On the Southeast corner of Columbus, there is a suburb called Whitehall, Ohio. It belongs to Franklin County, the second-largest county in the entire state. It plays a crucial role in Ohio’s infrastructure as the state capital. Whitehall is home to more than 18,000 people, thus its citizens are accustomed to a mid-sized community with many close relationships with their neighborhood.
One can walk from one end of the city to the other as the entire area is only five miles away. Nearby neighborhoods include Bexley, Beechwood, and Berwick, which are home to a working-class population.
FOUNDING OF WHITEHALL
Robert Brotherton of White Hall, England, originally owned the property that is now Whitehall. Abram Doney bought the property in the latter part of the 19th century. It was given the name Whitehall as it progressively evolved into a little farming village. As a village, it was incorporated in 1947. The country’s first regional shopping complex opened in Whitehall that same year. Whitehall was later constituted as a city in 1950.
GOVERNMENT OF WHITEHALL
A Council-Mayor system of administration is in place in the City of Whitehall, which was first constituted as a Village in 1947. The Whitehall community also elects a City Attorney, City Auditor, and City Treasurer on their own terms in office in addition to the Mayor.
The Mayor is in charge of creating the yearly budget and capital program, establishing strategic priorities, and informing the City Council of existing and upcoming community needs. The Mayor also serves as the City’s ceremonial head and chief executive officer. The Mayor appoints the director of public safety and the director of public service. The Mayor is chosen every four years and is eligible for a maximum of three terms.
The City of Whitehall’s legislative body, the City Council, is made up of eight elected members. A council president, three at-large council members who represent the entire city, and four ward council members—one from each ward—make up the council.
WHITEHALL GEOGRAPHY
WHITEHALL DEMOGRAPHICS
With 18,944 inhabitants, Whitehall ranks as the 93rd most populous city in Ohio out of 1,263 cities. In Whitehall, the poverty rate is extremely high at 21.55% with the average household income being $50,620. The median home value is $97,100 and the average rental cost over the same time is $863 per month. Whitehall has a 31.6-year-old median age, with 30.5-year-old men and 32.8-year-old women. Diversity is very high with almost 30% of the population being African American and Hispanic or Latino at 9.9%.
EDUCATION IN WHITEHALL OHIO
EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESSES IN NEW ALBANY
The existence of The Wasserstrom Company and the Defense Supply Center are major contributors to local employment. A brand-new 60,000 square-foot headquarters for Heartland Bank has also just opened nearby.
Whitehall has an unemployment rate of 5.5% compared to the US average of 6.0%. Over the past year, the job market in Whitehall has grown by 0.9%. Over the next 10 years, job growth is expected to increase by 34.0%, exceeding the US average of 33.5%.
FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM WHITEHALL
The Denver Broncos selected wide receiver and return specialist Domenik Hixon in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He later won back-to-back Super Bowls playing for the New York Giants against the New England Patriots.
Keiwan Ratliff’s career wasn’t as notable as Hixon’s but he also went to Whitehall-Yearling and played seven seasons in the NFLeague as a cornerback, including playing for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Monica Day may be the most notable names on the from Whitehall as she is on local Columbus TV as a news anchor for NBC4. She also was part of Miss USA in 2008 as Ohio’s nominee as she won “Miss Congeniality.”