🎯 Winners Listen. Toledo’s Job Market Just Got a Report Card

Checkr just dropped its 2025 analysis of America’s 100 largest job markets, and let’s just say Toledo didn’t exactly make the highlight reel. The rankings weigh both employment opportunity (think: how easy it is to land a job) and earning potential (once you’ve got the job, how well it pays). Toledo landed at #93, tucked near the bottom alongside Scranton and Fresno. Cities synonymous with Rust Belt recovery and Central Valley volatility.

How the Rankings Work

Checkr didn’t pull these numbers from thin air. They used fresh data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, analyzing seven key metrics:

Employment Opportunity Score

• Unemployment rate

• Labor force growth

• Labor force size

• Percentage of jobs open

Earning Potential Score

• Real per capita personal income

• 10-year income growth

• Percentage of households earning more than $200,000

Each side counts for 50%. The result? Cities like Raleigh, Nashville, and Austin rose to the top by combining low unemployment, diverse job growth, and strong six-figure potential.

Where Toledo Fell Short

Toledo’s low ranking reflects two realities:

1. Employment Opportunity Gaps – Our labor force growth lags, and job openings relative to the size of the market don’t stack up against faster-growing metros.

2. Earning Potential Pressure – Income growth and high-earning households are underrepresented compared to peer regions, creating affordability mismatches even in a city with a lower cost of living.

Translation: Toledo’s economy has stability in manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics, but hasn’t diversified quickly enough to compete with cities drawing talent and capital into high-growth sectors like tech, biotech, or renewable energy.

Why It Matters

Rankings like these aren’t just scoreboard watching. For employers, it’s a signal about how attractive Toledo is to top talent. For policymakers, it’s a reminder that income growth and job creation aren’t keeping pace with the best-in-class metros. And for workers, it frames the challenge: Toledo remains affordable, but the pathways to higher earning power and future-proof jobs are narrower than they should be.

The Takeaway

Toledo doesn’t need to become Raleigh overnight. But the report makes one thing clear: without sustained investment in economic diversification, workforce development, and income growth strategies, our city risks losing the war for talent to faster-moving metros.

In the words of the clubhouse: Toledo’s got grit, but the scoreboard says we’re playing catch-up.

Unsolicited Opinion: The Local Real Estate Math Isn’t Adding Up

In Lucas and Wood County, the real estate numbers are starting to look out of balance. Vacant lots that once went for modest prices are now commanding premiums—0.3-acre parcels are listing above $90,000, while 1-acre lots are crossing the $150,000 mark.

Of course, a lot by itself isn’t much more than dirt until a home sits on it. But that’s where the math gets even trickier. A new build of roughly 2,700 square feet, the size many would consider a middle to upper-middle-class home, now easily pushes the total cost north of $750,000 when combined with the price of land.

Contrast that with just a decade or two ago, when a household earning $100,000 could reasonably purchase a comparable home. Today, the same property often requires a household income closer to $250,000.

On one hand, rising values are a positive signal for existing homeowners, they represent equity growth and a stronger local market. On the other, the gap between wages and housing costs feels wider than ever, raising questions about long-term affordability in Northwest Ohio.

We’d love to hear directly from the people working closest to these shifts: realtors, builders, and brokers. What factors are driving these costs? Are we witnessing a temporary spike, or a fundamental reset in how our community values land and housing?

Send your perspective to [email protected].

🚧 Money Confessional | Cutting Grass, Building Legacy

From roots planted on the east side of Toledo, he turned a side hustle with a push mower into a growing lawn care business. With help from the Chamber’s Small Business Development Center and the Lucas County Library, he skipped years of trial-and-error and built a foundation strong enough to support his young family… And a new vision for the future.

“I never thought mowing lawns would turn into a real business. At first, it was me, an old mower, and a few neighbors who needed their grass cut. But when my son was born, everything shifted. Suddenly it wasn’t about side money—it was about building a life.”

With help from the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Development Center and the Toledo Lucas County Library system, he traded trial-and-error for a roadmap. “The mentors gave me confidence. The library gave me tools. Without those, I’d still be figuring it out one mistake at a time.”

Now, his company is growing faster than he imagined—and so are the lessons.

🚜 Business Roots: “I started out mowing a few yards after work. No plan, just hustle. Today I’ve got contracts, crews, and stability I never pictured for myself.”

💵 Revenue Growth: “I’m making more money than I ever thought possible—but it comes with pressure. Staying disciplined is the real work.”

📚 Mentorship Magic: “The Chamber’s SBDC walked me through pricing, business planning, and scaling. The library gave me access to resources that put me years ahead.”

🍖 Favorite Splurge: Dinner at Smokey’s BBQ Roadhouse on the east side. “That’s my spot. A plate of ribs reminds me why I work so hard.”

💡 Biggest Financial Worry: Longevity. “Can I keep this going? Can I stay disciplined enough to make it last for decades? That’s the challenge.”

📊 Current Standing: Profitable, reinvesting, and debt-free. “I don’t measure success by the mower anymore; it’s about creating something that supports my family.”

🌱 Inspiration: His 4-year-old son. “The moment he was born, everything changed. I wanted to be more than a guy cutting grass. I wanted to be a dad building a future.”

🗣 Toledo Tip:
“Don’t go it alone. The mentors are here, the resources are here; you just have to ask. This city has tools to help you build faster and smarter.”