2018 Best Places to Retire in OhioAbout this List

Bellbrook

• Suburb of Dayton, OH
• 14

Current Resident: Very safe Community. Great school system, sidewalks everywhere. Very little night life and the cost of living in Bellbrook is extremely high. Their are many different clubs and activities to enjoy in Bellbrook like the Sugar Maple Festival and the Lions Club Festival. Great Place to live!
Read 14 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 7,082 Population

Centerville

• Suburb of Dayton, OH
• 40

Former Resident: Centerville, Ohio is a beautiful town with an old classic feel. It is safe for people of all ages and offers monthly downtown walks. These walks have artwork, sales, and events! The holiday season is beautiful with trees laced with solar-powered lights. I have always felt welcomed in Centerville, Ohio.
Read 40 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 23,899 Population

Westlake

• Suburb of Cleveland, OH
• 43

Former Resident: Westlake is a beautiful town for anyone looking for a well established, safe location with plenty of ammenities. I really enjoyed living there and miss it very much!
Read 43 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 32,408 Population

Pepper Pike

• Suburb of Cleveland, OH
• 22

Current Resident: It's a wonderful community, and it's always a great experience to be enclosed in such a loving, warm environment! There's great restaurants, education, and more! For these reasons, I think Pepper Pike is a stellar, safe place to raise a family, live, and be happy!
Read 22 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 6,150 Population

Mulberry

• Suburb of Cincinnati, OH
• 3

Niche User: I believe Milford / Miami Township area has great schools, affordable housing, low crime rate and just an overall wonderful place to live. If I had kids I feel this is a place where I'd want them to grow up. Family friendly atmosphere.
Read 3 Reviews

• A

• A

• A

• 3,802 Population

Holiday Valley

• Suburb of Dayton, OH
• 4

• B

• B

• A

• 1,379 Population

Sylvania

• Town in Ohio
• 39

Current Resident: I loved growing up in Sylvania. The schools and the neighborhood is great. We live in a neighborhood where everyone looks out for each other and we have a lot of fun having neighborhood parties. The Sylvania school system is a great place to grow up in and attend. The teachers are great and very helpful. Whenever you need help with something, they always made time to be available for you. There is always something to do in Sylvania like sporting events, shopping and parks. We have one of the nicest parks called Wildwood Preserve Park. It is very clean and beautiful. I would recommend it for anyone visiting Sylvania!
Read 39 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 18,882 Population

St. Clairsville

• Town in Ohio
• 18

Nearby Resident: Safe and quaint town. Everyone knows everyone! Family oriented area. Saint Clairsville highschool is great. The downside is lack of activities... bowling, mall, movie theatre is all!
Read 18 Reviews

• A-

• B

• A

• 5,117 Population

Rocky River

• Suburb of Cleveland, OH
• 64

Current Resident: Rocky River is a great city that once use to be filled with residents that have had generations live there, but now there is a younger family crowd starting to come in. This is great for the community to see how the city is changing with time because it is shifting from so called "old money only" to a younger, fresh crowd of residents. The public schools are awesome, nightlife is usually in Lakewood, Ohio, but there could always be more diversity. It is a predominately white middle to upper middle class, so there could more diversity with the new families and couples that are moving to the area.
Read 64 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 20,211 Population

Beachwood

• Suburb of Cleveland, OH
• 30

Former Resident: I moved from from Los Angeles to Cleveland at the age of six. My only memory of moving is hugging our cute house goodbye. Los Angeles was much "cooler" than Cleveland in the eyes of an eight-year-old. My mom knew she was sick and wanted me to grow up in a smaller community. When she passed away the community got together and planted a tree in memory of my mom.
When it was time to go to college I wanted to leave Ohio and went to the University of Arizona. I loved the idea of starting fresh and being away from the cold Cleveland weather.
Now that I am about to turn 24 I look back on my childhood and smile. It is hard to appreciate decisions parents make as a child. I was upset about growing up in Cleveland but now that I am old enough to understand why my mom decided to move I feel grateful.
Cleveland is a place filled with caring and supportive people that are there to help others in need. The only thing I would change about Cleveland is the bitter, cold winters!
Read 30 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 11,786 Population

Lyndhurst

• Suburb of Cleveland, OH
• 22

Current Resident: We moved here last year from the West Coast. Bought a shockingly affordable house in a nice, quiet and very safe neighborhood. Immediate access to amenities is good, and we're just a short drive to all sorts of interesting activities. It's an older, sleepy suburb. Schools are decent. Some great park options close by. Overall, pretty good for families.
Read 22 Reviews

• A

• B

• A

• 13,736 Population

Devola

• Town in Ohio
• 3

• B+

• C+

• A

• 2,590 Population

Burton

• Town in Ohio
• 5

Current Resident: Burton is a small, friendly, quiet town which is very safe. If you don't enjoy the countryside then this isn't the town for you! The best time to come here is February and early March if you're a pancake lover. Each Sunday is a pancake breakfast served with syrup made right in Burton. It has nice scenery and is a great town to walk in but not much to do besides the library and a restaurant here and there.
Read 5 Reviews

• A-

• B+

• A

• 1,217 Population

Blue Ash

• Suburb of Cincinnati, OH
• 27

Current Resident: If you want to live in a neighborhood that is near great shopping, restaurants, hospitals, schools, entertainment venues, highways and a great place to raise your children, then Blue Ash, OH is the place to live! Just 20 minutes from the city of Cincinnati and home to many fortune 500 businesses. Great place to live throughout your life!
Read 27 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 12,154 Population

