The Place To Be
• The Cost of Living in Steubenville/Jefferson County ranks below the national average. With 100 being the national average, Steubenville / Weirton rates at 96.3. Pittsburgh is 109.5.

Source: www.bestplaces.net

• Taxes are lower here. In a detailed analysis performed by D'Anniballe & Company, Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors (www.danniballecpas.com), the Jefferson County Industrial Park, the City of Pittsburgh, and the Village of Beech Bottom in the northern panhandle of West Virginia were compared according to tax burden for a hypothetical company. The hypothetical distribution company, a C-Corporation, owned a $1.5-million building with $2 million worth of equipment and an average inventory of $600,000. Gross receipts totaled $8 million. Gross profit equaled $2 million. Net income was $300,000. Payroll was $1 million for 40 employees. Using the inputs above, D'Anniballe calculated state corporate income taxes, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, local income taxes, unemployment compensation premiums and workers compensation premiums. The analysis revealed the following results:

To see a breakdown of how these taxes were calculated, please click to the links below:

Assumptions
Jefferson County (Island Creek Township), Ohio taxes
City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania taxes
Village of Beech Bottom, Brooke County, West Virginia Taxes
Summary of Comparative Business Taxes

• As of July 2005, taxes in Ohio are going even lower. Personal property taxes and the corporate franchise tax are being phased out. Manufacturing and distribution companies will find much to like about Ohio's tax reforms.

• Jefferson County is home to two coal-fired power plants, which are both supplied by abundant coal in the region. This means inexpensive power. American Electric Power (AEP), the largest investor-owned utility in the country, supplies power to much of Jefferson County. Compare rates below.

Average Industrial Electricity Cost Comparison: