Jobs, pay and daily life in Bowling Green, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Bowling Green is a city in Ohio with 29,983 residents. The median household earns $45,154 a year and the median rent is $897 a month, which is 23.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Toledo, OH metropolitan area, where BLS counts 291,530 jobs.
How Bowling Green compares. Among the 100 largest places in Ohio, Bowling Green is #50 by population, #99 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #9 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #91 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Wood County, is #31 of 88 counties for average pay ($56,557).
Bowling Green has 29,983 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Ohio. It covers 13 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,293 people per square mile. The median age is 23.5, 41% younger than the state median (23.5 against 39.7).
The median gross rent is $897 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% below the state median ($897 against $1,034). Over a year that is 23.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $226,100, which is 5.0 times the median household income ($45,154); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 34.1% of households own their home, 49% below the state average (34.1% against 67.2%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Toledo, OH metropolitan area has 291,530 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,220 a year, 5% below the national median ($48,220 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (31,740 jobs, median $43,320); office and administrative support (29,130 jobs, median $45,910); production (29,130 jobs, median $48,580). The area is most specialised in production (1.8 times) and transportation and material moving (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($101,010) and architecture and engineering ($84,890). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Wood County was 3.4%. 62.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Wood County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.8% drive alone, 0.3% use public transit, 8.7% walk, 10.5% work from home. 5.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% below the state average (5.2% against 10.8%).
44.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40% above the state share (44.2% against 31.5%). 4.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 20% below the state share (4.2% against 5.2%). The poverty rate is 28.6%, 115% above the state rate (28.6% against 13.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-3.8°C). About 905 mm (36 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (104 mm) and Jan the driest (54 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Perrysburg (11 miles, rent 34% higher); Toledo (20 miles, similar rent); Oregon (22 miles, similar rent); Findlay (23 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Bowling Green; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Ohio (526) →State guide: OhioCountry guideWood CountyOhio rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 526 federal postings open in Ohio (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 9,280 | 1.28 | $27,570 | $23,030 | $35,020 | -12% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 9,030 | 3.43 | $49,740 | $37,620 | $71,300 | +11% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 8,120 | 1.47 | $42,640 | $31,200 | $48,530 | +6% |
| Registered Nurses | 7,890 | 1.25 | $81,050 | $67,810 | $103,210 | -17% |
| Retail Salespersons | 7,360 | 1.01 | $30,780 | $24,280 | $46,140 | -13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,320 | 1.12 | $95,120 | $46,450 | $210,400 | -10% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 7,090 | 1.33 | $37,000 | $29,570 | $47,060 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 5,740 | 0.99 | $29,270 | $24,030 | $36,710 | -11% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 5,430 | 0.67 | $34,550 | $29,080 | $38,260 | -3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 5,110 | 1.32 | $60,410 | $39,990 | $77,340 | +3% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 4,600 | 1.08 | $36,140 | $23,590 | $60,740 | +3% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,500 | 0.97 | $41,600 | $27,150 | $61,080 | -8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 4,220 | 1.02 | $35,240 | $28,270 | $47,790 | -4% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 3,640 | 1.27 | $57,170 | $36,780 | $77,640 | +15% |
| Nursing Assistants | 3,590 | 1.32 | $39,700 | $36,050 | $46,900 | -6% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,350 | 1.29 | $63,250 | $46,380 | $98,310 | -1% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 3,280 | 2.26 | $45,100 | $39,050 | $67,440 | -3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,170 | 0.65 | $42,970 | $29,860 | $61,370 | -4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 3,100 | 0.97 | $46,780 | $32,470 | $62,510 | -2% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 3,080 | 1.54 | $77,930 | $47,460 | $100,450 | +8% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 1,160 | 1.81 | $302,450 | $66,170 | $532,800 | +14% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 510 | 0.41 | $145,080 | $94,770 | $223,900 | -17% |
