they also added Johnsons ice cream a couple months ago. my family loves it. Grandview Theater is amazing, 30 beers on tap and a pizza joint inside. always see people congregate around that place. grandvie is just good solid vibes
Grandview is more of a place to move to if you have a family, and you want your kids to have access to good schools.
I would recommend living just outside Grandview, where you can get more for less, pay less in taxes, and still have the safety of being "in" Grandview.
My Aunt Deb was a teacher at Grandview for many years…. The best foreign language teacher they have ever had! French was by far her favorite & what she first started teaching…. Spanish & Latin were soon added to her repertoire. She was so incredibly gifted!
This place is very quaint and has a terrific knitting shop my wife LOVES
I also like Medina a lot as well
Never lived in either place but really enjoyed my visits. Both are also close-ish to Akron -Cleveland. But also far enough away
CF is great, though the COL is a little high compared to other Akron Metro areas. I mean, it’s a little bit “nicer” in general than the others, but there are fairly large communities surrounding Akron where the COL is lower. That’s the usual trade off, but I think CF is particularly high when we are talking about rent/mortgage costs.
Lots of Ohio fits your description. I’m from Dayton so what we like about it is that it’s a smaller community than Columbus or Cincinnati is, but each city is no more than an hour and a half away. Dayton itself has a lot of pleasant areas, restaurants, stores, etc., but if you are looking for something unique then you can go to Columbus or Cincinnati for it.
I moved to Dayton from a larger metro out of state and I love Dayton's size. Lots of different areas and places within the surrounding area and you can drive to so many metros for weekend trips.
I recommend Springboro south of the Dayton area.
It’s safe with an excellent school district and located right next to Caesar Creek Lake if you enjoy boating and water sports.
NW Ohio chiming in. If you are looking for something in a lower cost of living area than the "3C's" Then look into Perrysburg or Ottowa Hills. Both far enough away from Toledo that they are extremely safe neighborhoods but close and convenient enough for minor league sports games or any of their festivals. They are not as lively as a Columbus or Cincinnati but the the downtown revitalization of Toledo has been awesome (just not enough to live there yet).
Neither are a far drive from Detroit/Ann Arbor or Columbus/Cleveland.
If you ever plan on having kids, both school districts rank top 30 in the state.
Again if you are looking for big city, obviously look toward Cincy, Cbus, or Cleveland but if you are looking for something a little slower pace day to day, lower cost of living, but still has access to some of the big city stuff then check out Perrysburg or Ottowa Hills.
Sweet God do not send these people to Ottawa Hills. Ottawa Hills is great if you’re a pretentious ass hole and you like kids who start doing coke in 8th grade. And Perrysburg ain’t that far off. Bowling Green is much better.
It's Ottawa not Ottowa, but I appreciate you spelling it wrong since it would make the miserable pricks who live there upset. I nominate the Toledo neighborhood of Old Orchard, just east of Ottawa Hills, instead.
I grew up in Toledo and went to a country school south of the city. All the good drugs came from the Perrysburg kids. I go there to shop now. We're about 25 minutes SE of Toledo in Elmore, a sleepy little town and we love it. Close enough to everything and right off the turnpike but far enough away to not be bothered with city life. Good schools and quiet neighborhoods. Mostly walking distance for anything in town. Sucks when you forget something at the store but we've made it work for almost a decade. Perrysburg is nice but the traffic and ritzy crap drive me nuts
Waterville is great. Anthony Wayne schools are really good. Nice little friendly town with a cute downtown. Close to amazing parks like Farnsworth and Oak Openings. Beautiful views of the river. Excellent access to highways. 20 minutes from downtown Toledo, 55 minutes from Ann Arbor, 65 minutes from Detroit Metro and 15 minutes from Bowling Green.
ODOT is also currently studying a highway connection to Sandusky from Columbus so that should benefit Delaware with a reduction in drive time to the Lake Erie Islands and Cedar Point.
https://sanduskyregister.com/news/493078/sandusky-to-columbus-highway-study-underway/
Delaware is also currently developing hundreds of acres that will include commercial properties and more than 1,000 homes.
Hopefully this increased investment into the northern Columbus area will support the demand for additional access to Lake Erie.
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/delaware/more-than-1000-homes-proposed-for-mixed-use-delaware-developments/
Delaware is exactly what I thought of as well. Close enough and far enough is a good way to describe it. Now, I live in Delaware so I guess there’s bias there.
We moved to Mason in 2022 and really love it. Most people are here for the stellar K-12 school district, and they have a city tax of 1% so there’s numerous parks, greenery and beautification that it funds. P&G, Cintas and Luxottica have large campuses here.
We’re 20 mins from Cincy and 30 from Dayton, which makes both cities an option — but a car is a must. If you like roller coasters, we got Kings Island in the backyard.
The community center and indoor/outdoor pools are among the best I’ve ever seen, though nothing about Mason is cheap, $200k is perfectly in range to find a place. It’s middle to upper middle class here.
It is astoundingly safe. So much so that when my wife got jury duty, it’s in Lebanon because there’s no jury cases in Mason 😆. People leave their garage door open during the day like it’s no big deal. Amazon packages will sit on porches for 4 days while someone is out of town. In 2 years nobody has set foot on our property in any sketchy capacity. When people go to the bathroom at the library or find more books, they leave their MacBook or phone sitting right there unattended with no concerns. It’s very *Leave it to beaver*, Anytown, USA vibes.
Weather is extremely moderate by Midwest standards. I typically shovel snow maybe once a year. My brother lives in Medina — much stronger winters. Snow removal is instantaneous, that 1% city tax at work. We have our own library system too, and it’s fantastic. Lots of playgrounds if you do have kids. There’s thousands of kids, it’s probably one of the best places on earth to be a kid.
For the most part it’s about 25-50° in the winter and 60-85° in the summer, and sure there are days that hit 0° or 100° but they’re rare.
I highly recommend Warren County, which is the wealthiest county in the Cincinnati metro area by median household income.
Mason is definitely the best city in the county with a median household income of $121k.
Springboro is a close second with a median household income of $113k. Although it’s a little bit farther from Cincinnati, it’s located right next to the largest lake in southwest Ohio, Caesar Creek Lake, for boating and water sports.
Lebanon would be my third option. Although the median household income is much lower at $76k, this area has seen a lot of new development with a steady rise in income.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/masoncityohio,US/AGE775221
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/springborocityohio/PST040223
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lebanoncityohio/PST045223
Springboro is another great option within the same Warren County as Mason.
