The 10 Best Places To Live In Ohio For 2025


The best places to live in Ohio for 2025 are Madeira, Upper Arlington, and Wyoming. Find out where your city or town ranks.

The best places in Ohio let you experience Tony Packo’s famous chili dog and a bowl of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. Or you can explore places like the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toledo, the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, or the Cincinnati Zoo.

So, narrowing down the top ten best places to live in Ohio was tough.

To determine the best places to live in Ohio, we used Saturday Night Scienceto compare data from the Census, FBI, and Zillow on things like incomes, safety, and home prices. We analyzed 249 cities over 5,000 people.

Here are Ohio’s outstanding offerings.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary


What city is the best place to live in Ohio for 2025? According to the US Census and FBI data, Madeira is the best place to live in Ohio.

If you live in the greater Columbus or Cleveland area, consider yourself one lucky Buckeye.

For more reading, check out:

The 10 Best Places To Live In Ohio For 2025

Best Places To Live In Ohio Map

Madeira, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Ed!(talk)(Hall of Fame) | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatMadeiraOhio
Population9,45411,780,046
Rank Last Year1
Median Home Value$463,600$199,200
Median Income$168,981$69,680
Unemployment Rate2.8%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00430.0186

More on Madeira: Data

Madeira is an awesome suburb of Cincinnati located about 15 miles northeast of the city. It’s the kind of city where you set down roots when your kids are in grade school and stay until they graduate from college. Niche gives the Madeira City Public School District an A+ rating, which is just part of the reason it’s one of the better places to live in Ohio.

Some of the other reasons Madeira ranks so well have to do with the economy. The city ranks 59th for unemployment and 10th for home values per the latest Census data. Add in top 10% finishes for every category we ranked in Ohio, and Madeira comes out as a well rounded city.

Upper Arlington, OH

Source: Flickr User dankeck | Public Doamin
StatUpper ArlingtonOhio
Population36,31911,780,046
Rank Last Year2
Median Home Value$568,200$199,200
Median Income$150,993$69,680
Unemployment Rate2.0%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00920.0186

More on Upper Arlington: Data

Next up on our trip to the best places in Ohio is Upper Arlington, a Columbus suburb of 36,319 and the most populous city on this list. Homes are quite costly in Upper Arlington, but residents can handle it seeing as the median household income here is $150,993/year, the 10th highest in the state.

The success of Upper Arlington is no coincidence. Over three quarters of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree, which has a tremendous impact on earning potential. Speaking of potential, Upper Arlington makes sure that its student population lives up to theirs. How do we know? Well, Upper Arlington High School has received a College Success Award from GreatSchools for the past two years, with an emphasis on top-ranking test scores and a perfect 10/10 for students’ college readiness.

Upper Arlington is also close to Columbus’ German Village, a historic district with old, three-story maximum architecture and brick streets that’s as good for a wholesome day out as it is for an exciting night on the town.

Wyoming, OH

Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY-SA 2.5
StatWyomingOhio
Population8,71211,780,046
Rank Last Year3
Median Home Value$404,500$199,200
Median Income$156,518$69,680
Unemployment Rate2.2%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00920.0186

More on Wyoming: Data

We’ll take a short drive west to another Cincy suburb to arrive at our 3rd best city in Ohio, Wyoming. As one of the richest places in Ohio, with a median household income of $156,518/year, Wyoming has an unshakeable economy. And with the 2nd lowest poverty level in Ohio, 1.6%, you can feel secure in knowing that all Wyoming’s residents are along for the ride. Add to that the 24th highest rate of health insurance coverage in the state, and you’ve got a city where unwelcome surprises are much less devastating.

Wyoming also has a crime rate about 60% below the national average, so the sound of police sirens should rarely be a part of your day-to-day life here.

Baseball fans might consider going in on season tickets, because from Wyoming, you can be at a Reds Game in just 20 minutes.

Powell, OH

Source: Wikipedia User jbalint1 | CC BY-SA 2.0
StatPowellOhio
Population14,22911,780,046
Rank Last Year4
Median Home Value$493,500$199,200
Median Income$191,250$69,680
Unemployment Rate2.7%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00710.0186

More on Powell: Data

Clocking in as the 4th best place to call home in Ohio is Powell, one of Columbus’ best suburbs. You don’t have to worry about finding fun things to do in Powell because this city of 14,229 is chock full of exciting amenities.

Powell is home to the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay, a waterpark. Both are big hits with families, which makes sense considering that 45.34% of Powell’s households have kids. For nature lovers, there’s also the Emily Traphagen Preserve, where you can spot several types of birds.

