Thinking of moving to Ohio (Cleveland, Cincinnati: crime rate, vacation home, unemployment)

[sonjasag]

Hi to all,
I have been reading a little bit about Ohio, and am thinking of moving there.

How is Ohio's crime? Is there a very safe area/town to live in? That is my biggest concern, I just want to live in a small town, where it's safe to walk outside, no matter what time of the day.

The area should also be close enough to a large city, I guess something like 30 miles away... Is it possible to find a town like that?

Do you guys get the 4 seasons? Are there areas that get severe floods/tornados?

I found this amazing historic home in Lisbon. Anyone knows that area? I am not concerned about getting a job, we are retired.

I appreciate any input. Thank you all in advance!

S.

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by sonjasag

Hi to all,
I have been reading a little bit about Ohio, and am thinking of moving there.

How is Ohio's crime? Is there a very safe area/town to live in? That is my biggest concern, I just want to live in a small town, where it's safe to walk outside, no matter what time of the day.

The area should also be close enough to a large city, I guess something like 30 miles away... Is it possible to find a town like that?

Do you guys get the 4 seasons? Are there areas that get severe floods/tornados?

I found this amazing historic home in Lisbon. Anyone knows that area? I am not concerned about getting a job, we are retired.

I appreciate any input. Thank you all in advance!

S.

If you're talking about violent crime, stay away from large cities and you'll be fine. If you're talking about meth production, then you'll find that anywhere, including small, rural towns. Try to pick a town that doesn't have a high unemployment rate as I've found that the higher the unemployment rate is, the higher the crime rate (even in small towns). I live in a small town and I don't walk at all times of the day and night simply for the fact that the town rolls up the rug by 8 or 8:30 on week nights and slightly later in the summer or if there's something going on (which is usually the summer).

Yes, there are four seasons. Flooding does occur depending if you live on a flood plane or not. Tornados do come through on occasion. Ohio, in general, has different climates depending on what part of the state you decide to relocate in. Not sure where Lisbon is, so can't comment on that. I live in NE OH (have been here 40 years), and there's definitely a strong and distinct four season climate pattern.

There are tons of small towns that are 30 miles away from large cities, so there's no problem there; you can take your pick.

All in all, Ohio will suit you based on what you've stated that you're looking for.

Good luck.

[progmac]

Ohio has lots and lots and lots of small towns. We also have a quite high concentration of large metropolitan areas. There are only a couple areas in the state where there are towns more than 45 miles from a major metro. Of course, this counts Toledo, Dayton, and Akron as major metros.

I live in the city limits of Cincinnati and am comfortable walking my neighborhood any time day or night. I grew up in a small town where police might accuse you of "prowling" if you're walking around after midnight, but it certainly wasn't unsafe.

Let us know more about what you are interested in - absolute countryside, hills, conservative area, liberal area, etc.

[PruJoy]

If you would like more information on the North Coast of Ohio, by Lake Erie and the Lake Erie Islands, we have a few small town areas on the lake that are great for retirement or vacation homes.

[dragon_fly_12]

Lived in several small towns in Ohio, never once felt unsafe. Where you would want to be depends greatly on what type of landscape, climate and metro area you're interested in. Places I've lived/worked in and can vouch for: Doylestown, Grafton, Strongsville, Brunswick, North Royalton, Wayne, Bowling Green, Tontogany, Fremont (not my favorite place, but quiet), Walbridge, Woodville, Perrysburg - take some time to look these up on a map and see the proximity to the cities nearby. If you want great scenery and distinct 4 seasons, head towards Cleveland. If scenery is so-so or the Lake is on the top of the list, definitely check out the Erie Islands / Port Clinton area. Western Ohio (Toledo, Bowling Green, Dayton, etc) is FLAT, but the communities are humble and people down to earth while the cost of living is very reasonable. I thoroughly enjoyed living near Cleveland. The crime that was there seemed to be very isolated among people who knew each other and petty crime. In the small towns, we were warned by the local police to keep the vehicles locked just because they seemed to have problems with bored teenagers. But, I never once felt insecure.