It's a midwestern state with northeastern and southern (namely Appalachian) influences. The rustbelt isn't really a region.
Yes and no... certainly it isn't a belt. Or maybe there are multiple rustbelts.
I agree with using the "Rust Belt" as a region. It works much better than the Midwest as a description. The Midwest can span from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains and doesn't capture the social and life style differences as one goes from Columbus, OH to Lincoln, NE and Lansing, MI to Topeka, KS.
As a native of the Midwest, and past resident of many of its states, I like Garreau's separation into two regions. The "Foundry" captures the sense of the Rust Belt from Chicago to Pittsburgh. The "Breadbasket" takes in the Plains from west of Chicago to the Front Range of the Rockies.
The question is OH, which I think is in the Rust Belt region, but is split into three states culturally. The Lake Erie shore is akin to Detroit. The eastern part with Akron and Youngstown is akin to western PA. They are both classic Rust Belt areas. The southern part from Columbus to Dayton and Cincinnati is a border state. The area is best descibed as a conservative version of the Rust Belt and much like central IN including Indianapolis.