GreatSchools gave Powell’s school district an average score of 8/10, most public schools score in the top 5% statewide, and the city has achieved the 2nd lowest high school dropout rate in Ohio. No wonder Powell is one of Ohio’s fastest-growing cities.

Additionally, Powell has the lowest poverty rate and 15th highest rate of health-insured residents in Ohio, so everybody gets a piece of the pie here. The median household income in Powell is $191,250, the 3rd highest in Ohio. The median home value in Powell is the 7th highest statewide at $493,500.

Pepper Pike, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Hannah Wolfe | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatPepper PikeOhio
Population6,80711,780,046
Rank Last Year5
Median Home Value$558,300$199,200
Median Income$215,373$69,680
Unemployment Rate1.4%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00480.0186

More on Pepper Pike: Data

Wrapping up our list of best places to call home in Ohio is Pepper Pike, an eastern suburb of Cleveland. While homes in Pepper Pike are the 3rd priciest in the state, residents are also compensated with the 2nd highest paychecks as well. The median household income in Pepper Pike is $215,373/year and 99.2% of people living here have health insurance, the 2nd highest rate of coverage in Ohio.

Another thing to note about Pepper Pike is the educational prowess of the population. Over 40% of people here have a master’s, PhD, or professional degree, so definitely study up before a pub quiz night here if you don’t want to stand out for the wrong reasons. And the schools for the young-uns? Well, we think the 10/10 education score Pepper Pike got on our SnackAbility scale speaks for itself.

Since smarter people tend to eat better, we think Pepper Pikers are willing to make the half hour drive to Cleveland’s West Side Market for the freshest food in town. Even if you’re not there for groceries, wandering around the 100+ stalls is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Montgomery, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Ed! (Photography) | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatMontgomeryOhio
Population10,81611,780,046
Rank Last Year6
Median Home Value$505,800$199,200
Median Income$148,438$69,680
Unemployment Rate3.0%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00750.0186

More on Montgomery: Data

Montgomery is an affluent Cincinnati suburb of 10,816. While home prices in Montgomery are among the highest in the state, people here are paid enough to shoulder the burden. In fact, at $148,438/year, Montgomery residents enjoy the 11th highest median household income in Ohio.

Don’t think that Montgomery only caters to the 1% either. With a 2.7% poverty level and 99.1% of people covered by health insurance, everyone here can get by (and then some). Not to mention that, with a 10/10 SnackAbility score for education, Montgomery’s youth gets access to some of the best schools in the state.

And with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden a short drive away, you’ve always got the perfect family (or date) activity right in your backyard. Even if you cap off your day with a walk around Smale Riverfront Park, you can still be back in Montgomery before dinnertime.

Rocky River, OH

Source: Public domain
StatRocky RiverOhio
Population21,49011,780,046
Rank Last Year7
Median Home Value$327,600$199,200
Median Income$93,956$69,680
Unemployment Rate2.3%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00530.0186

More on Rocky River: Data

Rocky River is a Cleveland suburb of 21,490 located along the shore of Lake Erie. If you prefer the company of women, Rocky River might just be the place for you, because at 53.8%, it has the greatest percentage of women among the places listed here. And as the second most densely populated spot on this list, you’d better believe Rocky River is a hub of activity.

Rocky River also has the 28th lowest crime rate in the state. So you won’t have to worry for your kiddos’ safety when they head off to school. Speaking of which, all levels of education in Rocky River (elementary, middle, and high school) got scores of 9/10 on GreatSchools, so from start to finish, kids get the best possible learning experience here.

And for folks who never change the radio from the classic rock station, being just 20 minutes down the road from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a welcome bonus.

Bellbrook, OH

Source: Public domain
StatBellbrookOhio
Population7,34411,780,046
Rank Last Year16
Median Home Value$246,200$199,200
Median Income$101,455$69,680
Unemployment Rate0.6%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00420.0186

More on Bellbrook: Data

Situated southeast of Dayton, Bellbrook ranks as Ohio’s 8th best place to live. For starters, Bellbrook achieved a sub-1% unemployment rate; the 2nd lowest rate in all of Ohio.

And since folks with jobs don’t have as much reason to commit crimes, it makes sense that Bellbrook’s overall crime rate is about 70% below the national average.

So what’s there to do in Bellbrook? Well, each year, the city hosts two festivals — one dedicated to Sugar Maple and another to Lions. On top of that, for a community of 7,344 people, Bellbrook has some excellent dining options.

The best part is how affordable Bellbrook is. It got an overall cost of living score of 97, where the national average is 100. Homes in Bellbrook have a median price tag of $246,200, and the median household income is $101,455.