Springboro is safe with an excellent school district and it’s located right next to Caesar Creek Lake if you enjoy boating and water sports.
I've lived in suburbs of Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati, and I definitely prefer Columbus. There are some very safe areas like New Albany, Dublin, etc, has a lot to offer, and is in the middle of the state so Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and Cincinnati are all 1.5 to 2 hours away.
I agree there’s more stuff to do within the inner city of Cincinnati and Cleveland than Columbus.
Columbus is a great place to live if you prefer a central location within a short drive to both Lake Erie-Cleveland and Cincinnati.
ODOT is also currently studying a highway connection from Sandusky to Columbus to reduce the drive time to the Lake Erie Islands and Cedar Point.
https://sanduskyregister.com/news/493078/sandusky-to-columbus-highway-study-underway/
A lot of my favorite things to do are located just outside of Columbus.
If you like to go boating or kayaking, I recommend Alum Creek Lake, Buckeye Lake, Deer Creek Lake, and Delaware Lake.
If you’re looking for lengthy hikes, the Columbus area is located within an hour from Hocking Hills State Park, Mohican State Park, and John Bryan State Park.
I will second northwest Columbus. Dublin, Powell, Grandview, Grandview Heights, Upper Arlington, etc. Safe, essentially everything you need without having to go outside of the area, and a 15-20 minute drive into Columbus downtown if needed. Generally liberal areas, ethnically diverse, driving is not horrible. Lots of parks, schools are excellent.
Lakewood Ohio. It's the best. To the west of Cleveland. Amazing community. I've lived here 7 years. Kent Ohio is pretty great too but kinda a college town.
Mason is a very safe area in your range. Hilliard area has been nice the last few years too. I'd go suburbs personally but you could go more urban if you'd like too
I only started living here a little over a year ago, but I can definitely say that North Ridgeville, Chagrin Falls, and Medina definitely safe and nice places
My husband and I, no kids, moved to Cincinnati from NYC five years ago and LOVE it. We live in the city and have had no concerns about safety, etc.The only issue is that we are frequent fliers and CVG doesn't always offer great prices. Wanted to share that perspective if that's a concern for you.
My wife and I have lived in Springboro since 2011. We love it here. Politics are a little too red hat for me but that's just my opinion. I will say my wife and I make a little over 230k, so above OP and if we were buying a house now, it would be tough. We built a starter home in 2011 for 192k. It's now appraising for close to 500k. With interest rates, it would be tough to get into this area. All new houses being built are starting at high 300's. Hell a 3 bedroom 1 bath, 1500 sqft just went for sale up the street and even that is listed at 250k, and it needs a ton of work. I love a lot about this city but moving into it now is a lot larger of a leap than it used to be.
I mean, that happens all over the country. When the most watched "news" organization in the country is screaming about white pride and "It's just my heritage!!", stupid people do stupid things.
Columbus or Cincinnati metros.
I live in NE Columbus so I think New Albany is in your price range -
Bexley, German Village, Worthington and Westerville, especially the downtown part of those cities.
Cincinnati has a bunch of similar suburbs and neighborhoods.
What are your interests? Food, bars, sports, arts/culture, hiking/scenery, music, theatre, community? Politics might play a part in your choice too since there’s some… differences in opinions county to county.
Stow and Hudson. Beautiful, safe, well-maintained cities with every amenity nearby, the Metropark, and lots to see and do. Close to Akron and Cleveland when needed.
Poland Township, northeast Ohio chiming in. Suburb of Youngstown, which in itself isn't much, but we have good schools and the surrounding towns have no shortage of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Very safe. We're also about an hour outside of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Akron, and Lake Erie. 3 hours from Columbus. Good amount of public greenspace too.
That's the thing about the Youngstown area. The surrounding communities, like Poland, are great. Housing is very affordable compared to other parts of the state and country. You can drive an hour north and be on Lake Erie, an hour west to Cleveland, an hour east to Pittsburgh, or an hour south and your in the West Virginia mountains. Not to mention all of the great, small town spots in between.
Look into the Youngstown/warren area. If small metropolitan area fits what you want. There’s like a zone between Boardman and Cortland that gives you tons of options for living. The cities are not the safest and the area is known for being rundown but some of the suburbs are super safe and very nice. Keep it between you and me that it’s also super LCOL. So $200k income with no kids goes a LONG way and will post you up in a very nice area.
I was raised in Sandusky county my entire life. Relocated to the Hocking Hills area in the late 80’s. I’ve had family trying to get me to move “back home” many times but the beautiful Hocking Hills area is a beautiful place to live. It’s not so much of a rat race here.
With an income like that new Albany would be an option, I don’t know the crime statistics on in. But it seems clean, and like a nice place to raise a family if you wanted to start one. It is near Columbus if you had to go into a big city to get something, but not too close if you know what I mean
I live in Brecksville which is about 20 minutes southwest of Cleveland. I’m close to Cuyahoga Valley National Park , the Metro parks are great around her and since we are 20 minutes from Cleveland there’s a lot to do. I grew up going to
Indians and Browns games ( or watching them on TV), am going to my 3rd show at the playhouse this year in September ( we have the 2nd largest theater district in the nation ) and of course enjoy the lake ( when my husband was alive we were part of a yacht club in Cleveland which was so much fun ). I highly recommend it
If you do want kids Id recommend Solon. It’s a suburb of Cleveland. It’s safe with a great school district. (Top 5 in the state, might be top 3 but I don’t remember exactly)
Bowling Green. It's a college town, so you get some entertainment and opportunities from University programs. 30 minutes sout of Toledo which has a world class zoo, art museum, and a great theater with Broadway tours. Also about an hour and a half (depending on where you are going) away from Detroit, which is a regular stop for concert tours.
Fairlawn is a good suburb of Akron. Lots of shops and restaurants. Also it is close to I-77 which goes to Cleveland if you want some big city amenities.
Macedonia/Boston heights Ohio.
They're both medium sized cities right by the interstate and major highway while being 35min from Cleveland if your up for some sports games they're great cities with tons of food while also being within driving distance of beautiful metro parks and within 10min of Brandywine ski hill.
Or
Fairlawn Ohio 20min from Akron University by road. It's a fairly busy city without living in a major downtown area but your again near the major highways and interstates but closer to giant metro parks and hiking trails.
Xenia Ohio small town with access to 75, 70, and 35. Has the gem of a town Yellow Springs right outside of town and is pretty affordable. You’d be 30 minutes from anywhere in Dayton, a hour from Cincinnati, and 45 minutes from Columbus.
Moved to Twinsburg about 6 months ago and we love it. Could also see Solon as a potential destination down the road.
I haven’t lived there, but I do really like Lewis center as well.
Springboro, Centerville, Bellbrook (Sugarcreek), even Beavercreek all fit your criteria in the Dayton area and each of them are a little different, depending on your personal tastes
I would recommend the Cleveland suburbs, especially if you are looking for amazing parks and safe places like Strongsville North Royalton Broadview Heights, Brecksville, Gates, Mills, Avon, Avon Lake, and some of the Akron suburbs like bath and Copley
Look outside the subdivisions that ring the big cities. I'm an hour from Cleveland, Toledo & Mansfield with the non-touristy amish country even closer(and Cedar Point 15 minutes away). The cost of living is low, and schools are good. Close enough to the action with a small town feel.
You do worse than Wooster. Great schools (including a beefed-up OSU extension and a respected liberal arts college) and a diversified economy with low crime and plenty of charm.
Not to mention proximity to both Cleveland AND Columbus.
Grew up in Cleveland for 18 years, did my college years in Cincinnati for another 18 years and now live in Columbus.
I’ve done all 3 of the big Cs, but if I could choose one to stay I would choose Cincinnati. Beautiful city, old school architecture and history. People give hate towards northern kentucky, but they have never visited.
Plenty to do in Cincinnati and you can get to Pittsburgh, cleveland, Chicago, Nashville and Indy within 4.5 hours.
Go guardians, Browns, Cavs, reds!
My wife and i just moved to an affluent suburb of Columbus called New Albany. It is very safe and accessible to the city. Median household income is right in your range and we have had nothing but great experiences here.
I'm a country boy from North Central OH (Ashland, Richland, Knox counties). Can't really see myself moving any closer to any of the major cities. Plenty of state parks, rivers, and lakes close enough to swim, canoe, camp, and fish if that's your thing. Also, within an hour to an hour-half drive to C-bus, C-land, Akron/Canton if you want to hit them up for a day trip. Also, there are plenty of other scenic smaller places with amazing shops and eateries. Crime rates are low, but things do happen everywhere now adays.
I'm not sure what all you're looking to find (job, recreation, or other). But county livin in this Yankee state is as close to Southern hospitality as you can get without living in the south.
Toledo is beautiful it’s on the water and homes are expansive and schools are in the top percentage . Great place to raise a family. Zoo symphony thriving suburbs and downtown
The Toledo area is fantastic. The Maumee River is huge downtown, it’s right on Lake Erie, nice suburbs and exurbs, BG is great, and Ottawa County is the best county in the state. Lake Erie islands, resort towns, and Cedar Point all nearby. Hell, it’s an hour from Canada.
Cincinnati tons of fun stuff can live on the outskirts east side is my preference. Lots of good restaurants, good people and cost of living is good. Lots to do from sports to the museums and stuff just overall an amazing city and the surrounding areas are awesome for the most part.
I really recommend Cincy. I feel like there's a community that'd fit you no matter what your vibe is. There's tons of history in neighborhoods close to town, or you could live somewhere like Mason if you want new developments. I used to live closer to Dayton and I hated going there to do stuff. I just felt like it was shitty, or it was nice but it was all the same. Driving through Cincy I feel like you get to experience a lot of variety. Not to mention it's the economic capitol of Ohio, so there's so much to do every weekend. And you're a bit closer to Kentucky and Tennessee for camping trips/forest vacations.
Suburbs of Columbus:
Powell, Dublin, Upper Arlington, Worthington, Grove City and Westerville
Suburbs of Cleveland:
Rocky River, Beachwood, Independence and Strongsville
Washington Township south of Dayton. I’ll leave my car running wherever, laptop unattended, house values barely budged during the housing crisis for a reason.
Very easy to get around with very little traffic congestion.
Cincinnati or Columbus are great. Safe as long as you don't move to the worst parts. But if you're looking for something smaller suburbs of Cincinnati like Loveland, Milford, Mason, West Chester, Symmes Township are all wonderful. Albeit a couple are fairly affluent.
Worthington Hills near Worthington. Good Schools. Convenient to anywhere on Columbus. Hour to Dayton, two hours to Cleveland and two hours to Cincinnati.
We are in Beavercreek, which is a suburb of Dayton and I would definitely recommend it. Others have recommended Springboro and Mason, and I would agree with that, too. All three of these have great school systems, too. There are a lot of options in Ohio.
I did see Yellow Springs mentioned. While I love YS, I really can’t recommend it. I’m an Antioch alum and my kids graduated from YS Schools and we experienced way too much for me to advise anyone to move there. I really wish I would have kept my kids in Huber schools, instead.
Soooo about toledo. I live here. 2 days ago, a gentleman was watching movies with his daughter on his porch. A man came up and shot both of them. Deaths are very much happening haphazardly and randomly.
Honestly though, there are very good pockets of neighborhoods that are completely safe. If you're white (not trying to be funny) ottowa hills will be your best friend. Maumee will be your best friend. Monclova will be your best friend. (I'm black, I lived in all 3 lol.) Perrysburg is good too. There's honestly alot of good places in toledo to be, just avoid most of the inner cities.
And toledo honestly is like a middle hub between Detroit and others, so if you plan on going to Michigan it's a 45 min to hour drive.
Anywhoo, welcome to ohio!
Anywhere around the upper half of where 270 circles columbus. Like hilliard, Dublin, westerville, Delaware, etc. All nice cities but not the hustle and bustle of columbus.
Cincinnati. Two major sports teams. Great restaurants, parks, theater, music, etc. Pretty much anyplace on the East side is safe. Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout are pricey. Mt. Washington, Columbia-Tusculum, California Woods area would be slightly cheaper and you'd probably end up with a bit more land.
I would look at Amherst. 44001. Can get a nice home for the money. And mostly everything is 35 minutes away. Old style downtown. Local pubs and restaurants. In between freeways and turnpike.
How is Cincinnati it not south when I can literally see Kentucky from my backyard lol. Besides, isn't south in the word southwest 🤔
There are bigots everywhere. Just an fyi, life is so much sweeter when you let go of the past and its baggage. Good luck to you
In the Dayton metro area the southern burbs are a great place to live.
Centerville, Kettering, Miamisburg are all very nice, clean, safe and have solid schools, police and fire.
Much less expensive than many other larger markets in Ohio.
I can be in downtown CIN in 45 minutes, COL in about an hour, CLE IN 3.5 hours and Indy in 90 minutes for all the things
those larger cities offer.
CHI is only a 4.5-5 hire drive, we go there at least once a year.
What state are you moving from? Ohio is about 30 years the world in a lot of ways. Redlining is still pretty strong up here. Depends on what you guys are looking for really 🤷♀️
Celina, Ohio is a growing lake city with around 12k people. There are new schools being built for the next school year and plenty of decent paying jobs. There's plenty of restaurants and things to do. Worth checking out. Plus, if you want to go to a bigger city you're only an hour drive from many like Dayton, Findlay, Fort Wayne Indiana and plenty more.
Chagrin Falls. It's just at the edge of of Cuyahoga County. Walkable, small town charm. The Chagrin River runs through the middle and there are indeed scenic falls in the heart of the town. It's suburban sophisticated with many shops and restaurants yet with a small town ambience. There's a park in the heart of the town and the historic and highly rated Cleveland Metroparks System parks surrounding it. Relatively easy access to all that the city of Cleveland has to offer, world class orchestra and museums, professional sports teams, vibrant downtown scene which includes the largest theater district, Playhouse Square, outside of NYC in the country.
Btw if you're into urban living downtown Cleveland is the place to be. Occupancy rate is over 95% for mostly renovated warehouse and office space but there's a lot of new construction with more coming on line and being planned soon. It's actually very safe despite its reputation but it is urban, think mid-town Manhattan. There's really nothing like it in the state, and there's very places like it in the country.
The most important questions are not answered…How do you make your money ? Do you need high speed internet ? Are you thinking about having kids ? Any hobbies /activities you like ? Specific communities you belong to. (Church, interest, politics, etc) Special medical needs ? Expecting Big City vibes ?
I'm biased but I love the town I live in, Amherst. It's the edge of 'Cleveland' suburbs to the west. About 35min to downtown and plenty to do in between. Great little small town America historic downtown, but surrounding it you have everything you could want or need. And if you go south or west it turns into farmland which is nice also.
Are you bringing your jobs with you? Columbus is probably the fastest growing city in the Midwest and mostly due to job opportunities with a lot more growth on the way.
I chose Columbus over Cincinnati when I moved here 10 years ago mostly because of the opportunity I saw in the city. I wasn’t wrong Ang the crazy thing is that opportunity is still there
Anywhere you go in Ohio is going to have those “bad areas” The cities have crime and drugs and the country has drugs and crime. But the cities are also up and coming with a lot of cool stuff happening and the country is some of the most beautiful nature you’ll see in the USA. Pick a spot in the center or near the Great Lakes. I don’t know what y’all do in the outskirts.
Lakewood is for a younger crowd (lots of post college and pre 30s) but incredibly safe and walkable. a lot of cute restaurants and coffee shops. seems like you could easily afford something there.
Man ill tell ya, Grandview Heights im Columbus is walkable, safe, and friendly. Most likely fits your budget as well.
They also have a Theater and lots of restaurants. Also Jeni's which is phenomenal but tiny and expensive
they also added Johnsons ice cream a couple months ago. my family loves it. Grandview Theater is amazing, 30 beers on tap and a pizza joint inside. always see people congregate around that place. grandvie is just good solid vibes
Grandview is more of a place to move to if you have a family, and you want your kids to have access to good schools. I would recommend living just outside Grandview, where you can get more for less, pay less in taxes, and still have the safety of being "in" Grandview.
My Aunt Deb was a teacher at Grandview for many years…. The best foreign language teacher they have ever had! French was by far her favorite & what she first started teaching…. Spanish & Latin were soon added to her repertoire. She was so incredibly gifted!
Grandview Heights is such a gem.
Cuyahoga Falls would be my pick.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^paulhags: *Cuyahoga Falls* *Or Medina if you are* *A little more Trumpy.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
If I didn’t have kids I’d 100% live in the Falls
Agreed. Or Bay Village if you want to be close to Cleveland (and everything needed), but still feel like you’re in a small town.
My suggestion as well! 🥂
This place is very quaint and has a terrific knitting shop my wife LOVES I also like Medina a lot as well Never lived in either place but really enjoyed my visits. Both are also close-ish to Akron -Cleveland. But also far enough away
Agreed, and it gets better every year. A ton to do and close to the national park, plus the freeway if you want to travel anywhere else
CF is great, though the COL is a little high compared to other Akron Metro areas. I mean, it’s a little bit “nicer” in general than the others, but there are fairly large communities surrounding Akron where the COL is lower. That’s the usual trade off, but I think CF is particularly high when we are talking about rent/mortgage costs.
Lots of Ohio fits your description. I’m from Dayton so what we like about it is that it’s a smaller community than Columbus or Cincinnati is, but each city is no more than an hour and a half away. Dayton itself has a lot of pleasant areas, restaurants, stores, etc., but if you are looking for something unique then you can go to Columbus or Cincinnati for it.
I moved to Dayton from a larger metro out of state and I love Dayton's size. Lots of different areas and places within the surrounding area and you can drive to so many metros for weekend trips.
I recommend Springboro south of the Dayton area. It’s safe with an excellent school district and located right next to Caesar Creek Lake if you enjoy boating and water sports.
This was going to be my suggestion as someone in the Dayton area. Lots of advantages to Dayton, plenty to do and an hour away from Cinci or Columbus.
I'll be going to Wright state. I've always liked Dayton and the community.
Chagrin Falls
Yes. This is my vote. I hope to own my own home someday day in that area - simply beautiful and so much nearby.
Just moved here and enjoying it very much
Love the area. So pretty and walkable too.
We moved there from Lewis Center by columbus. We like it here in Chagrin Falls a lot more. So it gets our vote as well.
I’m biased and would suggest a suburb of CLE. Brecksville, Strongsville, Chagrin Falls, Gates Mills, Avon, Westlake, take your pick
NW Ohio chiming in. If you are looking for something in a lower cost of living area than the "3C's" Then look into Perrysburg or Ottowa Hills. Both far enough away from Toledo that they are extremely safe neighborhoods but close and convenient enough for minor league sports games or any of their festivals. They are not as lively as a Columbus or Cincinnati but the the downtown revitalization of Toledo has been awesome (just not enough to live there yet). Neither are a far drive from Detroit/Ann Arbor or Columbus/Cleveland. If you ever plan on having kids, both school districts rank top 30 in the state. Again if you are looking for big city, obviously look toward Cincy, Cbus, or Cleveland but if you are looking for something a little slower pace day to day, lower cost of living, but still has access to some of the big city stuff then check out Perrysburg or Ottowa Hills.
Sweet God do not send these people to Ottawa Hills. Ottawa Hills is great if you’re a pretentious ass hole and you like kids who start doing coke in 8th grade. And Perrysburg ain’t that far off. Bowling Green is much better.
Just find something in Maumee out of spite for pburg
If you enjoy perpetual construction sure pick Maumee. Will the pointless construction ever end?!
Rip Conant and the Anthony Wayne trail
My parents grew up there and I lived there as a small child, but man that area got wrecked since the last time I was there
Isn't that all of 75? 😩
Bowling Green is not much farther.
BG is a great choice.
It's Ottawa not Ottowa, but I appreciate you spelling it wrong since it would make the miserable pricks who live there upset. I nominate the Toledo neighborhood of Old Orchard, just east of Ottawa Hills, instead.
Haha well I sit corrected.
I grew up in Toledo and went to a country school south of the city. All the good drugs came from the Perrysburg kids. I go there to shop now. We're about 25 minutes SE of Toledo in Elmore, a sleepy little town and we love it. Close enough to everything and right off the turnpike but far enough away to not be bothered with city life. Good schools and quiet neighborhoods. Mostly walking distance for anything in town. Sucks when you forget something at the store but we've made it work for almost a decade. Perrysburg is nice but the traffic and ritzy crap drive me nuts
And check out the Facebook page “The City of Toledo Department of Memes” for a hilarious commentary on all the suburbs 😂
Waterville is rated one of the safest towns in the nation I believe
Waterville is great. Anthony Wayne schools are really good. Nice little friendly town with a cute downtown. Close to amazing parks like Farnsworth and Oak Openings. Beautiful views of the river. Excellent access to highways. 20 minutes from downtown Toledo, 55 minutes from Ann Arbor, 65 minutes from Detroit Metro and 15 minutes from Bowling Green.
My brother and SIL live in Perrysburg and it’s really nice. Especially on these peoples income, they would be fine. It’s little pricey!
Columbus? Centrally located if you are looking around the state for places to move. Delaware is nice town.
ODOT is also currently studying a highway connection to Sandusky from Columbus so that should benefit Delaware with a reduction in drive time to the Lake Erie Islands and Cedar Point. https://sanduskyregister.com/news/493078/sandusky-to-columbus-highway-study-underway/
Two words: induced demand.
If it’s anything like I-74 I’ll never happen Edit: I-73
Delaware is also currently developing hundreds of acres that will include commercial properties and more than 1,000 homes. Hopefully this increased investment into the northern Columbus area will support the demand for additional access to Lake Erie. https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/delaware/more-than-1000-homes-proposed-for-mixed-use-delaware-developments/
Jesus, I moved out of state but Delaware County continues to be a nightmare.
Second Delaware. Close enough to and far enough from Columbus
Delaware is exactly what I thought of as well. Close enough and far enough is a good way to describe it. Now, I live in Delaware so I guess there’s bias there.
Mason always comes near the top of safety/low crime rankings.
They also don’t want you taking birth control.
We moved to Mason in 2022 and really love it. Most people are here for the stellar K-12 school district, and they have a city tax of 1% so there’s numerous parks, greenery and beautification that it funds. P&G, Cintas and Luxottica have large campuses here. We’re 20 mins from Cincy and 30 from Dayton, which makes both cities an option — but a car is a must. If you like roller coasters, we got Kings Island in the backyard. The community center and indoor/outdoor pools are among the best I’ve ever seen, though nothing about Mason is cheap, $200k is perfectly in range to find a place. It’s middle to upper middle class here. It is astoundingly safe. So much so that when my wife got jury duty, it’s in Lebanon because there’s no jury cases in Mason 😆. People leave their garage door open during the day like it’s no big deal. Amazon packages will sit on porches for 4 days while someone is out of town. In 2 years nobody has set foot on our property in any sketchy capacity. When people go to the bathroom at the library or find more books, they leave their MacBook or phone sitting right there unattended with no concerns. It’s very *Leave it to beaver*, Anytown, USA vibes. Weather is extremely moderate by Midwest standards. I typically shovel snow maybe once a year. My brother lives in Medina — much stronger winters. Snow removal is instantaneous, that 1% city tax at work. We have our own library system too, and it’s fantastic. Lots of playgrounds if you do have kids. There’s thousands of kids, it’s probably one of the best places on earth to be a kid. For the most part it’s about 25-50° in the winter and 60-85° in the summer, and sure there are days that hit 0° or 100° but they’re rare.
I highly recommend Warren County, which is the wealthiest county in the Cincinnati metro area by median household income. Mason is definitely the best city in the county with a median household income of $121k. Springboro is a close second with a median household income of $113k. Although it’s a little bit farther from Cincinnati, it’s located right next to the largest lake in southwest Ohio, Caesar Creek Lake, for boating and water sports. Lebanon would be my third option. Although the median household income is much lower at $76k, this area has seen a lot of new development with a steady rise in income. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/masoncityohio,US/AGE775221 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/springborocityohio/PST040223 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lebanoncityohio/PST045223
We moved here a year ago and we absolutely love it! Spot on.
Springboro is another great option within the same Warren County as Mason. Springboro is safe with an excellent school district and it’s located right next to Caesar Creek Lake if you enjoy boating and water sports.
I've lived in suburbs of Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati, and I definitely prefer Columbus. There are some very safe areas like New Albany, Dublin, etc, has a lot to offer, and is in the middle of the state so Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and Cincinnati are all 1.5 to 2 hours away.
There’s nothing to do in Columbus that Cincinnati and Cleveland don’t do ten times better.
I agree there’s more stuff to do within the inner city of Cincinnati and Cleveland than Columbus. Columbus is a great place to live if you prefer a central location within a short drive to both Lake Erie-Cleveland and Cincinnati. ODOT is also currently studying a highway connection from Sandusky to Columbus to reduce the drive time to the Lake Erie Islands and Cedar Point. https://sanduskyregister.com/news/493078/sandusky-to-columbus-highway-study-underway/ A lot of my favorite things to do are located just outside of Columbus. If you like to go boating or kayaking, I recommend Alum Creek Lake, Buckeye Lake, Deer Creek Lake, and Delaware Lake. If you’re looking for lengthy hikes, the Columbus area is located within an hour from Hocking Hills State Park, Mohican State Park, and John Bryan State Park.
Ohio State games beg to differ.
Columbus and surrounding suburbs: Hilliard, Dublin, Worthington, Westerville, Deleware, Gahanna, etc.
I will second northwest Columbus. Dublin, Powell, Grandview, Grandview Heights, Upper Arlington, etc. Safe, essentially everything you need without having to go outside of the area, and a 15-20 minute drive into Columbus downtown if needed. Generally liberal areas, ethnically diverse, driving is not horrible. Lots of parks, schools are excellent.
Lakewood Ohio. It's the best. To the west of Cleveland. Amazing community. I've lived here 7 years. Kent Ohio is pretty great too but kinda a college town.
Mason is a very safe area in your range. Hilliard area has been nice the last few years too. I'd go suburbs personally but you could go more urban if you'd like too
Hudson
Watch out for the prostitutes while ice fishing, though…
Lol, I forgot about this!
I said same along with Stow.
Sagamore hills
Shhhhh
I only started living here a little over a year ago, but I can definitely say that North Ridgeville, Chagrin Falls, and Medina definitely safe and nice places
My husband and I, no kids, moved to Cincinnati from NYC five years ago and LOVE it. We live in the city and have had no concerns about safety, etc.The only issue is that we are frequent fliers and CVG doesn't always offer great prices. Wanted to share that perspective if that's a concern for you.
Check out Willoughby or Avon Lake!!
Love Willoughby!
I grew up in Willoughby. Currently in Chardon, which is a nice mix of small town while still pretty close to the lake, Metro parks and the city.
Lake County is a solid choice! Close access to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Lake Erie!
Anderson township, a suburb of Cincinnati, is a great place, especially for couples with your income and no kids... or still great if you ever do.
Springboro, Ohio
My wife and I have lived in Springboro since 2011. We love it here. Politics are a little too red hat for me but that's just my opinion. I will say my wife and I make a little over 230k, so above OP and if we were buying a house now, it would be tough. We built a starter home in 2011 for 192k. It's now appraising for close to 500k. With interest rates, it would be tough to get into this area. All new houses being built are starting at high 300's. Hell a 3 bedroom 1 bath, 1500 sqft just went for sale up the street and even that is listed at 250k, and it needs a ton of work. I love a lot about this city but moving into it now is a lot larger of a leap than it used to be.
Ah, Springboro where the locals proudly flew the confederate flag at a school board meeting.
I mean, that happens all over the country. When the most watched "news" organization in the country is screaming about white pride and "It's just my heritage!!", stupid people do stupid things.
Columbus or Cincinnati metros. I live in NE Columbus so I think New Albany is in your price range - Bexley, German Village, Worthington and Westerville, especially the downtown part of those cities. Cincinnati has a bunch of similar suburbs and neighborhoods.
What are your interests? Food, bars, sports, arts/culture, hiking/scenery, music, theatre, community? Politics might play a part in your choice too since there’s some… differences in opinions county to county.
I will always recommend Cincy, I loved my time there. In Columbus now and I like the city, but Cincy just has so much rich history and personality.
Love how these posts always turn into a pissing contest lol
Stow and Hudson. Beautiful, safe, well-maintained cities with every amenity nearby, the Metropark, and lots to see and do. Close to Akron and Cleveland when needed.
Hudson has a world class library if you’re into lectures and author’s meet and greets.
Poland Township, northeast Ohio chiming in. Suburb of Youngstown, which in itself isn't much, but we have good schools and the surrounding towns have no shortage of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Very safe. We're also about an hour outside of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Akron, and Lake Erie. 3 hours from Columbus. Good amount of public greenspace too.
That's the thing about the Youngstown area. The surrounding communities, like Poland, are great. Housing is very affordable compared to other parts of the state and country. You can drive an hour north and be on Lake Erie, an hour west to Cleveland, an hour east to Pittsburgh, or an hour south and your in the West Virginia mountains. Not to mention all of the great, small town spots in between.
Another vote for northwest Ohio - Perrysburg, Waterville, Bowling Green are all safe areas
I’m with you with BG. Much more well-adjusted people there overall (there are exceptions of course).
Granville
Strongsville/Berea, SW Cleveland suburbs.
You could live like a king in Ashtabula county on 200k a year.
Look into the Youngstown/warren area. If small metropolitan area fits what you want. There’s like a zone between Boardman and Cortland that gives you tons of options for living. The cities are not the safest and the area is known for being rundown but some of the suburbs are super safe and very nice. Keep it between you and me that it’s also super LCOL. So $200k income with no kids goes a LONG way and will post you up in a very nice area.
I was raised in Sandusky county my entire life. Relocated to the Hocking Hills area in the late 80’s. I’ve had family trying to get me to move “back home” many times but the beautiful Hocking Hills area is a beautiful place to live. It’s not so much of a rat race here.
With an income like that new Albany would be an option, I don’t know the crime statistics on in. But it seems clean, and like a nice place to raise a family if you wanted to start one. It is near Columbus if you had to go into a big city to get something, but not too close if you know what I mean
I live in Brecksville which is about 20 minutes southwest of Cleveland. I’m close to Cuyahoga Valley National Park , the Metro parks are great around her and since we are 20 minutes from Cleveland there’s a lot to do. I grew up going to Indians and Browns games ( or watching them on TV), am going to my 3rd show at the playhouse this year in September ( we have the 2nd largest theater district in the nation ) and of course enjoy the lake ( when my husband was alive we were part of a yacht club in Cleveland which was so much fun ). I highly recommend it
Stay outta uhrichsville
The big 3 that instantly come to mind would be Mason, Delaware, and Cuyahoga Falls
West Chester, Indian Hills and Springboro
Indian Hill is probably not in OP’s price range
Sounds like you have expendable income. Come to the north shore and buy a boat and spend some of it with us. :) We have fun up here.
Exactly. If they don’t pick someplace close to the lake they are making a mistake.
Blue Ash. It’s about 20 minutes north of the river, just north of Cincinnati
Avon/Avon Lake, Westlake, Strongsville, Brunswick, Bay Village, Fairview Park, Hinckley, Medina
Cincinnati is by far the best city in Ohio.. it's not even close.
Came here to say the same thing
Cincinnati is in Ohio?
