The U.S. has reported more than 23,000,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Jan. 19. There have been more than 380,000 reported deaths from COVID-19-related causes — the highest death toll of any country.

The extent of the spread of the novel coronavirus continues to vary considerably from state to state, and from city to city. Even as the number of daily new cases is flattening or even declining in some parts of the country, it is surging in others.

Nationwide, the number of new cases is growing at a steady rate. There were an average of 67.2 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 Americans in the week ending Jan. 19, essentially unchanged from the week prior, when there were an average of 72.1 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.

In Ohio, there were an average of 61.5 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending Jan. 19 — the 24th fewest of all 50 states. Ohio’s most recent case growth is a decrease from the week prior, when there were an average of 68.8 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.

Metropolitan areas with a high degree of mobility and a large population may be particularly vulnerable to outbreaks. While science and medical professionals are still studying how exactly the virus spreads, experts agree that outbreaks are more likely to occur in group settings where large numbers of people routinely have close contact with one another. Cities with high concentrations of dense spaces such as colleges, correctional facilities, and nursing homes are particularly at risk.

In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, there were an average of 74.6 daily new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents in the week ending Jan. 19 — the fastest case growth of any city in Ohio. The metro area’s most recent case growth rate is basically unchanged from the week prior, when there were an average of 78.5 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.

Canton-Massillon, the city where COVID-19 is growing the second fastest, has reported an average of 69.3 new daily cases per 100,000 residents.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Cincinnati metropolitan area has reported a cumulative total of 166,917 confirmed cases, or 7,616.00 per 100,000 residents. By comparison, there are currently 7,152.20 cases per 100,000 Ohio residents and 7,278.10 cases per 100,000 Americans nationwide.

In order to slow the spread, cities have ordered the closure of thousands of consumer-facing businesses. These measures have led to widespread job loss and record unemployment. In Cincinnati, unemployment peaked at 14.5% in April 2020. As of November 2020, the unemployment rate was 5.5%.

To determine the metropolitan area in each state where COVID-19 is growing the fastest, 24/7 Wall St. compiled and reviewed data from state and local health departments. We ranked metropolitan areas according to the average number of new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the seven days ending Jan. 19. Data was aggregated from the county level to the metropolitan area level using boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population data used to adjust case and death totals came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. Unemployment data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is seasonally adjusted.

MSA	Population	New daily cases per 100,000, week ending Jan. 19	New daily cases per 100,000, week ending Jan. 12	Cumulative cases per 100,000	Cumulative deaths per 100,000
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	2,191,667	74.6	78.5	7,616.0	55.2
Canton-Massillon, OH	401,053	69.3	73.5	6,634.0	108.5
Springfield, OH	135,198	69	75.7	7,893.6	195.3
Columbus, OH	2,054,062	65.7	71.4	7,729.0	55.8
Lima, OH	103,642	65.3	81.5	9,300.3	121.6
Dayton-Kettering, OH	802,645	63.8	74.6	7,812.8	75.6
Mansfield, OH	121,324	60.9	67.5	7,344.0	95.6
Toledo, OH	645,329	60.2	70.8	7,241.1	129.9
Akron, OH	704,454	58.9	61	6,083.4	119.7
Cleveland-Elyria, OH	2,061,766	56.9	61.6	6,469.8	79.2
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	545,488	47.4	52.2	6,692.2	154

These are all the counties in Ohio where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).

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