Is Toledo Ohio A Good Place to Live? - Destination Scanner...

While tourists might not flock to Toledo, OH as much as they do in some surrounding metropolitan cities, residents in Toledo know all the secrets about what makes this city great, including the low cost of living and plenty of outdoor activities. Nicknamed “Glass City” due to its glass-making industry roots, Toledo is a short drive away from other major metro areas in the Great Lakes such as Cleveland and Detroit. However, this does not mean that residents are fast to leave town.

Is Toledo Ohio a good place to live? Toledo, OH is home to a wide range of attractions like museums, child-friendly activities and sports venues, which keep those who stay here entertained. Moreover, the transport system is reliable and the housing costs are significantly lower compared to the national average.

Whether you are moving to Ohio to look for greener pastures or simply moving to Toledo to start your new job, you have landed on this page because you want to know more about living in Toledo.

How do people get around in the city?
What is the cost of living?
Are the schools great?
What is the cost of buying a home here?

This article answers all those questions.

In this article you will find out:

Is Toledo a good place to Live? Prons & Cons.

The city of Toledo has a population of over 280,854 and about 24 neighborhoods. The neighborhoods with the highest livability score are West Gate, Franklin Park, Whitmer-Trilby, Glendale-Heather Downs, Deveaux, Beverly, City Center, Five Points, North Towne and Scott Park.

However, this city also has some not-so-good neighborhoods like Warren Sherman, North River, Roosevelt, Birmingham, La Garage, Onyx, and South Side. The overall crime index in Toledo is 5, which means that the crime levels in the area are generally high.

Nevertheless, this city is home to good schools. Toledo Public School runs a majority of the public schools within the city limits, together with Washington Local School District in the northern part of the city. There are also several public charter schools (e.g. Imagine Schools), private schools (e.g. Maumee Valley Country Day School), and parochial schools.

There are many higher education institutions operating in Toledo including The University of Toledo, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Davis College, Mercy College Ohio, Owens Community College, Lincoln College of Technology, Toledo Academy of Beauty, Toledo Professional Skills Institute and Herzing University.

Many residents in the area depend on cars as their main mode of transport around town. The only public transportation mode available in this city is the bus. TARTA (Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority) operates approximately 40 routes in this area serving about five million people per annum. However, the public bus system does not serve all the neighborhoods.

Furthermore, there are two airports here: the Toledo Express Airport and the Toledo Executive Airport. However, many residents opt to travel roughly 45 minutes to the neighboring Detroit Metropolitan Airport because of the higher availability of flights. There are also other transport options in the area like Megabus, Amtrak and Greyhound.

Other than the high quality of primary and secondary schools in the suburbs, Toledo is a popular relocation place for families and retirees because of the availability of family-friendly activities and events during the weekend and holidays. The area is also has a diverse culture, plenty of restaurants, bars, parks, and shopping centers, which makes social life lively.

Is Toledo a good place to Work?

Toledo, OH prospered in the 1950s and 1960s as an industrial hub with glass-making and car manufacturer at the forefront of its economy. Today, some of the top industries in the area are manufacturing, education, automotive, healthcare, transportation, retail, and bioscience.

Biggest employers include ProMedica, Mercy Health Partners, Bowling Green State University, UT. Health Science Campus, General Motors, Owens Corning, Lucas County, Toledo Public Schools, City of Toledo, Kroger, Inc., Sauder, The State of Ohio and Wal-Mart.

Moving to Toledo to look for a job? The unemployment rate in the area is 4.6% (April 2019), which is higher than the USA average of 3.6%.

The average wage here is $45,018 (June 2019) which is lower than the average for the whole of the United States, but residents seem comfortable with what they earn. People with a medical degree earn the highest salaries in this city.

Is Toledo a good place to buy a House?

Toledo is indeed a delightful place to call home due to its family-friendly atmosphere, the close-knit community feels, affordability and lively downtown area. When it comes to buying or renting a home, people are more attracted to certain neighborhoods than others. The most charming neighborhoods include Westgate, Deveaux, Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Maumee, Old West End, Franklin Park, Beverly, Erie and Sylvania.

