Best places to live in the Midwest -- Ohio selections (Cleveland: houses, job market)

[WRnative]

Stacker magazine's list of the 100 best places to live in the Midwest is limited to a maximum of 15 communities per state. Ohio's 15 communities are highly concentrated in the top 50 locations on the list, with the lowest ranked Ohio city 59: Madiera 6, Ottawa Hills 13, Bexley 20, Oakwood 27, Wyoming 28, Shaker Hts. 31, Mason 34, Dublin 35, Grandview Hts. 37, Upper Arlington 38, Solon 39, Montgomery 43, Blue Ash 50, Powell 51, Sixteen Mile Stand 59.

https://stacker.com/stories/5949/bes...s-live-midwest

As Ohio's lowest ranked city is 59th on the list, it suggests that several other Ohio cities would have ranked in the top 100 except for the 15 cities per state limitation.

Personally, I'm certain that all of these communities are fine places. However, the article provides zero transparency as to the ranking parameters.

Some day I would like to find an interactive ranking site that would allow individuals to weight their own parameters. E.g., for someone like me who ranks heavily winter weather; more moderate summers; world-class cultural institutions; pro sports; proximity to a large body of water for activities such as sail boating and long distance power boating, surf beaches, fishing, long horizons, and even ice cover in winter; ethnic diversity; cost of housing; mass transit resources; and availability of natural areas, Greater Cleveland communities would rank very highly among Ohio locations, and NOT very highly for those who detest snow and colder temperatures in winter.

One factor important to me and likely not considered in these rankings, based on my knowledge of these communities including several outside of Greater Cleveland, is traffic congestion, both local and on available limited access highways, as well as convenient access to non-toll, limited access highways.

I've never been to 6 of the 15 Ohio cities listed.

[Natural510]

Is there really a point to the ranking? They’re all wealthy suburbs with good schools and stately houses, all fairly interchangeable and out of reach financially for the majority of the population.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by Natural510

Is there really a point to the ranking? They’re all wealthy suburbs with good schools and stately houses, all fairly interchangeable and out of reach financially for the majority of the population.

Exactly. If I were picking my own "top" places to live here, I don't know that I'd have thought of any of these.

[on3]

I’ve been to 11 out of the 15 and not sure what Madeira has over some of the others which I would defiantly rank higher than Madeira.

[SonnyDaze]

I grew up in Cincinnati and have never heard of Sixteen Mile Stand until this article.

[wrightflyer]

Sixteen Mile Stand!? Essentially Sycamore and Symmes Townships. Not a city in my opinion and that appeared to be a justification for being ranked. Just township-esque sprawl between Mason, Montgomery and Loveland.

[midwest1]

Middletown Ohio....

Only city in the state that truly straddles two milluon plus metros....30 minutes to either larger city...meaning both cities are part of the Middletown job market/opportunities.

Cool topography on one of the most gorgeous stretches of the Great Miami....parts of wish are of State Park-worthy beauty.

A rapidly reviving downtown...with one of the states's truly great musical edifices...the Sorg Opera House..brought fully back to life.

New city manager working on turning the Towne Mall area into an upscale new urbanist development just 1 minute from the I-75 Cin-Day midpoint.

And yes...HillBillyElegy

And most importantly located betwixt Dorothy Lane Market in Dayton and Jungle Jim's in Fairfield/Cincy.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Natural510

Is there really a point to the ranking? They’re all wealthy suburbs with good schools and stately houses, all fairly interchangeable and out of reach financially for the majority of the population.

City Beautiful on Youtube has a good video debunking these lists.

I think these lists are fun reads, but they definitely cater to a certain aspirational upper middle class demographic of reader.

[woxyroxme]

I am familiar with most of the places on the list, many of which are quite terrible. Much of it depends on what your priorities are, I am lucky enough to live in a small town and have a job in the same small town, can’t beat a 5 minute commute, especially when a lot of my work weeks are 55+ hours. I also am able to walk to most places in town I need to be, bank, post office, small neighborhood IGA grocery store, etc.