Hamilton County residents told officials that wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. The concern dominated two public hearings on the county's next five-year economic plan.

The sessions, held Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Hamilton County Central Campus in Cincinnati, are part of the county's effort to draft its 2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS. The afternoon session ran from 3 to 5 p.m. and the evening session from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1701 Patricia McCollum Way.

The plan will guide county investments in jobs, workforce development, infrastructure, business growth and quality of life through 2032. The strategy covers all of Hamilton County, which includes Montgomery, Blue Ash and Sycamore Township.

"There's a growing kind of disparity between the income people get from wages and the cost to pay for everything in this world, right?" one resident said at the session, according to Fox 19.

County officials presented data through 2024 covering employment, population growth, education, wages, poverty reduction and racial parity. A county official presenting data at the session said population is stabilizing and growing in ways it has not in decades, with unemployment and poverty numbers modestly improving.

The wage-cost gap was the dominant theme.

The 2027 CEDS builds on the county's 2022 strategy and focuses on strengthening the workforce, supporting business growth, modernizing real estate, improving transportation networks and boosting economic competitiveness. The planning effort is led by representatives from Alloy Development, Hamilton County Planning + Development and other county departments, with consultant Liz Blume of Blume Community Partners serving as project lead.

The county plans to develop a set of recommendations based on the Sept. 23 feedback and market research, then hold a second round of public sessions before Thanksgiving. The final strategy is expected to go before the Board of County Commissioners in January 2027, according to the county's official announcement.

No dates or locations for the next round of hearings have been announced.