Cincinnati Edges Out Cleveland, Columbus To Be No. 1 Economy In Ohio
Cincinnati now has the largest metro economy in Ohio, according to recent numbers from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Metro Cincinnati's gross domestic product for 2016 grew by 4.3% compared with the previous year to about $132B, edging past the GDP of both Columbus and Cleveland.
Last year Cincinnati had the 28th-largest metro economy in the country. Columbus came in at 29th, with $130.75B, and Cleveland was 30th, at $129.44B. The metro Columbus economy likewise grew 4.3% for the year, while metro Cleveland saw 2.1% growth.
None of those three metros enjoyed the fastest 2016 growth rate in Ohio. That distinction belonged to Akron, which had year-over-year growth of 5.5%, putting it up two spots to the 75th-largest metro economy nationwide, with $37.3B in GDP.
The BEA said the Cincinnati area's GDP growth was driven mainly by non-durable goods manufacturing. Construction, trade and information tech also added to the area's expansion.
