What is a Bedroom Community?

The City of Worthington holds many unique qualities, making it a magnet for new families as well as an ideal place to live out the second half of life. With quality schools, easy access to the outer belt and highways, and a charming historical downtown, families just starting out are drawn to the area and want to be a part of the community. Our senior population also doesn’t see the need to leave with great communities like The Hartford at Stafford Village, Bickford of Worthington, and The Bristol. It’s no wonder that Worthington is sought after and cherished by its residents. However, as each year passes, Worthington residents are facing an increasing amount of property tax and housing costs.

Early Intention

In 1803, James Kilbourne created a new community with big goals and big dreams. Migrating from New England, Kilbourne purchased the land on behalf of The Scioto Company with hopes of creating a New England style village with a central public square for community events. In 1893, a railway connected Worthington to the City of Columbus making it possible to live in Worthington and work in Columbus. This new development was the catalyst for something bigger and better to come. 1

The term Bedroom Community was established after World War II, as Americans wanted to raise families in suburban areas. Families were growing at a rapid pace and with the change in families, a change in priorities occurred. People wanted to get away from the city and craved safe neighborhoods and good schools for their growing children. Worthington was a great place to settle with a very convenient location making it easy to commute to the city for work. 2

Original zoning for Worthington specified residential and business districts to promote economic growth and development.

So, What Exactly IS a Bedroom Community?

A bedroom community is a suburban town with little to no prominent employment centers. People live there, but not many work there. Most of the commercial space is retail and services for residents of the town (i.e., post office, grocery store, banks). Individuals often choose to live in a bedroom community because of affordability relative to living closer to the city, lower crime rates, and better schooling.

Because of the way bedroom communities are set up, a majority of the tax revenue lies on the shoulders of its residents. These taxes pay for local services including police officers, paramedics, firefighters, parks, code enforcement, road repairs, snowplows, and education. 2

With limited growth and lack of updates, suburban communities are in danger of losing businesses and income tax revenue to neighboring cities and becoming a bedroom community.

An Affordable Future for Worthington

Image source: https://www.worthington.org/665/Worthington-Gateway

Worthington has continued to increase in popularity as a perfect place to raise a family, retire, or settle down, providing an exceptional community that cares about its history, charm, and character. By introducing strategic economic growth and sustainability, we can ensure the longevity of our special city and continue to attract new families and take care of our seniors, while not becoming a bedroom community.

The rising costs of city services and infrastructure improvements require a need for our income tax revenue to increase at the same rate as our expenses. Therefore, focusing on the growth of our business community needs to be a priority. Without closing this gap between tax revenue and city expenses, our residents could eventually see tax increases or city services being cut. With projects like High North, the Worthington Mile, Worthington Gateway, and the Snow House Boutique Hotel, we can begin to sustain healthy growth for our community and its residents. Development and urban infill opportunities can also be found on the Huntley Road corridor and the LC site (formally the UMCH site). It is an exciting future ahead for Worthington with the help of our residents and our City Council. Please visit our member page and consider joining us in our hopes of building Worthington’s future. 1. https://www.worthington.org/82/History 2. https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/what-is-a-bedroom-community/