Property prices in Toledo are generally reasonable. A single bedroom home sells for $58,000, a three bedroom property costs $97,000 and a five bedroomed property can sell for $200,000.

The average rent for a 1-bedroomed apartment in Toledo is $634 per month, and a 3-bedroomed apartment has an average monthly rent of $1,035. Lowest rental rates are in the neighborhoods of La Onda, Shoreland, Point Place, and Fort Industry.

The average homeowner in Ohio pays $797 in yearly home insurance fees, at a monthly rate of $66. For anyone looking to buy a house on credit, thirty-year fixed mortgage interest rates in Toledo, OH vary from 3.97% to 4.29%.

Is Toledo a good place to Retire?

Thinking of living in Ohio as a retiree? Toledo, Ohio is worth considering as it is among the cheapest places to retire in the United States. This city offers good healthcare facilities, reliable transportation, a strong economy, favorable weather and a wealth of outdoor activities.

Toledo, Ohio is also a good place to retire because it is home to numerous retirement homes. Most of these retirement developments offer on-site amenities, freedom from chores, quality medical care, opportunities for growth, and exercise classes.

On average, assisted living in this city costs $2,590 a month. The most popular assisted living facilities in the area include Glendale Assisted Living, Swan Creek Retirement Village, Sunset House, Henderson House Assisted Living, Oakleaf Village of Toledo, and Parkcliffe Community at Toledo.

Is Toledo a good place to Visit?

For a long time, Toledo was just a pass-through northwestern Ohio city for people traveling to or from Michigan. Nowadays, Toledo is a tourist destination in its own right providing visitors from different parts of the globe world-class museums, waterfront entertainment, dining and other recreational activities.

The city rests on the banks of Maumee River and it boasts of rich history in Erie and Miami canal network that’s still evident in the city’s architecture and culture. The 200 acres of riverfront allows for waterfront dining and taking boat trips.

There are fourteen Metroparks in the area, numerous green spaces for recreation, and many gardens surrounding the museums such as Toledo Museum of Art, which gives visitors a chance to partake in the natural beauty of the Ohio state that surrounds the city’s vibrant life.

A great place for kids to visit is the Toledo Zoo. This zoo is more than 100 years old and it showcases evolving exhibits, and over 9,000 animals such as elephants, otters, camels and gorillas. Some of the primary exhibits include the Aquarium, Arctic Encounter, Africa Exhibit, Tembo Trail, and Prime Forest.

Tony Packo’s Café is popular eatery in the area made famous by the TV show M*A*S*H that was aired in the 1970s. This café’ serves exemplary Hungarian hot dogs in a scenic setting that displays the local culture. There also many other All-American eateries and microbreweries.

Other amazing tourist attractions are National Museum of the Great Lakes, Toledo Lighthouse Tours, Toledo Botanical Garden, Canal Experience, Imagination Station and Toledo Mud Hens.

Looking for a nice place to stay while vacationing? Toledo has a good offering of accommodation choices for visitors such as Park Inn Toledo, Radisson at the University of Toledo, Quality Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites Toledo/Westgate, Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Toledo West, Fairfield Inn & Suites Toledo North, Red Roof Inn Toledo, Courtyard Toledo North and Crown Inn.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Toledo, Ohio?

The living costs in Toledo are significantly cheaper than the national average. The price of 1 liter of milk is 0.64, 1kg of rice costs $2.96, 1kg of beef ground has a price of $11.01, and 1litre of gasoline costs $0.67. Basic utilities, which include electricity, heating, water and garbage, cost $170.83 per month. Childcare costs in a private preschool are $750 a month for one child.

Is Toledo a good place to invest in property?

Toledo has attracted many residential and commercial property investors from different parts of the world because of its closeness to Lake Erie and the fact that it is a major port. Moreover, it is a good real estate investment place because of its cosmopolitan community, low inflation, low cost of living, and peaceful co-existence of different ethnic groups.

Is Toledo a good place to raise a family?

This city makes a nice place to raise a family. It has many good neighborhoods, good schools in the suburbs, diverse culture, affordable cost of living, quality healthcare and plenty of things to do. On the downside, the crime rate is fairly high.