Floridaian wanting to relocate pros and cons of your state

[Scout82]

Thanks all for the info.
Were rethinking to the southern end of ohio maybe.
Is there mountains, hills there? We are planning a trip to do a recon mission here in the next few months.
Ill do more searching about the V.A hospital

[ohio_peasant]

Isn't this whole venture most contingent on where one could find a suitable job? If so, then perhaps the potential move would begin with long-distance job search?

As others have noted, SW Ohio might be a good compromise. The Dayton region is actually fairly flat, but going about 30 miles SE (towards I-71) one finds more hills. Land is cheap, and depending on one's fortitude, the location is commutable to Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati. Another option is a bit further south and east, still commutable to Cincinnati, but with a bit more of an Appalachian feel. Did I mention that land is cheap?

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by Scout82

Thanks all for the info.
Were rethinking to the southern end of ohio maybe.
Is there mountains, hills there? We are planning a trip to do a recon mission here in the next few months.
Ill do more searching about the V.A hospital

No mountains but the farther south you go the hillier it gets. Most of the upper 2/3 of Ohio is as flat as Florida, although the terrain can be a bit more varied over by Cleveland in spots. Southern Ohio has lovely rolling hills similar to those in northern and central Kentucky. Southeastern Ohio is arguably the prettiest, but also the poorest and most sparsely populated, area in Ohio. There is no major city in that part of the state and very few good jobs. My in-laws are from a river town in SE Ohio and they had to leave decades ago to earn a living wage and things haven't gotten much better since then. It is truly Appalachian.

Southwestern Ohio is also very pretty but it has the benefit of Cincinnati and, on a smaller scale, Dayton, for job opportunities, shopping, medical care, and culture. People in SE Ohio have to drive miles and miles to get to a "real" city with big box stores, malls, etc. e.g. my husband's relatives who still live along the Ohio River in SE Ohio regularly drive over 100 miles to Columbus for things like shopping and seeing a medical specialist. I wouldn't want to do that. Cincinnati is a large enough city that it has everything you could need, including major league sports. It is also a straight shot down I-75 to get anywhere south or north, whereas in SE Ohio there are no major interstate highways connecting you to anywhere substantial and most travel involves curvy, two lane state highways.

Just my $.02. I love SW Ohio just based on traveling through and spending the night in Cincinnati a few times.

[WRnative]

Depends upon what you're looking for in the form of amenities.

For superior cultural amenities, pro sports, and proximity to a major body of water, Greater Cleveland would top the list. Cleveland is colder than southern Ohio, which actually is nice in the summer and autumn IMO, and does get "lake effect" snow, especially north and east of Cleveland proper. Lake Erie acts as a giant air-conditioner in the summer and as a heater in the autumn.

See post 3 in this thread for a general overview of Greater Cleveland.

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

Read through the Ohio forum and local city forums and you'll find much more.

Land definitely is cheaper in more rural areas, especially those far from interstates and other freeways. Typically, jobs also are scarce in such areas.

[joe from dayton]

Another vote against Lima. Dayton and Cinci both have VA hospitals. What do you do for a living?

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by Scout82

Thanks all for the info.
Were rethinking to the southern end of ohio maybe.
Is there mountains, hills there? We are planning a trip to do a recon mission here in the next few months.
Ill do more searching about the V.A hospital

There are only 5 VA medical centers in Ohio.

https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/s...TE=OH&dnum=ALL

Perhaps check out communities with outpatient clinics if that would be sufficient for your needs. I know Painesville, about 30 minutes from Cleveland and with a veterans outpatient clinic, has relatively low cost housing. Also, its mass transit system offers free door-to-door van service from anywhere in the county to the Cleveland veterans medical center, as well as to the Painesville outpatient clinic. Perhaps check for similar services in other counties.

//www.city-data.com/forum/ohio/...ille-area.html

https://laketran.com/wp-content/uplo...2016-Proof.pdf

Painesville is located in Lake County, on the shore of Lake Erie with good beaches, rolling hills and river gorges, a very good park system, and Holden Arboretum. Metropark (county) park systems are a unique feature of Ohio, but typically more so in major metropolitan regions. Not all Ohio counties have their own park systems, distinct from the state park system.

http://www.lakemetroparks.com/parks-trails

http://ianadamsphotography.com/news/...s-lake-county/

Lake County is on the eastern edge of the Lake Erie "lake effect" snowbelt. E.g., it currently has just over a foot of accumulated snow on the ground, great for the many residents who enjoy winter activities. Greater Cleveland has very robust snow removal and road pre-treatment capabilities. E.g., Painesville uses sidewalk plows. In the summer, Lake Erie's water temperature will reach above 75 degrees, making its beaches very popular. For persons who enjoy four seasons of weather, it's ideal.

It's interesting that there is VA Medical Center in Chillicothe, but not in Columbus.

Chillicothe likely has the lowest cost real estate near any of the five centers, but perhaps not the best job market. It's also in one of the most beautiful regions of the state, with many hills. In fact, Hocking Hills State Park has been named one of the best state parks in the U.S. See number 7 here.

https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/a...st-state-parks

Hocking Hills Ohio | Official Visitors Website - hockinghills.com

Hocking Hills is 45 minutes from Chillicothe.

Great Seal State Park is five miles from Chillicothe.

https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/a...st-state-parks

Tar Hollow State Park also is nearby Chillicothe, and there are a handful of other state parks within 45 minutes of Chillicothe.

http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/findapark

Circleville is a charming town just over 20 minutes north of Chillicothe, nearer Columbus (28 miles away) for work opportunities, and home of the famed Pumpkin Festival.

The Official Circleville Pumpkin Show Website

Good luck!

[WRnative]

Weatherspark.com is a great site to check out local weather and climates. Notice that information for individual months is available in the right margin.

https://weatherspark.com/y/18154/Ave...tes-Year-Round

[KY_Transplant]

I would look into Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. A rapidly growing area with decent climate...4 seasons but a much milder winter with little snow. Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky have awesome entertainmemt options, great schools, a good airport, and warmer weather compared to northern Ohio. The rolling hills amd topography are beautiful as well.

[Natural510]

Southern Ohio terrain is really nice but the economy is not very good. I'd stick with SW, Central or NE Ohio.