Highland Heights, OH

Source: Wikipedia User aeroplanepics0112 | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatHighland HeightsOhio
Population8,61911,780,046
Rank Last Year15
Median Home Value$342,400$199,200
Median Income$117,820$69,680
Unemployment Rate3.8%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00370.0186

More on Highland Heights: Data

Avon Lake, OH

Source: Wikipedia User Robert Chriss | CC BY-SA 3.0
StatAvon LakeOhio
Population25,45611,780,046
Rank Last Year18
Median Home Value$337,200$199,200
Median Income$110,174$69,680
Unemployment Rate1.4%4.8%
Crime Per Capita0.00400.0186

More on Avon Lake: Data

Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Ohio

Best Places To Live In Ohio Size Requirement

Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in Ohio, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit Columbus, with a population of 906,480, against places with a population of 18?

We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.

So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:

  • Cities — Populations over 5,000
  • Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
  • Small Towns — Populations below 1,000

This filter left 249 cities, 385 towns, and 482 small towns.

We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in Ohio have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Ohio

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in Ohio across a number of criteria from one to 249, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Ohio.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Population Density (Higher is better)
  • Unemployment Rate
  • Commute Time
  • Crime
  • Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking Ohio’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Ohio. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Madeira at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Summary: The Best Places In Ohio

If you’re looking at areas in Ohio with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The best places to live in Ohio are Madeira, Upper Arlington, Wyoming, Powell, Pepper Pike, Montgomery, Rocky River, Bellbrook, Highland Heights, and Avon Lake.

Madeira made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Ohio for 2025.

If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in Ohio according to the data:

  1. Trotwood (Pop. 23,041)
  2. Youngstown (Pop. 59,605)
  3. New Carlisle (Pop. 5,552)

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Best Places To Live In Ohio Table

