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Ohio taxpayers have a right to assume the money they give to the state will be used to benefit all. As it turns out, that assumption is mostly correct, according to a report by WalletHub, “States with the Best and Worst Taxpayer ROI (2024).”

Ohio is fifth in the nation for taxpayer return on investment. Only Missouri, South Dakota, Florida and New Hampshire are doing better. Ohio is eighth for total taxes paid per capita, though we are 25th for overall government services.

When looking more closely at state government services, WalletHub determined Ohio is 35th in education, 33rd in health, 21st in safety, 10th in economy, and 17th in infrastructure and pollution.

“There can be a tradeoff between how much tax you pay and what you receive in return from the government,” said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. “Several of the states with the best taxpayer ROI don’t charge any income tax, and residents pay less at tax time while receiving good-quality government services. At the same time, while people pay more in states that do charge income tax, they may benefit from better infrastructure, education, safety or public health as a result.”

That’s a point worth considering in Ohio, as lawmakers have begun discussions on eliminating the state income tax.

Would we be able to do as much for our residents if we made the switch? Being in the bottom half of states when it comes to education and health makes it clear some priorities would have to be rearranged. Certainly we cannot afford to fall any lower in those categories.