Foreclosures in Ohio decreased in 2009 over the prior year. There was a total of 101,614 properties with foreclosure filings. That works out to a rate of one filing for every 50 households, which compares to the United States average of 45, and is a little more than two percent of the state's housing units.
Ohio is the 7th largest U.S. state by population, with 11,542,645 people (in 2008). Its 44,825 square miles make it the 34th largest state by area. Median household income in 2008 was $47,988.
Until the 1960's Ohio was one of the country's top industrial centers, producing iron, steel, copper and automobile parts. But as America's manufacturing leadership declined, that sector suffered a serious fall-off in Ohio and other states in the so-called "Rust Belt." Ohio still has a lot manufacturing, but the number of white collar jobs has been rising since the 1990's. The state is thought to have a favorable corporate climate, and is home to major companies including Proctor & Gamble, Goodyear, and Firestone.
