Southeastern Indiana is better educated and more affluent than a decade ago, new Census figures to be released today show.

        Builders and business leaders attribute the dramatic gains in income and education to Cincinnati's suburban push and the impact of three casinos docked on the Ohio River.

        Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland county residents have better jobs, fatter wallets and more valuable homes than a decade ago.

        Home values more than doubled during the 1990s. Household income soared by at least 55 percent in the three counties. About four of five adults have at least graduated high school, and many of those pursued college.

        The result: a changing culture for the once sleepy farming and riverfront communities west of Cincinnati.

        The growth has benefited the area's economy, but it also has left local governments struggling to pay for growth with new roads, parks and sewers.

        Hamilton County expatriates have been the biggest reason for the region's housing boom, snapping up new homes built over acres and acres of farmland, said Nelson Elliott, president of the Southeastern Board of Realtors.

        “They are all looking for their five acres of heaven with a house, a barn, a horse, a dog and a boat,” Mr. Elliot said. “Then when they get here, they want new roads and more public safety.”

        The new figures rolled out by the Census Bureau provide the most detailed economic and personal data to date for communities across the nation. Ohio and Kentucky figures will be made available in late May and early June.

        Among the highlights from Greater Cincinnati's southwestern edge:

        • Ohio County residents enjoyed the biggest gain in household income among the three counties, up 57.6 percent to $41,348. Dearborn County households earn the most, $48,899, up 55.7 percent. Switzerland County residents had strong gains, too, up 55.4 percent to $37,092.

        • Dearborn County's high school graduation rate among adults age 25 or older jumped to 82 percent in 2000 from 73.4 percent in 1990. Ohio County's graduation rate, 78.4 percent, and Switzerland's 71.4 percent were marked improvements from a decade ago.

        • All three counties also had slight gains in the percentage of adults holding at least a four-year degree. Dearborn's four-year degree rate was the highest among the three counties, 15.4 percent.
       

Gambling impact

        Many community leaders say the Census figures show the economic and social impact of the area's new gambling industry: the Argosy Casino in Dearborn County's Lawrenceburg and Grand Victoria in Ohio County's Rising Sun.

        A third gambling riverboat, Belterra Casino in Switzerland County, opened in October 2000, six months after Census questionnaires were distributed.

        Yet business leaders say many Switzerland residents commute to riverboat jobs in neighboring counties. Perhaps that's a reason why the county's average travel time to work jumped more than five minutes to 33.6 minutes.

        Dearborn residents' average commute also increased three minutes to 30.5 minutes. Ohio County residents found jobs closer to home with commute times dropping more than three minutes to 27.3 minutes.

        Casinos haven't provided all the answers — or accounted for all the problems — that many predicted.

        Tourists often rush to and from communities and board the riverboat casinos during limited docking times, rarely spending money at local shops before or after gambling trips, said Dave Poole, director of economic development for Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce.

        But fears of widespread crime stemming from a gambling culture haven't come true, either, Mr. Poole said.

        The area is still too small to attract chain retailers such as Home Depot or Lowe's Home Improvement. The area's rising incomes and growing population also weren't enough to keep Bigg's, which closed its mega-grocery store in Dearborn County shortly after opening.

        “What we're finding is economic development doesn't automatically follow” casinos, said Carol Erickson, director of Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce. “It has to be pursued.”
       
       Enquirer reporter John Byczkowski contributed to this article.
       

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