Brian Massie, A Watchman on the Wall
For those that like statistics, you will find a great deal of information about Lake County, Ohio at the following link. It is created by the Ohio Department of Development.
https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/development.ohio.gov/research/countytrends/2024/lake.pdf
One very disturbing statistic in the population projection. In 2023, it is estimated that the population was 231,640. The bad news is they project the population to keep declining. 2030 226,501, / 2040 215,440 / 2050 201,932
That sobering statistic could be a result that the death rate is exceeding the birthrate. [2,954 per 100,000 population versus 2,065 births per 1,000 women 15 – 44]
An exodus from the state by seniors could take place if other states eliminate the property taxes, such as Florida, and Illinois are contemplating. Unfortunately, many Ohio politicians would think that could solve the housing shortage crisis in Ohio.
The stated median monthly owner’s cost as a percentage of household income is 18.7%. With the ongoing inflation, and the increases in property taxes in 2025 due to property revaluation, we do not think that this number is valid now. Many seniors on fixed incomes are at the housing affordability threshold of 30%. Once it hits 30% your home is deemed unaffordable. You do not have to sell your home, but you will have less disposal cash for your “needs and wants”.
[Homeowners H.A.T. % = mortgage + utilities + property taxes / annual household income]
[Renters H.A.T. % = utilities + monthly rent / annual household income]
Many just entering the workforce are paying over 40% for their living expenses. Does that mean the American dream of homeownership is not even on the radar for that demographic?
When we reviewed the statistics we could not find a number that indicated the land used by the various governmental entities in Lake County, so we asked Mr. Jason Boyd, a very capable County Administrator, if there was any information that he could provide. We thank Mr. Boyd for going above and beyond what he had to do to fulfill our records request.
Here is a picture of what Mr. Boyd gave us:
We took this information and created the following schedule that provides the number of acres for each type of governmental entity.
In summary, the government entities own 10.31% of the land in Lake County, the balance is privately owned. Now you know….
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Categories: Lake County - General, Real Estate Taxes