Patch's Northeast Ohio Recession Recovery Gauge

The "Great Recession" ended in June 2009 by most accounts.

Yet many Northeast Ohio communities battle its effects today.

For most municipalities, how the needle reads on their "recovery gauge" depends in large part on income tax revenue — the primary cash source for streets, police and other city services.

This summer, Patch requested income tax data from 18 Northeast Ohio communities to see where the needle stands on their recovery gauge.

spent seven weeks culling the data and conducting interviews with finance directors, mayors and economic development directors. Her goal was to try and determine the health of your Patch town's economy three years out of the Great Recession.

Some are college towns. Others are bedroom communities. More are blue-collar cities filled with manufacturing. They all tell their own story.

Scroll down to see how other Northeast Ohio communities are faring:

Let's not stop there. Share with us your stories of recovery and how the recession effected your lives. Is your story a job lost at an automotive plant? Did unemployment force a return to higher education? Did you launch a new business?

Tell us your story by commenting on our series.