Relocating to Dayton best areas for Families (Trotwood, Centerville: apartment, houses)

[RDriesenUD]

Originally Posted by Buttrfly298

I know it sounds weird but it was a requirement listed in the offer letter for the position. He works for a major insurance company and is going to be working as a proximity claims adjuster for homes. I guess for lack of a better comparison he has been assigned a “territory” and is required to live within it.

Thanks. I have never heard of that before (for that kind of job).

[Buttrfly298]

Thank you everyone for all your information! It has been very helpful! Right now it looks like our housing budget will be between 150-200k. Ideally a 4 bedroom so when family comes to visit they have a place to stay. We are keeping our budget moderate as I will not be going back to work for a while and will be a stay at home mom for now.

My husband and I like being close to amenities but do not mind being in a quiet area. DFW has gotten so big and so busy it’s to the point of being overwhelming.

[SWOH]

From a quick search this might be a good place to consider:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...81720152_zpid/

It’ll be a bit far to stores and restaurants but not unmanageable. Borthmont achools. Overall a solid choice, and the houses nearby that are for sale would be worth a look too if you’re looking for suburban living.

[Natural510]

I also think Vandalia will be your best option, unless you're looking to go rural. It's suburban with a lot of strip-mall style businesses, but plenty of restaurants and entertainment options (like Scene 75 for the kids). Just be aware that's the location for the Dayton Airport, so you won't want a location with too much air traffic noise.

[wrightflyer]

I'd vote Northmont Schools slightly over Vandalia due to rankings and Northmont's music program. I have a sore spot for music programs and they have one of the better programs in the area. But both are fine and give a good college-ready (or trade ready if that is a future route) education. Housing will probably be about even between the two. Vandalia will put you closer to the Butler Township restaurant row near the Benchwood and I-75 interchange. It has gotten a somewhat sour rap in the last 5 years or so because of problems with crime. While a vast majority of people that come from Harrison Township, Northridge and North / West Dayton to shop are upstanding, there are some elements that cause trouble. Regardless, I still find the area fine, though some of the older hotels on Miller Lane are appearing in need of work. You will also be closer to the Huber Heights shopping cluster at I-70 and OH-202 interchange. While one of the department stores there is closing (local stalwart Elder-Beerman as part of The Bon-Ton Group's liquidation), there is still plenty of smaller inline stores and a Kohl's up there.

For Northmont Schools, I would focus on Clayton, especially if you want a more rural lifestyle. It is a little further out, so amenities will be a tad more of a drive. There are portions of the district that extend into rural NW Montgomery County, but I do not know if those zip codes cover those areas. The homes are slightly newer, with some newer developments, but they would probably be near the top or over your budget. Ryan Homes builds standard suburban plats up there. Clayton surrounds Englewood, which is an older post-WWII suburb with typical homes from the period. Think ranches, two-story colonials, maybe some tri-levels. Nothing fancy and some may need work, but all are in decent neighborhoods. There is a Meijer at OH-48 and I-70 that would provide good grocery options and has seen some development or re-development in the corridor recently. Englewood also has a Kroger Marketplace (think a traditional Kroger but in a Super Center format). Not sure if DFW Metroplex has that version. Probably does, but not sure where in that big area.

You may hear of the Salem Mall area. While there is still some shopping in that area, most is gone. The mall itself is in Trotwood at Salem Avenue and Shiloh Springs Road and sits about a mile or two south of Clayton's southern boundary. Once you pass Westbrook Road the schools switch to Trotwood Schools, which by comparison, are not much above Dayton Public. Unless you plan to work a private school route, anything zoned for Trotwood or Dayton Public Schools should be avoided. Same goes for Northridge. Anything north of Westbrook Road in Clayton should be fine as the district holds the value here well enough on homes.

Welcome to the area!

[wrightflyer]

Originally Posted by Buttrfly298

Here are the zip codes we have to choose from:

45322
45414
45377
45406
45405
45415
45417

Of these, you should be fine with anything in:

45322 (Believed to be all Northmont Schools)
45377 (Believed to be all Vandalia-Butler Schools)

These zip codes will work should you find a home zoned for either Vandalia-Butler Schools or Northmont Schools (do not confuse this with Northridge in Harrison Township):

45414 (Vandalia-Butler Schools areas)
45415 (Northmont Schools areas)

I would avoid these as I believe they are all zoned for either Trotwood, Northridge or Dayton Public Schools:

45406
45405
45417

Hope this helps!

[floater]

Originally Posted by wrightflyer

Of these, you should be fine with anything in:

45322 (Believed to be all Northmont Schools)
45377 (Believed to be all Vandalia-Butler Schools)

These zip codes will work should you find a home zoned for either Vandalia-Butler Schools or Northmont Schools (do not confuse this with Northridge in Harrison Township):

45414 (Vandalia-Butler Schools areas)
45415 (Northmont Schools areas)

I would avoid these as I believe they are all zoned for either Trotwood, Northridge or Dayton Public Schools:

45406
45405
45417

Hope this helps!

Good posts, Wrightflyer. I will note that I have heard previously that the administration at Vandalia-Butler, at least previously, was very bottom-line (financially) driven rather than student success driven. Both are good school districts though.

Be a bit careful here with zip codes and school districts. The Finder (https://thefinder.tax.ohio.gov/Strea...ldistrict.aspx ) should give you the necessary school district info; so should listings. For instance, there are homes in 45322 that are in the Milton-Union School District (a more rural school district; I haven't heard much about them good or bad) or Trotwood. The basic border between Trotwood/Dayton school districts and Northmont/Vandalia-Butler is kind of a line extending across Westbrook Road, though there are some places north of that (in Clayton) that are in Trotwood.

[SWOH]

^The inverse is true too.

Moss Creek, in Trotwood city limits, feeds into Northmont schools.
The top left corner of Trotwood is Brookville schools.

Just as an FYI.

[KaraG]

I agree with several others that you should look in to the Northmont school district. Nice place to raise a family.

[Buttrfly298]

Thank you everyone! All of your knowledge and advice has been really helpful as we now have a good idea of where to really look. We are really looking forward to this move and hope to be in the area a while.