Welcome to the happiest places in Ohio.
Using Saturday Night Science and data, we determined the cities and towns with the most rainbows, butterflies, puppies, and unicorns.
You know, the places where people have jobs, white-picked fences, and friendly neighbors – unicorn cities.
After analyzing the 255 largest cities, we happily present the happiest cities in the Buckeye State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Happiest Places In Ohio
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, North College Hill is the most miserable place in Ohio.
For more Ohio reading, check out:
The 10 Happiest Places In Ohio For 2024
/10
Population: 7,697
Poverty Level: 6.8%
Median Home Price $275,067
Married Households 29.0%
Households With Kids 21.35%
More on Fairlawn: Data | Cost Of Living
Fairlawn is by far the happiest place in the state of Ohio. Let’s see why.
First off, having a solid family life is a good indication of how happy someone is. Lots of the residents of Fairlawn aren’t missing out on love; more than 28% of them are married. Plus, the average commute time here is only about 18 minutes each way. That means a lot more time with the spouse and kids.
/10
Population: 17,773
Poverty Level: 7.0%
Median Home Price $250,648
Married Households 35.0%
Households With Kids 20.59%
More on North Canton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Things look to be pretty pleasant in North Canton. Crime is really low here, and the percentage of married residents (35%) mean there’s lots of stability at home.
In addition to those factors, there is a thriving amount of community involvement. Studies have shown that a key factor to happiness is when people volunteer, especially in their own neighborhoods.
/10
Population: 6,688
Poverty Level: 8.4%
Median Home Price $218,373
Married Households 35.0%
Households With Kids 15.44%
More on Columbiana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The people who live in Columbiana have a lot going for them. 35% of them have college degrees, and they command some of the highest salaries in OH. 35% of the people here are married.
Most of these all tops in the entire state.
/10
Population: 8,304
Poverty Level: 13.7%
Median Home Price $229,110
Married Households 40.0%
Households With Kids 25.4%
More on Orrville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Orrville is where you can bet there are lots of smiley and happy people all over town. Crime is essentially something that just doesn’t happen here very often. And when you can let your guard down and relax a little, the lack of stress really makes a difference.
Same goes on the job front. Only 2.4% of residents here are out of work. Sounds like there are jobs for just about everyone who wants one. Which must be a good feeling to have.
/10
Population: 5,399
Poverty Level: 9.2%
Median Home Price $237,309
Married Households 36.0%
Households With Kids 19.92%
More on Deer Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
If you want to see a bunch of happy people, go to Deer Park. It seriously looks like something out of a commercial.
They have a 21 minute commute time, which means lots more time with the kids.
/10
Population: 8,258
Poverty Level: 5.4%
Median Home Price $493,867
Married Households 26.0%
Households With Kids 24.75%
More on Grandview Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
For those who say that money doesn’t buy happiness, you’re half right. Studies have shown that people are happy up to a certain point when it comes to annual salaries, somewhere around $72,000 a year. After that, it doesn’t matter how much you make, you’re not going to be much happier.
The residents of Grandview Heights have that covered. Plus about 26% of households are married.
/10
Population: 5,180
Poverty Level: 11.9%
Median Home Price $159,332
Married Households 43.0%
Households With Kids 28.21%
More on Northwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Most of the people in Northwood have to be plum’ happy. True happiness is Home Sweet Home’ with your kids and spouse, being reminded to do chores, run errands and fold the clothes right.
/10
Population: 22,051
Poverty Level: 46.3%
Median Home Price $307,130
Married Households 8.0%
Households With Kids 14.46%
More on Oxford: Data | Cost Of Living
Less than 10.9% of the residents in Oxford are jobless, which is just about as low as you’ll see.
Incomes are steady, and commute times are really low as well. That really takes away the stress factors that stop folks from relaxing and enjoying their down time’ to do the little things that matter: Walks in the park, time alone with a book and extra face time with the children.
/10
Population: 36,500
Poverty Level: 2.6%
Median Home Price $560,961
Married Households 39.0%
Households With Kids 36.35%
More on Upper Arlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
About 78% of residents in Upper Arlington, OH have a college degree. While we’ve all heard the saying, Ignorance is bliss,’ our argument is: Ignorance is also broke.
