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Find Work in the Best Places to Live in Ohio

By Kathleen Walder, Monster Contributor

When you move to Ohio for a job, the most important names you need to know are Browns, Reds, Cavaliers, Guardians, Bengals, Blue Jackets, and Buckeyes. Current residents might tell you not to worry about the best places to live in Ohio, but you’d better pick your sports teams carefully! But it really doesn’t matter where you are; you can root for any Ohio team in any Ohio city.

Beyond sports, Ohio is a great place to live and work for many other reasons. The state has a good mix of rural and urban areas, an enormous national, state, and regional park system, and a solid network of hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Here are some other reasons people love living in Ohio:

  • Housing is affordable throughout Ohio.
  • Ohio’s property and violent crime rates are lower than average for the U.S.
  • The state has many culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhoods.
  • Ohio puts a priority on having quality schools.
  • The state has a big-city atmosphere with a welcoming small-town feel.

Let’s take a look at some of the largest cities in Ohio, what it’s like to live there, and the job market in each area.

Columbus

Ohio is the Buckeye State, and you’ll not be able to ignore that if you live in the state’s capital of Columbus, home of The University of Ohio Buckeyes. Columbus has some of the nicest suburbs that are touted as the best places to live in Ohio for families. A top-ranked zoo and aquarium with 7,000 animals in 800 species and a science museum with an annex especially for children with hands-on learning are just a few of the attractions and activities in Columbus.

The major industries in Columbus are finance, insurance, advanced manufacturing, health, and logistics. Employers of note include the John Glenn NASA Research Center, Honda North American Headquarters, Cardinal Health, and Abercrombie & Fitch Headquarters.

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Cleveland

You might know Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or the Cleveland Browns, but there’s so much more to this city that makes it one of the best places to live in Ohio. Time Magazine ranked Cleveland #7 on its “America’s Best Food Cities” list. Iron Chef Michael Symon owns several restaurants in the city. And Cleveland is called the “Emerald Necklace” for the Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Valley National Park that runs from Cleveland to Akron, and the expansive Lake Erie shoreline with 37 beaches.

The Cleveland Clinic provides cutting-edge research, world-class healthcare, and nearly 73,000 jobs. Given Cleveland is in the “Rust Belt,” it’s still among the best cities to live in Ohio for manufacturing jobs, especially in steel manufacturing. Retail is the third-largest business sector in Cleveland. It’s home to Sherwin-Williams, American Greetings, Arhaus, Dave’s Markets, and Malley’s Chocolates, plus hundreds of national retail franchises.

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Cincinnati

Known as the Queen City, Cincinnati is just across the Ohio river from Kentucky and is known for Skyline chili (dolloped on top of spaghetti and then smothered with a mound of shredded cheddar cheese), beautiful architecture, and a diverse mix of neighborhoods and residents. The city has a low cost of living and excellent schools, making it one of the best places to live in Ohio.

The biggest industry in Cincinnati is healthcare, followed by biohealth, business and professional services, advanced manufacturing, and technology. Fortune 500 companies based here include Kroger, Proctor and Gamble, Macy’s, Fifth Third Bank, American Financial, Western and Southern, and Cintas.

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Toledo

You’ll find Toledo filled with parks, trails, and preserves. It’s one of the best cities to live in Ohio for outdoor lovers. The Toledo Zoo is a staple of the city. The Toledo Mud Hens, an AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, is one of the few minor league teams known throughout the country. Tony Packo’s five Hungarian Hotdog restaurants are a big hit, with a claim to fame for recurring mentions on the 1970s TV show “M*A*S*H.”

Toledo is called “The Glass City” for its history in glassmaking, and it’s still home to Owens Corning and Libbey Glass Company. If you’re looking for manufacturing jobs, you can also try the Chrysler Toledo Complex. Although manufacturing is still important in Toledo, the healthcare industry has now surpassed it as the largest employer of Toledo residents. It’s also a great place to find “green jobs” following initiatives to increase the number of solar energy businesses in Toledo.

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Akron

Akron gems include a hotel with round rooms that used to be grain silos for Quaker Oats. And if you move to Akron, you can’t miss the Tudor Revival mansion, Stan Hywet Hall—the former home of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company co-founder F.A. Seiberling. The city birthed several music icons, including Chrissie Hynde, Devo, and the Black Keys. Akron’s most famous son is undoubtedly LeBron James, who started his rise to basketball fame at Akron’s St. Vincent High School.

Goodyear, B.F. Goodrich, and General Tire gave Akron the nickname “Rubber City.” Although tire production has slowed in Akron, the plants are still operating and have given rise to the Center for Polymer Research, which attracts scientists and engineers worldwide. Healthcare is one of the largest business sectors in Akron, led by Akron Children’s Hospital, with one of the country’s largest burn units for children. Akron’s other biggest industries are banking, utilities, and distribution.

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Dayton

You could say Dayton has really taken off. That’s what people said in 1903 when Dayton residents Wilbur and Orville Wright took the flying machine they designed and built in Dayton to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they made their famous first flight. Today, you can see evidence of that history at Dayton’s Wright Brothers Museum, the site of their Dayton home, and the Wright Brothers Memorial.

Dayton is still a center for aviation R&D at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and GE Aviation facility. Today, more than 110,000 jobs exist in Dayton and surrounding region. Dayton is proud to boast that their top five industries are rooted in STEM, with job opportunities in human sciences and healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and water.

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Monster Is on Your Team for the Best Places to Live in Ohio for Jobs

When you’re looking for an Ohio job, which of the best places to live in Ohio will be your choice? You really can’t go wrong, especially if you work with Monster. While you’re looking at job postings, be sure to complete your Monster profile. It’s the fastest way to get the attention of recruiters and employers. It will also ensure we send you the job postings you’d like to see, along with career advice based on your preferences.