Good places to live in OH? (Columbus, Cleveland: best cities, real estate market, 2015)

[Batt1eRatt1e]

I will be getting out of the Army in about 14 months. I'm originally from Canton, Ohio but would like to move elsewhere. Here is what I'm looking for.

Somewhere not too far from a bigger city (within an hours drive). Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, etc. Good schools, good jobs (Cyber Security or business related career), low crime.

I'm looking for something with a sense of community. Maybe something that has a nice downtown that people frequent or a place that has family things to do a lot like parades and events. I don't want to just move somewhere, I want to live somewhere with my family. Somewhere I can be proud of living and to call home. A place that if we want to go somewhere bigger city, to a zoo, sports games, concerts, etc, it's not a crazy long drive to.

I've Googled "best cities in Ohio" and they basically all have different lists, weird.

[Batt1eRatt1e]

Also, what cities have high Hispanic populations in general?

[ZnGuy]

probably to start, will depend on your budget..

[WRnative]

For Cleveland, check out Cleveland Magazine's "Rating the Suburbs." You have to subscribe to get a copy and the 2016 edition should be out soon.

Rating the Suburbs 2015 | Article Archives | Cleveland Magazine - Your guide to the best of Cleveland

Check out Wikipedia articles for any city to get Hispanic percentages.

Willoughby has a good downtown and is convenient to many natural attractions such as the North Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks, several Lake County Metroparks including the Farmpark and Penitentiary Glen, the exceptional Holden Arboretum, Mentor Headlands Beach state park, etc. Check out the events calendar for any county visitors bureau.

Willoughby also is convenient for great shopping. It's a stone's throw from Mentor, the sixth largest commercial center in Ohio, and a short drive to I-271 retail centers, such as on Mayfield Road and Legacy Village and Beachwood Place Mall. The latter two are the upscale shopping mecca in northern Ohio.

Willoughby also is a short drive to both University Circle and downtown Cleveland, two of the most eventful locations in Ohio, depending upon your interests.

Painesville, about 20 minutes from Willoughby, is an Hispanic center of population in northeast Ohio.

Perhaps check out Shaker Hts. and the greater University Circle area. I think that I read that the Hispanic population is increasing there. See especially post 3 in this thread.

//www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...cleveland.html

I-271 is a top corporate corridor in Ohio and likely has good demand for cyber security pros.

Certainly read through the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus forums. Perhaps provide more information about your family, its activity preferences, and your housing budget, and post in each of the forums.

Your earlier thread has great information.

//www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...n-squares.html

Here are a couple other Ohio-centric threads, perhaps with some useful perspectives.

//www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...live-ohio.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...-vs-other.html

Thanks for your service and good luck!

[Batt1eRatt1e]

Originally Posted by ZnGuy

probably to start, will depend on your budget..

I'm not totally sure. That will entirely be based on what salary I get hired for. I have been looking for houses in the range of 150,000-250,000 whenever I search to see what's out there.

[DebexploresOhio]

Look outside the area of Columbus. We are in the mist of relocating as jobs have moved more to the Columbus area. Grove City and Hillard are favorite areas.

[FLHfan]

Sandusky is a great town. Lots to do there and it's an easy drive to Cleveland airport. You have Cedar Point, all the water parks, the major stores for shopping and Lake Erie.

[MetroDaytonMan]

Dayton is filled with endless Cyber jobs with Wright Patterson Air force base. You have everything you want and need in Dayton. Dayton's a major city with very affluent suburban areas, countless shopping ammonites and great university's, and grade schools. Endless activity's that are yours to discover. If you did want to ever leave for another city for a day trip Columbus is an hour to an hour and haft away and the same for Cincinnati. Indianapolis is about 2 hours away. These city's are all very similar to Dayton, I would recommend going to Chicago or Detroit if you want to see a larger city. Detroit is 3 hours away, and Chicago is 4 to 5.

[Supergrrl7]

Columbus has very low unemployment right now. There is a growing number of bigger tech companies here, including data management companies. There are also a lot of bigger businesses that might be able to use your Cyber Security skills. Most of the northern/central suburbs have good schools and are generally good places to live. The only downside is that the real estate market here is totally crazy right now. If you end up in Columbus, you may want to plan to rent until you find the right house, because it is a very tight market and there are not nearly enough houses on the market to meet demand.

[djp98]

Columbus would be a great choice for you given your career field. It's a quickly-growing city with lots to do and a lot of diversity.