RankCityPopulationUnemployment RateHome ValueMedian IncomeRentCrime Per Capita
1Madeira9,4542.8%$463,600$168,981$2,0310.0043
2Upper Arlington36,3192.0%$568,200$150,993$1,4800.0092
3Wyoming8,7122.2%$404,500$156,518$1,3190.0092
4Powell14,2292.7%$493,500$191,250$2,2360.0071
5Pepper Pike6,8071.4%$558,300$215,373$00.0048
6Montgomery10,8163.0%$505,800$148,438$1,5070.0075
7Rocky River21,4902.3%$327,600$93,956$1,1550.0053
8Bellbrook7,3440.6%$246,200$101,455$1,2340.0042
9Highland Heights8,6193.8%$342,400$117,820$1,6650.0037
10Avon Lake25,4561.4%$337,200$110,174$1,5000.0040
11Perrysburg25,0654.2%$306,500$105,226$1,2130.0071
12Grandview Heights8,4221.6%$548,100$113,862$1,7480.0270
13New Albany10,5242.4%$728,200$232,524$2,1340.0135
14Hudson23,0071.9%$444,800$180,931$2,2190.0048
15Granville5,9161.9%$490,500$123,860$1,1030.0118
16Bexley13,3243.7%$488,600$152,526$1,1900.0288
17Mason35,1482.4%$397,900$124,407$1,6700.0062
18North Canton17,7462.4%$194,200$72,193$9810.0114
19Worthington14,7544.2%$417,700$124,734$1,1530.0168
20Gahanna35,4382.0%$322,300$106,004$1,4420.0196
21Westerville38,5431.9%$343,200$107,054$1,4090.0223
22Fairlawn7,6891.5%$267,000$93,154$1,0950.0326
23Sylvania19,0383.9%$233,700$95,610$1,0190.0083
24Dublin49,0312.7%$514,900$155,282$1,5960.0116
25Blue Ash13,3741.7%$365,700$116,663$1,5110.0203
26Springboro19,5773.6%$330,300$112,872$1,3780.0066
27Lyndhurst13,8542.7%$198,900$88,701$1,3270.0157
28Avon25,0822.5%$377,100$126,618$1,4460.0097
29Broadview Heights19,7681.4%$292,500$99,431$1,0750.0010
30Beachwood13,8505.8%$381,600$102,798$1,9410.0221
31Hilliard36,5602.3%$360,000$122,864$1,5900.0128
32University Heights13,5085.6%$224,900$98,474$1,4450.0067
33Seven Hills11,6283.4%$239,600$95,313$1,5000.0079
34Loveland13,2803.3%$305,200$86,793$1,1700.0048
35Twinsburg19,3462.6%$288,700$95,097$1,3230.0073
36Brecksville13,6564.8%$360,100$126,888$1,4480.0048
37Deer Park5,3802.7%$189,400$80,122$8760.0106
38Brunswick35,2842.0%$233,300$85,313$1,1150.0051
39Oakwood9,4802.5%$350,100$158,968$1,3200.0887
40Beavercreek46,7872.7%$261,200$110,064$1,4100.0215
41Groveport5,9161.5%$245,200$91,545$1,0880.0103
42Kirtland6,9133.9%$377,500$117,794$9060.0004
43Solon23,9702.4%$375,700$135,180$1,4600.0115
44Pickerington23,8282.9%$309,700$116,645$1,5980.0127
45St. Clairsville5,0430.9%$197,600$73,534$9660.0016
46Centerville24,8153.4%$262,300$81,500$1,1820.0150
47Munroe Falls5,0193.6%$223,800$75,089$00.0036
48Wickliffe12,6393.2%$158,400$79,052$1,2340.0093
49Willowick14,1824.2%$156,100$74,138$1,0210.0044
50North Ridgeville36,0432.9%$254,700$94,234$1,0670.0036
51Aurora17,3864.8%$371,400$125,567$1,7040.0074
52North Olmsted32,0313.0%$202,400$85,435$1,0920.0074
53Strongsville46,0223.0%$279,600$102,574$1,2530.0099
54Mentor47,2153.3%$229,500$89,202$1,1920.0156
55Canfield7,6516.1%$225,100$97,730$7860.0065
56Amherst12,7964.0%$222,700$93,043$8320.0080
57Independence7,5431.5%$305,500$114,049$1,5470.0150
58Celina11,0171.9%$158,800$66,142$8140.0059
59Cortland7,0911.5%$199,300$61,740$7020.0047
60Macedonia12,1423.5%$294,500$108,059$2,0240.0145
61North Royalton31,0133.9%$276,300$81,810$1,0610.0035
62Stow34,3173.9%$238,000$91,933$1,2040.0168
63St. Marys8,3191.7%$138,500$72,056$8350.0075
64Clayton13,2692.3%$189,100$90,886$1,0690.0116
65Monroe15,0242.5%$264,000$103,638$1,5750.0214
66Kettering57,4423.8%$192,500$71,619$9830.0147
67Mentor-on-the-Lake7,1171.9%$171,200$61,320$1,0210.0070
68Columbiana6,8001.8%$187,000$49,873$6560.0034
69Berea18,3306.1%$187,600$71,896$9810.0043
70Marysville26,5402.9%$271,000$92,490$1,1790.0127
71Maumee13,7652.5%$185,600$81,739$9390.0320
72Lebanon21,2161.9%$257,100$78,598$1,0670.0143
73Wadsworth24,3023.1%$235,600$77,581$1,0240.0103
74New Franklin13,8304.1%$196,600$88,306$1,1010.0058
75Shaker Heights29,0044.9%$288,000$97,721$1,1490.0635
76Mayfield Heights20,0826.0%$187,600$62,511$1,0890.0058
77Huron6,8243.8%$205,900$73,429$9950.0063
78Tallmadge18,3943.5%$226,400$91,273$1,0080.0119
79Hubbard7,6001.6%$123,600$62,468$8350.0129
80Louisville9,5602.6%$192,700$58,269$8420.0114
81Westlake34,0363.3%$336,100$110,101$1,4800.0635
82Troy26,7165.0%$199,400$70,450$9340.0086
83Canal Winchester9,6592.1%$314,800$112,474$1,4020.0333
84Oberlin8,0545.4%$207,500$73,775$9820.0119
85Sunbury7,3351.6%$337,700$103,774$1,5650.0310
86Harrison13,4601.1%$221,900$100,913$1,1040.1808
87Cleveland Heights44,6947.2%$176,700$72,302$1,1390.0133
88Trenton13,3045.7%$209,700$87,788$1,3540.0063
89Willoughby23,9345.0%$206,200$70,884$1,1470.0121
90Medina26,0405.6%$231,700$76,099$1,0250.0119
91Brook Park18,3594.2%$158,300$67,178$1,0900.0028
92Wapakoneta9,8673.1%$146,000$61,628$7890.0075
93Mount Vernon16,8022.1%$161,400$54,335$9090.0046
94Napoleon8,5611.9%$139,500$73,417$8080.0183
95Germantown5,7966.5%$186,900$84,307$9370.0083
96Middleburg Heights15,8172.1%$213,100$78,324$1,0140.0635
97Toronto5,4524.0%$102,800$47,202$6730.0035
98Waterville5,9974.0%$271,100$102,096$1,3860.2535
99Sheffield Lake8,9463.3%$153,400$62,065$1,0140.0099
100Dover13,0945.4%$172,600$61,918$1,0040.0056

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.