| Pharmacists | 660 | 1.10 | $134,010 | $46,660 | $161,790 | -5% |
| Sales Managers | 890 | 0.74 | $129,720 | $73,110 | $227,170 | -13% |
| Financial Managers | 1,060 | 0.67 | $125,330 | $75,510 | $237,580 | -25% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 800 | 1.32 | $121,780 | $77,050 | $153,740 | -8% |
| Lawyers | 820 | 0.58 | $113,920 | $54,400 | $285,180 | -29% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 880 | 1.91 | $110,760 | $74,890 | $170,610 | -12% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,180 | 1.06 | $106,720 | $64,360 | $170,120 | -14% |
| Physical Therapists | 560 | 1.11 | $104,750 | $80,040 | $125,070 | +2% |
| Software Developers | 880 | 0.28 | $104,360 | $71,630 | $166,330 | -23% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 700 | 1.14 | $100,140 | $61,220 | $125,930 | -5% |
| Construction Managers | 1,000 | 1.41 | $100,100 | $67,170 | $161,220 | -13% |
| Industrial Engineers | 1,150 | 1.68 | $98,490 | $72,560 | $131,220 | -4% |
| Civil Engineers | 770 | 1.12 | $96,300 | $65,890 | $134,540 | -5% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 620 | 1.11 | $95,170 | $62,400 | $134,840 | -9% |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,320 | 1.12 | $95,120 | $46,450 | $210,400 | -10% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,340 | 0.67 | $81,940 | $47,730 | $145,880 | -20% |
| Registered Nurses | 7,890 | 1.25 | $81,050 | $67,810 | $103,210 | -17% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 1,430 | 0.94 | $78,370 | $60,860 | $108,050 | -2% |
These figures are for the whole Toledo, OH metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,220 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 31.1% |
| Manufacturing | 15.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 14.4% |
| Retail trade | 11.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Construction | 3.5% |
| Other services | 3.2% |
| Public administration | 2.7% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Bowling Green lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County | 132,064 | $10,692 million | $80,961 | 75,922 | 3,473 | $56,557 | +1.4% | 3.4% | 67,973 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 14,485 | 22.0% | $70,869 | 2.32 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11,569 | 17.5% | $44,040 | 3.60 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,087 | 10.7% | $19,781 | 1.03 |
| Retail trade | 6,210 | 9.4% | $32,882 | 0.82 |
| Health care and social assistance | 6,168 | 9.4% | $56,466 | 0.57 |
| Construction | 4,611 | 7.0% | $93,645 | 1.16 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,333 | 5.1% | $72,528 | 1.11 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,409 | 3.7% | $44,508 | 1.05 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,398 | 3.6% | $46,198 | 0.54 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,868 | 2.8% | $72,729 | 0.35 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,173 | 1.8% | $74,768 | 0.38 |
| Information | 1,108 | 1.7% | $70,677 | 0.78 |
| Management of companies | 804 | 1.2% | $173,941 | 0.63 |
| Educational services | 770 | 1.2% | $24,849 | 0.49 |
| Real estate and rental | 678 | 1.0% | $53,217 | 0.58 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 536 | 0.8% | $20,585 | 0.42 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 395 | 0.6% | $66,022 | 0.64 |
| Utilities | 264 | 0.4% | $112,184 | 0.91 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 78 | 0.1% | $86,631 | 0.27 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.8% |
| Public transit | 0.3% |
| Walk | 8.7% |
| Work from home | 10.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,154 |
| Income per person | $27,972 |
| Median gross rent per month | $897 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.8% |
| Median home value | $226,100 |
| Homeowners | 34.1% |
| Poverty rate | 28.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,220 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 23.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 44.2% |
| Born abroad | 4.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.8 | 25 | 54 |
| Feb | -2.7 | 27 | 55 |
| Mar | 2.7 | 37 | 65 |
| Apr | 9.3 | 49 | 83 |
| May | 15.7 | 60 | 104 |
| Jun | 20.9 | 70 | 90 |
| Jul | 23.5 | 74 | 89 |
| Aug | 22.8 | 73 | 86 |
| Sep | 18.9 | 66 | 78 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 53 | 71 |
| Nov | 4.7 | 40 | 68 |
| Dec | -1.0 | 30 | 62 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perrysburg | OH | 11 mi | 25,181 | $111,643 | $1,198 |
| Toledo | OH | 20 mi | 267,463 | $49,724 | $901 |
| Oregon | OH | 22 mi | 19,799 | $82,197 | $900 |
| Findlay | OH | 23 mi | 40,287 | $61,423 | $975 |
| Sylvania | OH | 23 mi | 19,055 | $100,189 | $1,072 |
| Monroe | MI | 40 mi | 20,320 | $59,813 | $909 |
| Adrian | MI | 41 mi | 20,395 | $50,209 | $956 |
| Sandusky | OH | 49 mi | 24,606 | $50,139 | $905 |
| Lima | OH | 50 mi | 35,010 | $46,240 | $903 |
| Flat Rock | MI | 53 mi | 10,340 | $81,585 | $919 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
29,983 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$897 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.8% of the median household income.
$45,154 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Wood County (latest month 2026M09)).
Ohio. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.