COLUMBUS — An informal examination of how the quality of life in the Columbus area stacks up against similar regions puts central Ohio in the middle.

        The area scores well on housing affordability and commuting time, in the middle with violent crimes, and poorly on student dropout rates. Educational level among residents ranks fairly high, but income and wages are low.

        The “livability index” was published in The Columbus Dispatch.

        Donald Kaszynski, a Columbus business leader, used a database popular among site-location groups to compare central Ohio with eight other metropolitan areas — Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

        “There's something to be said for being average,” said Jim Newton, an economist at DeVry Institute of Technology. “It suggests that there is no significant downside to locating in Columbus.

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