Not only are most of the residents of Upper Arlington smart, they’re safe, too.
/10
Population: 21,552
Poverty Level: 5.1%
Median Home Price $346,739
Married Households 36.0%
Households With Kids 25.47%
More on Rocky River: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
In Rocky River, most of the population is married, and most own their own homes.
The commute times (22 minutes each way) might eventually start to turn the corners of those smiles sideways.
But for now, it’s all roses in Rocky River.
Methodology: How We Measured The Happiest Cities In The Buckeye State
To rank the happiest places in Ohio, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2018-2022 report for the happy criteria, added some Saturday Night Science, and generated the answer.
Here are the criteria we used to measure happiness:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 255 places in Ohio with over 5,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 255 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the happiest.
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Happy Index for each place with the lowest overall Happy Index “earning” the title “Happiest City In Ohio.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of cities, happiest to saddest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2024, and it’s our tenth time ranking the happiest cities in Ohio.
There You Have It – The Happiest Cities In Ohio
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Ohio is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
The happiest cities in Ohio are Fairlawn, North Canton, Columbiana, Orrville, Deer Park, Grandview Heights, Northwood, Oxford, Upper Arlington, and Rocky River.
If you’re curious enough, here are the most miserable cities in Ohio, according to science:
- North College Hill
- Grafton
- Wellston
For more Ohio reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Ohio
- Cheapest Places To Live In Ohio
- Most Dangerous Cities In Ohio
- Richest Cities In Ohio
- Safest Places In Ohio
- Worst Places To Live In Ohio
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Ohio
Happiest Cities In Ohio For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairlawn, OH | 7,697 | 6.8% | $275,067 | 29.0% | 21.35% |
| 2 | North Canton, OH | 17,773 | 7.0% | $250,648 | 35.0% | 20.59% |
| 3 | Columbiana, OH | 6,688 | 8.4% | $218,373 | 35.0% | 15.44% |
| 4 | Orrville, OH | 8,304 | 13.7% | $229,110 | 40.0% | 25.4% |
| 5 | Deer Park, OH | 5,399 | 9.2% | $237,309 | 36.0% | 19.92% |
| 6 | Grandview Heights, OH | 8,258 | 5.4% | $493,867 | 26.0% | 24.75% |
| 7 | Northwood, OH | 5,180 | 11.9% | $159,332 | 43.0% | 28.21% |
| 8 | Oxford, OH | 22,051 | 46.3% | $307,130 | 8.0% | 14.46% |
| 9 | Upper Arlington, OH | 36,500 | 2.6% | $560,961 | 39.0% | 36.35% |
| 10 | Rocky River, OH | 21,552 | 5.1% | $346,739 | 36.0% | 25.47% |
