As with any city, living in Cincinnati has some pros and cons that you should consider before relocating. While some might not be deterred by the cons, there are many families that would take them strongly into consideration before making the choice to raise children here. On the other hand, the pros of a city like Cincinnati can overshadow the cons when looking at the larger picture and realizing the city offers a wide variety of neighborhoods, school, and lifestyles.
1. Cost of Living
The cost of living in Cincinnati in comparison to other large cities is amazing. In fact, most people that move here cannot believe how much cheaper it can be than neighboring cities like Columbus and Pittsburgh. This allows you to do more with your money and have a better overall lifestyle than you would have in other cities for the same amount of money, and home-wise can offer much more bang for your buck.
2. Massive Park System
There are parks everywhere in the city, from dog parks to skate parks and everything in between. If you like hiking or biking there are certain parks for that as well. The park systems in Cincinnati are amazing and a lot of planning and family-friendly mindfulness goes into creating them.
3. Close to Southern Hospitality
While you will live in a mid-western town, you are just a bridge away from Kentucky, so it isn’t hard to experience living in the best of both worlds. It is easy to go visit the mountains of Kentucky or Tennessee or West Virginia for a weekend getaway without planning a long trip.
4. Amazing Beer
Do you like breweries? Because Ciniciannti (which is especially thick in German heritage) is full of them. There are approximately 41 in the city overall, so you won’t run out of places to venture to. View a list of some of the most popular here.
5. Reasonably Safe with Good Schools
The school systems of the city are sitting at an overall solid B, with the crime rate at a C-, when looked up online. These are great scores for young families looking for a town to raise their children. Here is a list of local districts and ratings.
While we went over some of the pros, let’s take a look at some of the cons.
1. Snow
Cincinnati has four seasons, although, at times you might think that the midwest might be confused. Sometimes the seasons will, out of nowhere, throw you a curveball. But one thing you are not going to avoid in Cincinnati is the snow. If you’ve never lived in a place with snow, then you might find this a bit of a challenge. It can create new obstacles in learning to drive and navigate travel challenges.
2. Lack of Public Transportation
While there is a Metro bus system in the heart of downtown, and there is a similar system in Northern Kentucky (Tank) there is really only one way to get around in greater areas of the city and that is with a car. You could use something like a taxi or a third-party system, however, owning your own car is probably the most reliable and affordable in the long run.
3. Crime Rate
While it does have a rating of a C-, there seems to be double the national average of robberies and assaults in the city, and the lines between safer neighborhoods and ones with higher crime rates can feel ambiguous. Regardless, be careful and aware of your surroundings at all times. Try to avoid traveling at night alone.
4. Not the Best Nightlife for Singles
Cinicinatti is really more of a family city. There are fewer singles living in or around this city than in other comparable-sized cities. There is also very little nightlife available to go and meet people with the exception of a few neighborhoods in the heart of the metropolitan area. However, we do have an amazing food and beer scene that can accommodate dating life with ease
5. The Housing Market is Harshly Competitive Right Now
As with many other cities throughout the midwest and beyond, the Cincinnati area has been largely affected by the wave of home-buying that has taken place with all-time low interest rates in the past year. Because of the competitive market, many home-buyers can feel close to hopeless when house-hunting and entering bidding wars. It isn’t uncommon to see families bid thousands of dollars over asking price currently, just to still have offers rejected. If making the move to Cincinnati and looking to buy, prepare for a tedious home search process ahead.
