Columbus sold its best player and took more than two months to acquire a real replacement. Most honest fans would not have predicted that the Crew to be leading the East by now.

• But head coach Wilfried Nancy has worked wonders yet again, and Columbus looks like a real contender.

Yes, but: The schedule has been favorable thus far.

• Saturday marked the only victory over a current top-10 team.

Reality check: How good are the Crew, really? It's time to find out.

What we're watching: Columbus plays a jam-packed stretch of six more games in May, and will be halfway through the 34-match schedule by the end of the month.

• In that stretch, the team travels to Philadelphia (3rd in MLS), hosts Cincinnati (4th), visits Charlotte (6th), hosts Nashville (10th) and faces Lionel Messi and Miami (5th) on the road.
• A midweek trip to Montreal (29th) is the only reprieve.

State of play: The Crew face this stretch with their best and healthiest roster of the season.

• New additions Dániel Gazdag, Aliyu Ibrahim and Amar Sejdić have already seen the field, and offseason signing Lassi Lappalainen returned from injury for his first Crew minutes.

📆 What's next: A trip to play the Philadelphia Union Saturday at 7:30pm.

📰 What Andrew's reading: For Columbus Monthly, the always excellent Chris DeVille went deep on Darlington Nagbe, Crew captain and an incredible human:

• "He's the first person I ever met who everyone loves him."

A toddler drowned in a retention pond northwest of Marysville Sunday. (WSYX-TV)

⚡️ Columbus is considering banning most utility reselling in apartments and condos, typically called "submetering," citing concerns about inflated bills and lack of consumer protection. (Dispatch)

🚌 A bomb threat made against three Olentangy elementary schools yesterday was a hoax, according to law enforcement. (WBNS-TV)

🎓 OSU's commencement on Sunday featured Charles Bolden Jr., a retired Marine major general and former NASA administrator. (The Lantern)

• Bolden's speech came a year after controversial entrepreneur Chris Pan spoke about cryptocurrency in a speech written while on the psychedelic drug ayahuasca, which he later apologized for.

A pro-labor news outlet put up 13 billboards across Central Ohio yesterday to protest the Trump administration's cuts to national parks.

The big picture: More Perfect Union launched a multimillion-dollar national ad blitz in more than 40 cities decrying the gutting of "one of our nation's most treasured assets."

• The billboards will be displayed for a month.
• They warn of the potential consequences of layoffs, like longer waits, more trash and dirty bathrooms.

Zoom in: Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Cleveland, the only national park in Ohio, had four employees cut in February.

• As of yesterday, two restrooms remained closed "until further notice," per its website.