Jamesp writes:  

Mid Ohio is a beautiful place to raise a family.  It offers quality education for all members.  A place where nature in its full variety can be found.  It is both affordable and accessible and the people here are a home town proud community.   Here is a list of the top reasons to make Mid Ohio your home.
 

  Downtown Mansfield, Ohio | © James Pennington

Quality Local Education for your children.
With a wide variety of private schools available in the area, according to US News and World Report, Mid Ohio is the home of two high schools that have received national recognition for their high-performing state exam scores; Lexington High School in Lexington, Ohio and Clearfork High School in Bellville Ohio.  It is for this reason when residents here start their families they seek these areas out.
 
Higher Education for the whole family. 
In addition to high quality K-12 public educational options the Mid-Ohio area is rich in community colleges and is home to two nationally ranked liberal colleges: Kenyon College and The College of Wooster.  Mansfield, Ohio is also home to one of the local branches of the renowned Ohio State University.  These institutions offer superior educations and the residents of the area frequently take advantage of their close proximity to further their academia without the hassle of relocating to go to college.

The Great Outdoors.
One of the greatest rewards of living in MidOhio is its four well defined seasons.  Where the weather is concerned we've got it all!  From summer heat waves to winter arctic blasts. We have April showers, May flowers, and beautiful autumn color changes.  The cycle of the seasons not only determine the clothes that we wear but it also contributes to the foods we eat and what's available by season.

Having four seasons offers a wonderful variety of outdoor sporting activities. The area is home to a multitude of parks, nature reserves, and other outdoor recreational venues where one can bike, hike, ski, canoe and kayak as well as more exotic sports such as parachuting, sky diving, and zip lining. All of this taking place under bright sun or stars and a glorious skyscape!

Affordability 
Absolutely one of this area's hidden treasures is its price.  Simply put - it is very inexpensive to live here and this is reflected by extensive home ownership.  If your looking for an affordable home to raise a family there are plenty of those "in stock" to choose from in a variety of different neighborhoods.  From fixer uppers to entry-level homes to the ultra luxurious. 

In fact, according to money.cnn.com, Mansfield, Ohio ranks 10th in the list of affordable housing in their list 'Housing: Top 10 Most Affordable Small Cities'.    This also lends itself to a lower local tax burdens for the residents who live here.

Accessibility
Mid Ohio, also known as the "Heart of it All", is an area that is about 45-60 minutes from both the international city of Cleveland, Ohio to the North and to the south our state capital, the 15th largest city in the US; Columbus, Ohio a.k.a. "Emerald City".  There are three international airports with easy road access also within a 45 minute ride.  The local airport, Mansfield Lahm, Code: MFD, is located in just about the exact center of the state.  It is private plane friendly and maintains a runway big enough to land the space shuttle.
 
Workforce
Whether your in the workforce or looking to hire it - the Mid Ohio area is rich in opportunity and even richer for those who don't mind a commute.  According to the IMF, it is the 24th largest economy in the world; behind Sweden and ahead of Norway. The reduced cost of living here easily reduces the cost of doing business as well as makes it easier for employees to have a fulfilled life.

Suburb and Rural Living
In MidOhio numerous ranchers and farmers engage in mixed farming with the growing of crops and raising of livestock together. Nestled in a setting of abundant deciduous hardwoods and coniferous evergreens there is some beautiful dwellings and scenery tucked away into the rambling hills.   The Mid Ohio area is unique in that whether you want a house surrounded by 20 acres of woods or neighbors just across the street both venues of home living are available.  As the area is not over developed we still have an abundance of wildlife that roam and a wide variety of song birds to be enjoyed. 

Natural Resources
Ohio is a state that is rich in natural resources and has an abundance the kind of "stuff" that provides for a good life.  OHIO means ‘beautiful river’, and it has over 25,000 miles of named rivers & streams. That is also not counting the Northern border of the Great Lake Erie, "The North Shore", nor the 451 miles of the States Ohio River at the southern border.

Ohio has routinely ranked in the top 5 states for boat and water craft registration, and yes, we have great fishing here!  The MidOhio area, known as  "the heart of it all", is located in Richland County, named by the American Indians for the condition of the soil here.  The soil is truly a RICH LAND, the flora and fauna flourish, allowing farmers to frequently produce bountiful crops.

Home Town Proud.
The rural Mid Ohio area is dotted with small cities and towns and their skylines are punctuated with church steeples.  In fact it has more churches per capita than any other area in country.  As a result there is a feeling of safety and community due to the open, friendly, and straightforward nature of the people with a "live and let live" attitude.  Crime here is mostly property related and because of that the citizenry enjoy the reduced stress of not constantly being on guard against 'stranger danger'.

The ability for diversity here shows nationally in the political vote of the state.  Ohio is a "red" state that has voted "blue" for the last two presidential elections.   When the people here are content there is a strong conservative voice that is loudest. When the people are discontent the liberal voice is the obvious majority.

Shopping.
Unlike big cities where monopolies on industry categories are often held by old money there is a strong mix of both corporate America shops and mom and pop businesses. From warehouse outlet malls the size of small villages to strip malls filled with smaller successful mom and pop stores.  We have big box electronic retailers as well as local computer shops.  Here in Mid Ohio major retail grocery chains and farmer vegetable stands are located side by side.  If variety is the spice of shopping life you will truly find that here.

Arts/Culture Friendly.
Humans are naturally creative and that is why you will find plenty of theaters and symphonies, playhouses and dance centers,  art galleries and music concert venues.  There are accomplished and recognized local artists in a variety of the arts who give exhibits, performances and classes. MidOhio is also Hollywood friendly and proudly boasts that it is the home of filming of The Shawshank Redemption.  In fact - the author of this article was in that movie. In addition the area also has to its credit box offices hits such as Tango and Cash, Air Force One, Harry and Walter Go to New York, and many more.

Traffic. 
The author of this article has driven in cities such as New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles and by comparison rush hour here is over in 30 minutes and on average it takes less than 20 minutes to get to most shopping and entertainment venues regardless of what "area of town" you choose.  If you dislike driving on congested streets with bumper to bumper horn blowing traffic you will feel the stress levels melt away as you realize that you won't find that here.


If your considering moving to the Mid Ohio area and need assistance please feel free to send me a Private Message here at MyMidOhio.com and I'll be happy to help.