| 11 | Maumee, OH | 13,824 | 5.2% | $252,977 | 38.0% | 25.65% |
| 12 | New Philadelphia, OH | 17,602 | 15.1% | $181,315 | 37.0% | 23.67% |
| 13 | Sharonville, OH | 14,023 | 7.8% | $253,038 | 28.0% | 20.74% |
| 14 | Oberlin, OH | 8,194 | 21.6% | $210,830 | 13.0% | 14.49% |
| 15 | Tipp City, OH | 10,266 | 5.3% | $304,173 | 42.0% | 31.8% |
| 16 | Athens, OH | 22,698 | 43.0% | $213,875 | 6.0% | 12.69% |
| 17 | Independence, OH | 7,539 | 1.0% | $323,090 | 46.0% | 25.8% |
| 18 | Kirtland, OH | 6,914 | 4.4% | $357,865 | 47.0% | 25.67% |
| 19 | Bowling Green, OH | 30,157 | 30.8% | $238,887 | 16.0% | 17.73% |
| 20 | Fairview Park, OH | 17,137 | 10.2% | $245,455 | 36.0% | 23.79% |
| 21 | Seven Hills, OH | 11,681 | 6.0% | $264,289 | 42.0% | 20.73% |
| 22 | Huron, OH | 6,882 | 10.1% | $271,537 | 34.0% | 24.0% |
| 23 | Cortland, OH | 7,073 | 10.1% | $200,498 | 39.0% | 20.97% |
| 24 | The Village Of Indian Hill, OH | 6,051 | 1.3% | $1,424,788 | 38.0% | 26.39% |
| 25 | Centerville, OH | 24,510 | 7.9% | $286,617 | 28.0% | 22.69% |
| 26 | Ada, OH | 5,088 | 20.6% | $196,467 | 16.0% | 17.29% |
| 27 | Reading, OH | 10,527 | 11.6% | $213,295 | 35.0% | 21.83% |
| 28 | Blue Ash, OH | 13,325 | 4.6% | $401,334 | 28.0% | 32.25% |
| 29 | Celina, OH | 10,974 | 10.8% | $176,625 | 40.0% | 28.74% |
| 30 | Port Clinton, OH | 6,024 | 20.7% | $252,815 | 30.0% | 23.45% |
| 31 | Ontario, OH | 6,642 | 7.3% | $202,490 | 42.0% | 23.01% |
| 32 | Middleburg Heights, OH | 15,918 | 5.4% | $246,379 | 32.0% | 21.38% |
| 33 | Worthington, OH | 14,997 | 2.5% | $436,367 | 39.0% | 34.01% |
| 34 | Beavercreek, OH | 46,576 | 6.9% | $295,087 | 28.0% | 29.33% |
| 35 | Wooster, OH | 27,021 | 10.8% | $247,514 | 28.0% | 24.61% |
| 36 | Kettering, OH | 57,707 | 8.7% | $218,052 | 32.0% | 25.9% |
| 37 | Gahanna, OH | 35,529 | 4.4% | $341,909 | 32.0% | 31.9% |
| 38 | Bay Village, OH | 16,047 | 4.5% | $361,384 | 44.0% | 37.25% |
| 39 | Westerville, OH | 38,911 | 5.3% | $403,142 | 35.0% | 35.73% |
| 40 | Wadsworth, OH | 24,073 | 8.7% | $279,596 | 39.0% | 26.96% |
| 41 | Pepper Pike, OH | 6,778 | 2.5% | $590,591 | 29.0% | 30.58% |
| 42 | Findlay, OH | 40,408 | 13.3% | $220,512 | 30.0% | 26.26% |
| 43 | Highland Heights, OH | 8,652 | 2.1% | $375,331 | 48.0% | 30.59% |
| 44 | Chardon, OH | 5,248 | 11.9% | $331,732 | 45.0% | 32.55% |
| 45 | Reminderville, OH | 5,305 | 5.7% | $324,200 | 34.0% | 25.75% |
| 46 | Broadview Heights, OH | 19,815 | 3.4% | $321,266 | 39.0% | 27.1% |
| 47 | Canal Winchester, OH | 9,357 | 5.1% | $373,534 | 43.0% | 28.85% |
| 48 | Wilmington, OH | 12,669 | 21.1% | $232,900 | 24.0% | 23.37% |
| 49 | Oregon, OH | 19,896 | 7.4% | $199,183 | 43.0% | 26.12% |
| 50 | Wapakoneta, OH | 9,879 | 12.6% | $200,907 | 44.0% | 30.28% |
| 51 | Montgomery, OH | 10,816 | 1.0% | $566,117 | 33.0% | 32.32% |
| 52 | Shelby, OH | 8,360 | 15.3% | $160,048 | 40.0% | 24.69% |
