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Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Ohio a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes... if you know where to locate the best places to live in Ohio.
Lucky for you, we're here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Buckeye State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn't our first rodeo -- we've been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Ohio, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 88 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Buckeye State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Ohio For 2021
Union County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Ohio. And you might want to avoid Vinton County if you can -- at least according to the data.
So if you're thinking of making the move Ohio, we've got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Ohio and the cheapest places to live in Ohio.
The Best Counties To Live In Ohio For 2021
1. Union County
Biggest Place: Dublin
Population: 56,707
Median Income: $86,715 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $203,800.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 185.6% (best)
More on Union County: Photos | Data
2. Medina County
Biggest Place: Brunswick
Population: 177,980
Median Income: $76,600 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $196,300.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 276.1% (6th best)
More on Medina County: Photos | Data
3. Putnam County
Biggest Place: Ottawa
Population: 33,911
Median Income: $64,822 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $155,800.0 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 304.8% (9th best)
More on Putnam County: Photos | Data
4. Auglaize County
Biggest Place: Wapakoneta
Population: 45,729
Median Income: $64,074 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $147,300.0 (28th best)
Unemployment Rate: 298.9% (8th best)
More on Auglaize County: Photos | Data
5. Mercer County
Biggest Place: Celina
Population: 40,884
Median Income: $62,952 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $153,800.0 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 254.5% (4th best)
More on Mercer County: Photos | Data
6. Lake County
Biggest Place: Mentor
Population: 229,954
Median Income: $64,466 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $156,200.0 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 416.5% (27th best)
More on Lake County: Photos | Data
7. Delaware County
Biggest Place: Columbus
Population: 201,135
Median Income: $106,908 (best)
Median Home Price: $308,800.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 279.3% (7th best)
More on Delaware County: Photos | Data
8. Warren County
Biggest Place: Middletown
Population: 229,132
Median Income: $87,125 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $222,500.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 305.0% (10th best)
More on Warren County: Photos | Data
9. Ottawa County
Biggest Place: Port Clinton
Population: 40,632
Median Income: $59,099 (27th best)
Median Home Price: $152,000.0 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 380.5% (19th best)
More on Ottawa County: Photos | Data
10. Geauga County
Biggest Place: Chardon
Population: 93,843
Median Income: $82,303 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $240,900.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 253.7% (3rd best)
More on Geauga County: Photos | Data
How do you determine which Ohio county is the best?
To give you the best county in Ohio, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what's a "best county" and what isn't. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you'd make at a bar using facts, don't take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Ohio across each of the criteria from one to 88, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the "Best County To Live In Ohio".
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Buckeye State.
Read on to see why Union County is the best county, while Vinton County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Ohio.
There You Have It - The Best Counties In Ohio To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Ohio can vary from one part of the state to the next -- who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that's why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here's a look at the worst counties in Ohio according to the data:
- Vinton County
- Scioto County
- Ashtabula County
For more Ohio reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Ohio
- Best Places To Retire In Ohio
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Ohio
- Richest Cities In Ohio
