Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety56#6,816/15,637
Economy79#3,298/15,631
Housing80#2,995/14,977
Health49#7,989/15,609
Healthcare37#9,846/15,650
Environment40#9,204/15,453
Education56#6,813/15,649
Infrastructure72#4,420/15,650
Community39#9,482/15,651
Leisure & amenities18#12,874/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Pataskala, Ohio ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Licking County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Job growth · high5.5%
98/100Ohio -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataLicking County value
Rent-burdened households · low36.9%
91/100Ohio 45.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Drought exposure · low2%
90/100Ohio 11%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAALicking County value
Dental care shortage · low0.0
84/100Ohio 4.5United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationLicking County value
Rent as share of income · low27.4%
84/100Ohio 28.3%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Hot days · low7 days
79/100Ohio 11 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationLicking County value

Weaknesses

Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100Ohio 3.6United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesLicking County value
Grocery stores · low0.9 /10k
10/100Ohio 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLicking County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high90 mi
12/100Ohio 37 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauLicking County value
Primary care physicians · low38 /100k
18/100Ohio 77 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLicking County value
Students per teacher · high17.4×
18/100Ohio 16.8×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsLicking County value
Suicide rate · high20.7 /100k
19/100Ohio 15.5 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLicking County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
15,585 (2015-2019) → 18,223 (2020-2024)
+17%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
23.9% (2015-2019) → 36.9% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.4× (2015-2019) → 3.4× (2020-2024)
+44%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
9.0% (2015-2019) → 4.6% (2020-2024)
−4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
89.6% (2015-2019) → 93.9% (2020-2024)
+4.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
25.3% (2015-2019) → 29.2% (2020-2024)
+3.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Pataskala, Ohio improved on 3 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Uninsured−4.4 points9.0% → 4.6%
Household income+19%$77,514 → $92,033
Broadband+4.3 points89.6% → 93.9%

Declined2

Price / income+1.0×2.4× → 3.4×
Rent / income+3.8 points23.6% → 27.4%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Pataskala, Ohio between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	27.1 min2015-2019	27.3 min2020-2024	+0.2 min	Within the margin of error	45%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.3%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Broadband subscriptions	89.6%2015-2019	93.9%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Improved	27%
Child poverty rate	8.8%2015-2019	7.4%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Effective property tax rate	1.65%2015-2019	1.41%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	65%
High school diploma or higher	92.4%2015-2019	92.7%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	21%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3752015-2019	0.4162020-2024	+0.041	Within the margin of error	21%
Median household income	$77,5142015-2019	$92,0332020-2024	+19%	Improved	31%
Poverty rate	6.0%2015-2019	6.5%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Rent as share of income	23.6%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Declined	28%
Rent-burdened households	23.9%2015-2019	36.9%2020-2024	+13 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Unemployment rate	4.3%2015-2019	3.2%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.0%2015-2019	4.6%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Improved	84%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Pataskala, Ohio five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Pataskala, Ohio in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Pataskala, Ohio itself moved −10.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

18,223 residents (±42)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 men (−2.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

18,223 residents (±42)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

White69%12,579
Black9.6%1,753
Hispanic or Latino4.9%†888
Asian12%2,217
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.2%†37
Other or two or more races4.1%†749

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−12.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

12,451 residents (±439)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

No high school diploma7.3%914
High school or GED32%3,936
Some college23%2,880
Associate degree8.8%1,090
Bachelor's degree19%2,368
Graduate degree10%1,263

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

6,920 households (±295)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $25k8.3%†571
$25k–50k15%1,004
$50k–75k16%1,129
$75k–100k16%1,084
$100k–150k21%1,484
$150k–200k14%975
$200k or more9.7%673

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−5.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

6,920 households (±295)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Own72%4,991
Rent28%1,929

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,891 households (±346)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $75010%†190
$750–1,00017%†320
$1,000–1,50032%†597

Home values

4,991 homes (±350)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Under $150k15%753
$150k–250k18%919
$250k–400k42%2,099

Age of homes

7,165 homes (±304)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

2010 or later19%1,355
2000–200929%2,052
1980–199924%1,692

Size of homes

7,165 homes (±304)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Studio1.8%†131
1 bedroom4.1%†292
2 bedrooms23%1,657

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

8,986 workers (±414)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Drive alone69%6,158
Carpool10%†922
Public transit0.4%†36
Walk0.7%†61
Bike0.1%†7
Work from home19%1,689
Other1.3%†113

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−16.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

7,297 workers (±452)

Pataskala, Ohio
Ohio share

Under 15 min21%1,563
15–29 min32%2,328
30–44 min33%2,440

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Columbus, OH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Licking County, the county holding most of Pataskala's residents.

Licking County has 3,277 employer establishments, 179 for every 10,000 residents (0.72× the US rate of 248; 0.83× Ohio's), with 77,088 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,488. The Census Bureau also counts 14,085 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,277; 14,085 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 179; US 248 · Ohio 216
Paid employees: 77,088
Average annual pay: $46,488; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Licking County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	284	15.5	0.84×About typical	5,261	$19,847	61
Specialty trade contractors	256	14	0.90×About typical	1,947	$63,359	1,322
Ambulatory health care services	193	10.5	0.51×Fewer than typical	2,606	$69,854	655
Limited-service restaurants	146	8	0.99×About typical	2,529	$18,416	26
Services to buildings and dwellings	144	7.9	1.17×About typical	828	$41,861	878
Religious organizations	137	7.5	1.35×More than typical	941	$26,057	—
Lessors of real estate	124	6.8	0.55×Fewer than typical	468	$45,487	1,375
Construction of buildings	113	6.2	0.82×About typical	617	$64,890	506
Building equipment contractors	103	5.6	0.93×About typical	919	$61,260	252
Full-service restaurants	99	5.4	0.70×Fewer than typical	2,259	$21,911	21
Automotive repair and maintenance	79	4.3	0.86×About typical	426	$45,754	190
Landscaping services	71	3.9	1.11×About typical	429	$48,473	344

Rank places for an industry Open Licking County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 183,197 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $971.8K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Pataskala, Ohio: $53.33 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $971.8K; +151% vs FY2025
Per resident: $53.33; US $1,994
Sole-source: 16%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

GRUNDEY2 INVESTMENTS LLC$817.6K84%
AGRICULTURE, OHIO DEPARTMENT OF$118.9K12%
VGS INC$35.4K3.6%
SUB AQUATICS, INC.$00.0%
MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY LABORATORIES, LLC-$1100.0%

Spending by fiscal year

240.3KFY2017
394.3KFY2018
467.5KFY2019
301.1KFY2020
1MFY2021
11.3KFY2022
339.2KFY2023
2.5MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Computer systems design and related services · 5415$817.6K84%
Administration of human resource programs · 9231$118.9K12%
Facilities support services · 5612$35.4K3.6%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Pataskala, Ohio, so they do not add up across cities.

Pataskala, Ohio's figures are part of those of Licking County, OH ($127.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Pataskala is mostly in Licking County.

See federal money in Licking County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Pataskala, Ohio is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Troy BaldersonR-OH-12 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Licking County64100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Columbus, OH70

Other cities and towns in Licking County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3961112

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends