Relocating to Mason and working in Cincinnati (Warren, Jackson: sales, real estate)

[cool_kk]

Hi

I need some help.

I have to relocate to Mason from Jacksonville, florida.
My wife job will be in Mason and mine will be in Cincinnati downtown.

I have 2 months old kid so I would prefer to stay in Mason so my wife is closer to work location.

I am not sure how the city like and I have one car.

Is it feasible to travel to cincinnati downtown from Mason on an average 3 days in a week.

Also,what is the rent I can expect for 2 bedroom
Utility Costs etc
I know JAX don't have state tax so that will some increase on me. I guess 7% is state tax in Cincinnati ?

Thanks
cool_kk

[Daytonnatian]

Yeah, but its about a 30-minute trip, so it really won't be bad at all. Mason is just your basic rich suburb, no real character, but there are nice people and you won't have to worry about crime. If that's what you're going for, you found our area's finest.

[camelot05]

Mason is a nice area. Much safer than living within the actual city boundaries. Plenty to do as well and a good place to raise a family.

I used to do that commute, sometimes by driving, usually by bus. The bus runs from Kings Island right to Fountain Square non stop. It will save you money due to gas and parking down there, but you are on their schedule. The bus ran every 20 min or so in the morning and after work.

Traffic can be a pain going up I-71 after 5 though.

PM me if you want.. I grew up right by Mason and did the commute

[aquila]

Originally Posted by cool_kk

Hi

I need some help.

I have to relocate to Mason from Jacksonville, florida.
My wife job will be in Mason and mine will be in Cincinnati downtown.

I have 2 months old kid so I would prefer to stay in Mason so my wife is closer to work location.

I am not sure how the city like and I have one car.

Is it feasible to travel to cincinnati downtown from Mason on an average 3 days in a week.

Yeah, it's feasible. You'd get used to it. Obviously the traffic during rush-hour is going to be a pain. But if it's only 3 days a week, you'll be able to handle it okay.

Originally Posted by cool_kk

Also,what is the rent I can expect for 2 bedroom
Utility Costs etc

Depends on the complex. As a general rule, I always try to steer people away from apartment complexes, and direct them to private 4-plexes instead, because those types of buildings are usually owned by private landlords, and are generally better maintained. However, there aren't many buildings like that in Mason. So I'd say on average you could expect the rent for a 2BR in Mason to go for about $750-$900 a month. Some are higher, some are lower. Depends on how new the place is.

As for utilities, it all depends on how much you conserve electricity. When I had a 1BR apartment, I paid about $85 a month on average. These days, most apartment complexes are charging a flat monthly fee for water that gets lumped in with the rent. I've heard people mention it was upwards of $35 a month...? Mine wasn't that high, but then I also got locked into a great deal with my place.

Originally Posted by cool_kk

I know JAX don't have state tax so that will some increase on me. I guess 7% is state tax in Cincinnati ?

For what....income tax? Sales tax?

The top income tax bracket in Ohio is 5.925% for people making over $200K a year. Individual municipalities also have their own income tax, which is usually in the ballpark of 2%...maybe a bit more or less in some cities.

The sales tax is governed by each county. Warren County (where Mason is located) is 6.5%. In general, food is not taxed unless you're eating in a restaurant. Carry out is not taxed. But food bought in a grocery store is not taxed. Soda is taxed, but coffee isn't. Gum and mints are taxed, but not candy.

You can find the other county sales tax rates at this site.

[Joe 4520832257]

Cool_kk,

I'm originally from Jax myself. For comparison, Mason to downtown Cincy is similar to the commute from Clay or St. Johns counties into downtown Jacksonville. Think Fleming Island, or County Rd 210 or Julington Creek Plantation. It's the same kind of distance, and the same type of generic new higher-end suburb.

And yes, taxes up in Ohio are way worse than Florida. You'll probably be in for a shock. Similar sales tax, higher property tax, PLUS income tax. The upside is the cheaper real estate, but even that isn't a huge advantage over Jax. Sorry