Best places to live midway between Columbus and Dayton Ohio (Cincinnati: to rent, home)

[Nhalat]

My husband is being transferred to work in Columbus, OH while I am applying for Teach for America in Dayton, so we are trying to find the best place to live somewhere midway between Columbus and Dayton. We have a 13 year old son so a good school district is a must. We’re city people at heart so we’d love to live somewhere that had some great restaurants, and other things to do or at least live close enough to them. I’d like to live closer to Columbus, ultimately just trying to cut down on my possible commute to Dayton. We are looking to rent a home somewhere in the $1500 to $1800 a month range. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

[floater]

Where in Dayton are you working? It’s a sprawling area.

I am not an expert but gut tells me Hilliard

[wrightflyer]

I hate to burst your bubble, but unlike the Cincinnati/Dayton corridor, the Columbus/Dayton corridor is pretty rural. And the only sizable city between the latter two is Springfield, which you will probably need to be in one of its more suburban school districts vs. Springfield City Schools. Or you could do private, which doesn't sound like what you probably want to do.

Another point is Springfield is much more Dayton oriented and closer mileage wise to Dayton than Columbus. It's also not really a big city (think Evansville, IN, or Paducah, KY, at best but not as prominent due to Dayton's, Columbus' and even Cincinnati's proximity). The good news is I-70 is a straight shot to Columbus and its western suburbs. And you can be in Columbus and its amenities within an hour. Dayton, which does have some decent amenities for a city its size, is about 30+/- minutes depending where you are going. Cincinnati would likely be about 1.5 hours. I am sure there are people that do the Springfield/Columbus commute and it is three lane interstate the entire way. At least traffic would be light until the Hilliard-Rome exit and the I-270 beltway. Then expect typical city rush-hour traffic after that depending on your spouses commuting time.

Where in Columbus is your spouse commuting to? If it is Hilliard, Columbus's West Side or even parts of Dublin, it will be much more doable than trying to cross the entire Columbus metro, especially at rush hour but even outside then, that does become quite a drive and quite a bit of mileage.

[woxyroxme]

One place to consider would be London, Springfield is kind of sketchy.

[Natural510]

I live in Springfield, and was pleasantly surprised by the schools when our son started (given their reputation). He was able to read and sound out small sentences after finishing kindergarten. I have nephews who are now at Springfield High, involved in school sports, maintaining A-B averages. It usually comes down to parental involvement.
If you live outside of the city, the Shawnee district is the best....some of the others are really struggling due to lack of funding. London is indeed nice if you want a more small-town experience, as is Urbana.

[bgfalcons86]

Hilliard is your best bet. It is on the edge of the Columbus metro and is an easy shot across 70 to Dayton. I know, because I've done that commute. It isn't difficult. School system should be a good fit, too. Simply put, Columbus has more amenities than Dayton, and would be the better option for that reason, too. You would be situation nicely in Hilliard, not too far from the Arena District or the Short North. Not sure if you're a hockey fan, but the Blue Jackets are a nice alternative to the OSU-dominated sports landscape.

[Nhalat]

Thank you all so much for your help! We ended up taking the advice that many of you made and are renting a home in Hilliard. We couldn’t be more excited!!!