Minster

• Town in Ohio
• 6

Niche User: No town is perfect. Even if there was, something is bound to happen sooner or later. My hometown has never had very many issues with break-ins and it has never had any issues with burglary to my knowledge. I truly feel safe at night whether is sitting out side enjoying a campfire or having a late night walk. Police patrol day and night so i have nothing to worry about. If anything, our biggest concern would be high school students car painting or toilet papering each other.
Read 6 Reviews

• A

• A

• A

• 2,898 Population

Worthington

• Suburb of Columbus, OH
• 30

Current Resident: I enjoy this city and I have lived here for the entire span of my life! I have two jobs in this city and greatly admire the citizens I come into contact with. Worthington is beautiful and has a lot of nice, independent shops and restaurants in the downtown area. Additionally, it's very close to Columbus, a metropolitan hub.
Read 30 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 14,155 Population

Caldwell

• Town in Ohio
• 4

Current Resident: I love the fact it is a close knit town. A lot of mom and pop places. Everyone is always so friendly from my experience. The only issue is landlords have raised prices due to the oil and gas boom going on in the area.
Read 4 Reviews

• C+

• C+

• A

• 1,781 Population

Burlington

• Town in Ohio
• 6

• C+

• B

• A

• 2,514 Population

Fairlawn

• Suburb of Cleveland, OH
• 12

Parent: Fairlawn is one of the best places I've lived. It is a very well kept area, people take good care of their lawns and the roads are in good condition. The atmosphere is a peaceful one, yet it is extremely convenient to a wide variety of shopping and restaurants. The city services are fantastic! Our neighborhood side street is plowed by 5:00AM when it we experience a heavy snowfall. The police force is courteous and helpful, and they do a great job of patrolling. I used to live in West Akron and the city services were practically non existent. The snow had to melt off of the street, regardless how much accumulation there was, the police would only come right away of there was a gang related problem, otherwise they would come assist you in two hours. The panhandlers would harass you at practically every intersection.

Fairlawn, to the contrary, has a very good city government where reason prevails and the police genuinely want to help people. I believe this area will remain vital and vibrant for years to come!
Read 12 Reviews

• A

• A-

• A

• 7,477 Population

Upper Arlington

• Suburb of Columbus, OH
• 39

Current Resident: Upper Arlington is a small and safe town that is a suburb of Columbus, OH. It has given me an extraordinary base of education and core values that are second to none. Upper Arlington High School has a vast variety of opportunities to explore from varsity athletics, shop classes, school magazine/yearbooks, to a world-class concert orchestra and drama club. All of these opportunities have been a starting point for notable alumni Beverly D'Angelo – Actress, George Smoot - Nobel Prize Winner, Erin Moriarty - News correspondent for 48 Hours, and all-time great golfer Jack Nicklaus. Upper Arlington is a town that gives you opportunities to succeed in any path you choose.
Read 39 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 34,675 Population

Shadyside

• Town in Ohio
• 2

Current Resident: I moved to the Ohio Valley as an adult from Chicago, IL. We found a home in Shadyside and loved the small town feel. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. It has now been our permanent residence for 9 years.
Read 2 Reviews

• B+

• B

• A

• 3,637 Population

Kettering

• Suburb of Dayton, OH
• 131

Current Resident: Kettering is a town with a lot of diversity and entertainment. There is always something to do in the area, or in a nearby city. Kettering is full of and surrounded by parks. The school system in the area offers scholarships for students enrolled in career tech classes and allows for post secondary enrollment into college courses. The students are able to get a head start on their college career if they're motivated and can go to the local community college for a decent price. The high school in the area has a lot of after school programs and activities for kids. There are plenty of gyms around for people who enjoy working out. The local Trader Joe's store offers competitive prices and the variety of grocery stores allows for bargain hunting. Overall, Kettering is a nice place to live.
Read 131 Reviews

• A

• A

• A

• 55,720 Population

Oakwood

• Suburb of Dayton, OH
• 8

Current Resident: Oakwood is an amazing place to call home. We moved to Oakwood from another highly ranked suburb in Ohio exactly one year ago. Our neighbors have been so welcoming, our son has thrived in their excellent schools, and we have virtually no commute to work. Oakwood's pricing is a bargain compared to other similar neighborhoods across the state and the country. If you want a close-knit neighborhood centered around the schools, with charming houses and tree-lined streets, then welcome home!
Read 8 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 9,077 Population

Bluffton

• Town in Ohio
• 5

Nearby Resident: The Village of Bluffton Ohio is a Great place to live, work and go to school.

Bluffton upholds the small town feel about it with the total area being 3.5 square mile. Bluffton is surrounded by rural farm land sitting in two counties.
Hancock and Allen counties both extend into the village.

City-data.com crime index in 2015 was 43.6, mostly falling under theft and burglaries.
Read 5 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 4,376 Population

Bolivar

• Town in Ohio
• 20

Current Resident: This town is quaint, historical, and generally a good place to live. The people here, while it is a small town, do not seem to get too involved in each other's business. It is a very welcoming community. While there are not many things to do in the actual town, Bolivar is about a five minute drive from the historic Zoar village, which is absolutely beautiful in the spring and summer months. Bolivar also boasts Fort Laurens, a historical fort from the civil war, as well as a trail head for the towpath trail, which follows the Ohio Erie Canal. It is also an optimal 20 minute drive from more urban areas, such as New Philadelphia and Canton. Bolivar is a great mix between rural, small town life and suburban life.
Read 20 Reviews

• B+

• B+

• A

• 1,070 Population