Athens is no stranger to its share of myths: from the “mothman” to the infamously haunted buildings that line The Ridges that overlook the Hocking River.
As those myths live on, some become accepted perceptions and others get ruled out altogether.
Here’s The Post’s guide for two of the area’s biggest myths.
Myth 1: It’s cheap to live in Athens County
This first one, a commonly accepted fact, should best be put to rest.
Don’t let the Uptown drink specials fool you.
Living in Athens costs $16,628, according to data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is just about as much to live in as Lucas and Hamilton counties, home to Toledo and Cincinnati, respectively.
This puts Athens just above Ohio’s statewide average cost of living by about $75, according to a study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
But as far as Southeast Ohio goes, Athens is actually on the expensive end of the spectrum, with life in Hocking County typically costing about $1,600 less per year than in Athens, and Vinton County costing roughly $880 less, according to the data.
The biggest difference between Athens County’s cost of living and Hocking and Vinton Counties is the cost of housing, according to the data.
“I truly believe in that a lot of it (is) due to the university and due to students,” Athens County Commissioner Charlie Adkins said. “They’re here and therefore property owners can charge a little bit more because there’s no other place and transportation to come in from outside the community.”
But it is still cheaper to live in Athens than some other counties, such as Cuyahoga and Franklin — home to Cleveland and Columbus, respectively — and even some in Southeast Ohio, such as Meigs and Morgan.
Cost of living reflects itself through everything from gas prices to the cost of going to see a movie.
“Look at the price of Athena Grand on East State; go look at the prices at Movies 10 in Nelsonville (Fun Barn),” Adkins said. “You can get a movie up there for 4 bucks, you can’t get that here.”
Myth 2: Athens County is the poorest county in Ohio
If one were to include the university students, who often do not make a substantial income, Athens County’s poverty rate would sit around a startling 31.5 percent.
If the students are subtracted from the equation, the poverty rate sits likely somewhere between 15 and 16 percent — about one percent higher than the statewide average from 2011 — according to a previous Post article.
But Arian Smedley, spokeswoman for Athens County Job and Family Services, said the true poverty rate may not be clear either way, as some students come to OU from impoverished backgrounds.
“From our standpoint, the students don’t skew it all that much,” Smedley said. “If you’re poor you’re poor, it doesn’t matter if you’re a student or not.
ld311710@ohiou.edu
@LucasDaprile
