A new transit economic impact analysis quantifies what Delaware County Transit delivers today. More importantly, it shows what a dedicated local funding source could unlock by 2031.
Delaware County is growing fast, and its workforce is traveling farther to reach it. However, Delaware County Transit (DELCO) operates without something most of its peers have: a dedicated, county-controlled revenue stream. Service today runs on federal funds, farebox revenue, and a revenue-sharing arrangement with COTA. That structure caps what DELCO can offer. It also framed the question the agency brought to the Montrose Group.
How We Measured the Transit Economic Impact
The Montrose Group prepared an independent economic and fiscal impact analysis. It measured DELCO’s contribution under current conditions and under two dedicated countywide sales tax scenarios modeled for 2031. We used the IMPLAN modeling framework with 2024 data, run at the Delaware County geography. As a result, the model captures local labor conditions, household spending, and supply chain relationships inside the county line.
Impacts were modeled across four categories: capital spending on vehicles and equipment, labor and benefits, non-payroll operating costs, and the household income supported by jobs that transit makes reachable. That last category is where transit’s economic weight actually sits. Connecting workers to employers is not a side benefit of a transit system. It is the product.
What the Numbers Show
Under current service levels, DELCO supports an estimated 14,575 jobs, $474 million in labor income, and $1.82 billion in annual economic output within Delaware County. It also generates $187 million in total annual tax revenue across all levels of government.
| Scenario | Jobs Supported | Annual Output | County Tax Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current conditions (2026) | 14,575 | $1.82 billion | $8.3 million |
| 0.05% sales tax (2031) | 26,426 | $3.81 billion | $19.2 million |
| 0.10% sales tax (2031) | 42,182 | $6.76 billion | $37.2 million |
Notably, the model excludes congestion relief, lower household transportation costs, healthcare access, and land use effects near transit corridors. Therefore, read these figures as a conservative floor rather than a ceiling.
How DELCO Compares to Its Ohio Peers
The Montrose Group also benchmarked DELCO against comparable Ohio systems. Allen County RTA’s voter-approved 0.10% transit sales tax now supplies roughly a quarter of agency revenue. It also underwrites local match for federal programs. Steel Valley RTA relies on a property tax levy at a similar share. Meanwhile, Licking County Transit — the closest structural peer, with rapid growth and no dedicated tax — pursued a 0.15% sales tax in 2026 and came up short. The pattern is consistent: Ohio systems that sustain expansion pair federal and fare revenue with a recurring local source.
Why This Work Matters
Transit funding decisions are usually argued on cost. Instead, this analysis reframes the conversation around return. County leadership, DELCO’s board, and community stakeholders now share a common, data-based reference point rather than competing assumptions. It is the same approach the Montrose Group brings to economic development strategy, site location, and public finance work across Ohio and the Midwest: build the evidence first, then make the case.
The Montrose Group has completed over sixty economic development plans for public and private sector clients. Contact Dave Robinson at drobinson@montrosegroupllc.com if you need assistance with any economic development plan.