An Update on Youngstown's Population & Housing Trends

Youngstown has been in a steady decline for decades. Its population peaked in 1930 at 170,002 people and has been trending downward since then. Since 2010, Youngstown's population has decreased by 7.81%, much greater than the relative loss in Mahoning County. In contrast, the state of Ohio's population has continued to have a slow but modest positive growth. This could be cause for concern, however the city has lost less relative population than peer legacy cities like Flint, MI and Gary, IN; so, things may not be as dire as they initially seem.

The state of Youngstown's housing market has been improving. The average home price has gone up by 12.1% compared to last year, and the median housing sales price as of July is $61,150, roughly $7,000 stronger than the median housing sales price in Flint.[1] As of 2020, Youngtown City's long-term vacancy rate (abandoned, vacant properties that have no prospect of tenants or buyers due to their condition) was 13.33%.[2] Not only is this lower than peer cities, such as Gary or Flint, but it's much closer to county and state rates than years prior.

However, there are still significant economic inequalities within the city, and because of the racial demographics of the city, versus the county and state, these inequities are highly racialized. While the poverty rate of the state has gone down from 2010 to 2020, the poverty rate in Youngstown has increased, and Youngstown's poverty rate is nearly double that of both the county and the state.[3]

In addition to a climbing poverty rate, there is unequal wealth distribution between renting and owning populations in Youngstown. More than 50% of renters in Youngstown are cost-burdened (households paying 30% or more of its income to housing expenses), while only 20% of owners are cost-burdened.[4] This is worthy of concern due to racial disparities between renting and owning populations in the city. It is important to note that this rate is lower than peer cities when in comparison, however the gap is exacerbated.

On a positive note, in Mahoning County (the smallest geography available), the hourly wage necessary to afford a 2-bedroom, fair market rate apartment is $14.19/hour. This means that on average, residents of Mahoning Co. can expect to afford a 2BR at FRM when working 1.5 jobs at minimum wage, which is among the lowest in the state.[5]

On the whole, it is not unfair to say that Youngstown is in a better state than its peers, however, there are still key areas in which the city can improve. It would be misleading to say that Youngstown has entered an era of growth, however the city's spiral in decline seems to be losing momentum and the population is stabilizing due to the great effort that has been put in by various authorities in these areas. Continued efforts should result in further improvement of these metrics, especially in areas of concern.

[1] Redfin Market Insights, accessed June 2022.

[2] Decennial Census, 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171, Table H1.

[3] American Community Survey, 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table S1701.

[4] HUD Office of Policy Development and Research's Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) Data, accessed June 2022.

[5] National Low-Income Housing Coalition "Out of Reach Report", accessed June 2022.