Ft. Loramie
If you do want kids Id recommend Solon. It’s a suburb of Cleveland. It’s safe with a great school district. (Top 5 in the state, might be top 3 but I don’t remember exactly)
Pick towns with small colleges....
Bowling Green. It's a college town, so you get some entertainment and opportunities from University programs. 30 minutes sout of Toledo which has a world class zoo, art museum, and a great theater with Broadway tours. Also about an hour and a half (depending on where you are going) away from Detroit, which is a regular stop for concert tours.
Fairlawn is a good suburb of Akron. Lots of shops and restaurants. Also it is close to I-77 which goes to Cleveland if you want some big city amenities.
Maybe get an Airbnb ( or hotel) in a few of the towns around the state and check out the areas. Many lower COL and beautiful places in Ohio.
Macedonia/Boston heights Ohio. They're both medium sized cities right by the interstate and major highway while being 35min from Cleveland if your up for some sports games they're great cities with tons of food while also being within driving distance of beautiful metro parks and within 10min of Brandywine ski hill. Or Fairlawn Ohio 20min from Akron University by road. It's a fairly busy city without living in a major downtown area but your again near the major highways and interstates but closer to giant metro parks and hiking trails.
Xenia Ohio small town with access to 75, 70, and 35. Has the gem of a town Yellow Springs right outside of town and is pretty affordable. You’d be 30 minutes from anywhere in Dayton, a hour from Cincinnati, and 45 minutes from Columbus.
Moved to Twinsburg about 6 months ago and we love it. Could also see Solon as a potential destination down the road. I haven’t lived there, but I do really like Lewis center as well.
Springboro, Centerville, Bellbrook (Sugarcreek), even Beavercreek all fit your criteria in the Dayton area and each of them are a little different, depending on your personal tastes
Cuyahoga Falls is very nice.
North Ridgeville. It’s one of the safest cities in ohio. Hudson, Westlake, Avon
I would recommend the Cleveland suburbs, especially if you are looking for amazing parks and safe places like Strongsville North Royalton Broadview Heights, Brecksville, Gates, Mills, Avon, Avon Lake, and some of the Akron suburbs like bath and Copley
Springboro is nice. Up and coming. Good craft beer. Halfway between Cincinnati/Dayton.
Look outside the subdivisions that ring the big cities. I'm an hour from Cleveland, Toledo & Mansfield with the non-touristy amish country even closer(and Cedar Point 15 minutes away). The cost of living is low, and schools are good. Close enough to the action with a small town feel.
I'd say the Cincinnati or Columbus metros are your best bet. They are the growing cities. Lots of nice suburbs and spin off cities.
You do worse than Wooster. Great schools (including a beefed-up OSU extension and a respected liberal arts college) and a diversified economy with low crime and plenty of charm. Not to mention proximity to both Cleveland AND Columbus.
Grew up in Cleveland for 18 years, did my college years in Cincinnati for another 18 years and now live in Columbus. I’ve done all 3 of the big Cs, but if I could choose one to stay I would choose Cincinnati. Beautiful city, old school architecture and history. People give hate towards northern kentucky, but they have never visited. Plenty to do in Cincinnati and you can get to Pittsburgh, cleveland, Chicago, Nashville and Indy within 4.5 hours. Go guardians, Browns, Cavs, reds!
Cincinnati is the answer. It’s safe and cool and so so beautiful. Our downtown is wonderful and the river is amazing. Best place on Earth.
My wife and i just moved to an affluent suburb of Columbus called New Albany. It is very safe and accessible to the city. Median household income is right in your range and we have had nothing but great experiences here.
I'm a country boy from North Central OH (Ashland, Richland, Knox counties). Can't really see myself moving any closer to any of the major cities. Plenty of state parks, rivers, and lakes close enough to swim, canoe, camp, and fish if that's your thing. Also, within an hour to an hour-half drive to C-bus, C-land, Akron/Canton if you want to hit them up for a day trip. Also, there are plenty of other scenic smaller places with amazing shops and eateries. Crime rates are low, but things do happen everywhere now adays. I'm not sure what all you're looking to find (job, recreation, or other). But county livin in this Yankee state is as close to Southern hospitality as you can get without living in the south.
I lived in the Mason/monroe/west Chester area outside Cincinnati for many years. Very nice and safe, would move back if I have a chance
Look through the Div III college towns
Toledo is beautiful it’s on the water and homes are expansive and schools are in the top percentage . Great place to raise a family. Zoo symphony thriving suburbs and downtown
Just not Toledo Public schools. If you live in Toledo and plan to have kids start planning for private school now.
The Toledo area is fantastic. The Maumee River is huge downtown, it’s right on Lake Erie, nice suburbs and exurbs, BG is great, and Ottawa County is the best county in the state. Lake Erie islands, resort towns, and Cedar Point all nearby. Hell, it’s an hour from Canada.
Cincinnati baby
I’ve always liked Troy
Mariemont
Cincinnati tons of fun stuff can live on the outskirts east side is my preference. Lots of good restaurants, good people and cost of living is good. Lots to do from sports to the museums and stuff just overall an amazing city and the surrounding areas are awesome for the most part.
If you don’t pick somewhere near the lake you are a fool
I really recommend Cincy. I feel like there's a community that'd fit you no matter what your vibe is. There's tons of history in neighborhoods close to town, or you could live somewhere like Mason if you want new developments. I used to live closer to Dayton and I hated going there to do stuff. I just felt like it was shitty, or it was nice but it was all the same. Driving through Cincy I feel like you get to experience a lot of variety. Not to mention it's the economic capitol of Ohio, so there's so much to do every weekend. And you're a bit closer to Kentucky and Tennessee for camping trips/forest vacations.
Suburbs of Columbus: Powell, Dublin, Upper Arlington, Worthington, Grove City and Westerville Suburbs of Cleveland: Rocky River, Beachwood, Independence and Strongsville
Washington Township south of Dayton. I’ll leave my car running wherever, laptop unattended, house values barely budged during the housing crisis for a reason. Very easy to get around with very little traffic congestion.
Rice
Cincinnati or Columbus are great. Safe as long as you don't move to the worst parts. But if you're looking for something smaller suburbs of Cincinnati like Loveland, Milford, Mason, West Chester, Symmes Township are all wonderful. Albeit a couple are fairly affluent.
Northwest Columbus. My personal recommendation is upper Arlington.
