Moving to Ohio.. Whats a good area for a family with 2 young kids? (Columbus: apartment)

[CnL143]

I'm looking to move to Ohio from NJ just because its way to expensive here and I need a change. I have 2 children age 3 and 5 and am looking for a smaller town with very low crime and good schools. I dont care about nightlife or anything because we are total homebodies. We're ideally looking to rent a newer 4 bedroom 2.5 bath single family home with a nice large private yard for under $1300 a month. Also hoping to buy within the next few years. Id appreciate any advice, thanks!

[ImaMichigander]

We moved to Findlay about 8 months ago. It is a city of about 50,000, with a lot of little communities that surround it. It seems a nice place to raise kids, mine are 8, 4 and 2. But there are not a lot of things to do with kids in the immediate area if you are looking for Children's Museums, Indoor Play facilities and the like. There are tons of summer activities, all kinds of festivals.

Shopping is not the best. Most people drive the 45 minutes to Toledo or 90 minutes or so to Columbus if you want anything more than JCPenney or Sears. But the groceries are good.

I never expected to be living in OH, but I am glad that I live in Findlay.

[Beavercreek33]

Columbiana, Ohio is a great little town. It has an awesome park (Firestone Park), great pool, and even better schools.

City of Columbiana, Biggest Little Town in Ohio

Ohio is full of smaller towns that I could go on and on about and list hundreds of them, and the great thing is, Ohio has many large cities all over the state, so you are not far from any big city ammenities. What exact area of Ohio are you looking at? NE, NW, SW, SE?

[rusheib]

I lived in Findlay for 16 years and moved to TX. I am looking to get back to Findlay. Great place to raise kids, very, very, safe. No big city museums and stuff, but lots of parks etc. Shopping is OK, Toledo is not that far away for more shopping.

[jh_2009]

I grew up in Austintown, OH, in the suburbs of Youngstown, OH. I would give Austintown an overall rating of 8 out of 10. It is a small town, crime is not too bad, the schools are pretty good, and people tend to be friendly, considerate, and laid back. It is not that expensive either because I had a one bedroom apartment for less than 500/month. The economy is not that great in Youngstown, but if you find a reliable job, Austintown may be a good place to raise a family. I would recommend any part of Austintown except for the eastern portion because it is next to the city of Youngstown, which you should avoid. I just moved to Maryland this past year, and whenever I go back to Austintown, I really miss the nice hometown feeling there.
Good luck...I hope you find a good place to live.