Boating In Ohio

An estimated 3 million Ohioans go boating each year, or nearly 1 in 4 Ohioans. Almost half of all Ohio residents (48%) have participated in recreational boating at least once in their lifetime, according to an Ohio State University study.
The average Ohio boat owner is 52 years old with an annual household income of $81,700 and 26.5 years of boating experience. Boat ownership by women increased from 2.6% in 2001 to 7% in 2007. (OSU)
The average boat-owning household in Ohio has 2.13 boats. The average length of boats in Ohio is 19 feet and the average age is 16 years. The average engine size for powerboats is 160 horsepower.
Boating-related fatalities on Ohio waterways declined 33% from 2000-2004 when compared to fatalities in 2005-2009.
More than 80% of respondents in a 2007 survey said they feel "safe" or "very safe" on Ohio's waterways.

More than $5.3 million is paid annually in watercraft registration and title fees. Boaters paid $14.9 million in state marine fuel taxes during 2009.
Recreational boating puts $3.5 billion annually into the Ohio economy and supports more than 26,000 full-time equivalent Ohio jobs. (Great Lakes Commission, 2007).

In 2009 Ohio ranked 9th nationally with 419,364 registered recreational watercraft, in the following general categories:
- Powerboats & PWC: 78%
- Canoes & Kayaks: 20%
- Sailboats (no auxiliary power): 2%
10.7% of all Ohio-registered watercraft are personal jet-propelled watercraft. These craft collectively are commonly referred to by some of their commercial brand names such as Jet Ski or Waverunner.

Among the 4.3 million registered watercraft in the eight-state Great Lakes region, an estimated 911,000 boats are operated primarily on the five Great Lakes and its incumbent waterways such as Sandusky Bay, Maumee Bay and Lake St. Clair, according to a 2007 Great Lakes Commission study.
Types of boats most frequently used on the Great Lakes include fiberglass runabouts measuring 16 to 24 feet long, aluminum powerboats less than 16 feet long and aluminum fishing boats 16 to 24 feet long. (GLC study)
Average expenditures for Great Lakes boaters were $3,600 annually--$1,400 in boat-related expenses (dock fees, repairs, insurance) and $2,200 in trip-related expenses (food, lodging, entertainment). (GLC study)
Range of daily expenditures on Lake Erie boating trips: $76 to $275. (Ohio Travel & Tourism)
321 miles of Lake Erie Shoreline in Ohio. (Ohio Travel & Tourism)
Direct annual sales attributed to Lake Erie Region tourism spending: $10.7 Billion. (Ohio Travel & Tourism)
119,000 tourism-related jobs in Lake Erie Region. (Ohio Travel & Tourism)
$430 million state tax revenue generated by Lake Erie Tourism. (Ohio Travel & Tourism)
$320 million in local tax revenue generated by Lake Erie Tourism. (Ohio Travel & Tourism)

Ohio has 42 certified Clean Marinas along Lake Erie with an additional 24 marinas pledged to attain their certification.
$38.8 million in funding provided by Division of Watercraft grants for public boat launches and facilities since 1999.
Approximately 99 percent of Ohio’s estimated 11.6 million residents live within 36 miles of a waterway that can accommodate a powerboat.
Ohio’s portion of Lake Erie encompasses 2.25 million surface acres of water, which equals approximately 51% of the lake’s entire surface area. The combined surface acreage of all inland lakes and ponds totals approximately 850,000 acres, which includes a total of 56,175 surface acres of water in Ohio’s state park system.