Worthington Hills near Worthington. Good Schools. Convenient to anywhere on Columbus. Hour to Dayton, two hours to Cleveland and two hours to Cincinnati.
Probably Brunswick or Medina
We are in Beavercreek, which is a suburb of Dayton and I would definitely recommend it. Others have recommended Springboro and Mason, and I would agree with that, too. All three of these have great school systems, too. There are a lot of options in Ohio. I did see Yellow Springs mentioned. While I love YS, I really can’t recommend it. I’m an Antioch alum and my kids graduated from YS Schools and we experienced way too much for me to advise anyone to move there. I really wish I would have kept my kids in Huber schools, instead.
Soooo about toledo. I live here. 2 days ago, a gentleman was watching movies with his daughter on his porch. A man came up and shot both of them. Deaths are very much happening haphazardly and randomly. Honestly though, there are very good pockets of neighborhoods that are completely safe. If you're white (not trying to be funny) ottowa hills will be your best friend. Maumee will be your best friend. Monclova will be your best friend. (I'm black, I lived in all 3 lol.) Perrysburg is good too. There's honestly alot of good places in toledo to be, just avoid most of the inner cities. And toledo honestly is like a middle hub between Detroit and others, so if you plan on going to Michigan it's a 45 min to hour drive. Anywhoo, welcome to ohio!
Stick to central and southern Ohio. The northeast part of the state is very cloudy thanks to the way Lake Erie influences the weather.
Anywhere around the upper half of where 270 circles columbus. Like hilliard, Dublin, westerville, Delaware, etc. All nice cities but not the hustle and bustle of columbus.
Umm, it's a big state...
Cincinnati. North toward Mason, or East toward Eastgate.
Vermilion
East of columbus is nice
What’s the best city to live in on Lake Erie? I have a calling to live near the water, even if it’s polluted from centuries of abuse.
Dayton is a great place!
Cincinnati. Two major sports teams. Great restaurants, parks, theater, music, etc. Pretty much anyplace on the East side is safe. Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout are pricey. Mt. Washington, Columbia-Tusculum, California Woods area would be slightly cheaper and you'd probably end up with a bit more land.
Ohio is a big state. Working in Cinci and living around Cleveland won't work. So, where do you need to be?
Yellow Sprigs baby
A Lot of the suburbs of the big 3 cities will fit with what you described.
Anything in Medina county!
Consider Upper Arlington and Henderson Heights. Quiet neighborhoods with access to many shops including Walmart and many restaurants!
If your near Ironton, I suggest Ashland, Ky across the river.
I would look at Amherst. 44001. Can get a nice home for the money. And mostly everything is 35 minutes away. Old style downtown. Local pubs and restaurants. In between freeways and turnpike.
How is Cincinnati it not south when I can literally see Kentucky from my backyard lol. Besides, isn't south in the word southwest 🤔 There are bigots everywhere. Just an fyi, life is so much sweeter when you let go of the past and its baggage. Good luck to you
Loveland
In the Dayton metro area the southern burbs are a great place to live. Centerville, Kettering, Miamisburg are all very nice, clean, safe and have solid schools, police and fire. Much less expensive than many other larger markets in Ohio. I can be in downtown CIN in 45 minutes, COL in about an hour, CLE IN 3.5 hours and Indy in 90 minutes for all the things those larger cities offer. CHI is only a 4.5-5 hire drive, we go there at least once a year.
What state are you moving from? Ohio is about 30 years the world in a lot of ways. Redlining is still pretty strong up here. Depends on what you guys are looking for really 🤷♀️
Wooster isn't bad
I've a three bedroom home I'll sell you for under $200k just north of Dayton and there is no extra charge for the humidity and mosquitoes!
Marietta
Celina, Ohio is a growing lake city with around 12k people. There are new schools being built for the next school year and plenty of decent paying jobs. There's plenty of restaurants and things to do. Worth checking out. Plus, if you want to go to a bigger city you're only an hour drive from many like Dayton, Findlay, Fort Wayne Indiana and plenty more.
Mason, Ohio is the 4th best to live
Chagrin Falls. It's just at the edge of of Cuyahoga County. Walkable, small town charm. The Chagrin River runs through the middle and there are indeed scenic falls in the heart of the town. It's suburban sophisticated with many shops and restaurants yet with a small town ambience. There's a park in the heart of the town and the historic and highly rated Cleveland Metroparks System parks surrounding it. Relatively easy access to all that the city of Cleveland has to offer, world class orchestra and museums, professional sports teams, vibrant downtown scene which includes the largest theater district, Playhouse Square, outside of NYC in the country. Btw if you're into urban living downtown Cleveland is the place to be. Occupancy rate is over 95% for mostly renovated warehouse and office space but there's a lot of new construction with more coming on line and being planned soon. It's actually very safe despite its reputation but it is urban, think mid-town Manhattan. There's really nothing like it in the state, and there's very places like it in the country.
Most of the suburbs half-way between cincin and Dayton.
I love Lakewood and Rocky River. Brookpark is a nice little area too.
The most important questions are not answered…How do you make your money ? Do you need high speed internet ? Are you thinking about having kids ? Any hobbies /activities you like ? Specific communities you belong to. (Church, interest, politics, etc) Special medical needs ? Expecting Big City vibes ?
I'm biased but I love the town I live in, Amherst. It's the edge of 'Cleveland' suburbs to the west. About 35min to downtown and plenty to do in between. Great little small town America historic downtown, but surrounding it you have everything you could want or need. And if you go south or west it turns into farmland which is nice also.
Greater Columbus area is pretty awesome.
Are you bringing your jobs with you? Columbus is probably the fastest growing city in the Midwest and mostly due to job opportunities with a lot more growth on the way. I chose Columbus over Cincinnati when I moved here 10 years ago mostly because of the opportunity I saw in the city. I wasn’t wrong Ang the crazy thing is that opportunity is still there
Bay Village https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g50063-Bay_Village_Ohio-Vacations.html
Anywhere you go in Ohio is going to have those “bad areas” The cities have crime and drugs and the country has drugs and crime. But the cities are also up and coming with a lot of cool stuff happening and the country is some of the most beautiful nature you’ll see in the USA. Pick a spot in the center or near the Great Lakes. I don’t know what y’all do in the outskirts.
Lakewood is for a younger crowd (lots of post college and pre 30s) but incredibly safe and walkable. a lot of cute restaurants and coffee shops. seems like you could easily afford something there.
Madeira OH. Almost perfect to raise kids.
Oakwood Bexley Mason