| 53 | Ashland, OH | 19,270 | 13.9% | $163,698 | 36.0% | 25.28% |
| 54 | Rossford, OH | 6,314 | 11.3% | $176,039 | 41.0% | 25.44% |
| 55 | Bellbrook, OH | 7,321 | 3.5% | $281,184 | 36.0% | 30.09% |
| 56 | Madeira, OH | 9,426 | 1.7% | $457,023 | 30.0% | 43.56% |
| 57 | Munroe Falls, OH | 5,034 | 5.3% | $242,177 | 40.0% | 21.08% |
| 58 | Grove City, OH | 41,423 | 5.6% | $300,301 | 41.0% | 30.64% |
| 59 | Norwood, OH | 19,018 | 19.4% | $224,578 | 21.0% | 20.03% |
| 60 | Beachwood, OH | 13,846 | 4.7% | $427,232 | 27.0% | 24.73% |
| 61 | Wyoming, OH | 8,720 | 1.3% | $442,718 | 36.0% | 46.36% |
| 62 | Lyndhurst, OH | 13,952 | 3.0% | $205,250 | 33.0% | 18.81% |
| 63 | Tallmadge, OH | 18,411 | 5.1% | $250,321 | 40.0% | 25.68% |
| 64 | Willoughby Hills, OH | 9,972 | 7.9% | $315,021 | 30.0% | 20.4% |
| 65 | Westlake, OH | 34,027 | 5.0% | $364,251 | 31.0% | 25.27% |
| 66 | Sylvania, OH | 19,042 | 6.9% | $290,474 | 37.0% | 28.4% |
| 67 | Olmsted Falls, OH | 8,670 | 5.4% | $255,597 | 37.0% | 24.19% |
| 68 | Marietta, OH | 13,366 | 22.0% | $183,370 | 21.0% | 23.23% |
| 69 | Mentor, OH | 47,302 | 4.8% | $252,525 | 40.0% | 25.59% |
| 70 | Avon Lake, OH | 25,220 | 4.7% | $364,413 | 43.0% | 33.08% |
| 71 | Louisville, OH | 9,500 | 8.8% | $213,545 | 40.0% | 31.92% |
| 72 | Perrysburg, OH | 24,855 | 4.2% | $310,361 | 34.0% | 31.5% |
| 73 | Vandalia, OH | 15,139 | 7.3% | $211,642 | 34.0% | 27.09% |
| 74 | Strongsville, OH | 46,165 | 4.6% | $319,958 | 40.0% | 27.53% |
| 75 | Oakwood, OH | 9,496 | 4.4% | $362,725 | 28.0% | 40.53% |
| 76 | Bexley, OH | 13,537 | 3.5% | $518,032 | 29.0% | 44.61% |
| 77 | Toronto, OH | 5,387 | 16.4% | $119,136 | 36.0% | 24.29% |
| 78 | Sunbury, OH | 6,933 | 7.7% | $430,380 | 34.0% | 41.44% |
| 79 | Milford, OH | 6,556 | 6.7% | $295,639 | 25.0% | 19.76% |
| 80 | Hudson, OH | 23,005 | 3.4% | $483,879 | 37.0% | 39.92% |
| 81 | Green, OH | 27,333 | 6.1% | $281,652 | 43.0% | 31.78% |
| 82 | Mount Vernon, OH | 16,861 | 20.0% | $219,414 | 28.0% | 26.28% |
| 83 | North Olmsted, OH | 32,244 | 11.0% | $236,837 | 35.0% | 26.49% |
| 84 | Lakewood, OH | 50,605 | 11.8% | $254,332 | 22.0% | 15.91% |
| 85 | Willoughby, OH | 23,823 | 7.2% | $211,748 | 32.0% | 18.78% |
| 86 | Hubbard, OH | 7,618 | 8.2% | $149,517 | 34.0% | 24.56% |
| 87 | Groveport, OH | 5,928 | 2.2% | $290,309 | 36.0% | 33.39% |
| 88 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | 50,916 | 9.5% | $190,568 | 33.0% | 23.67% |
| 89 | John, OH | 5,183 | 9.1% | $293,573 | 40.0% | 38.62% |
| 90 | Eaton, OH | 8,360 | 11.0% | $213,970 | 29.0% | 29.7% |
| 91 | Dover, OH | 13,118 | 12.2% | $202,856 | 37.0% | 25.19% |
| 92 | University Heights, OH | 13,649 | 11.2% | $241,309 | 23.0% | 28.74% |
| 93 | Bryan, OH | 8,670 | 14.5% | $175,007 | 27.0% | 23.3% |
| 94 | Brecksville, OH | 13,618 | 2.9% | $379,607 | 42.0% | 26.23% |
| 95 | Brookville, OH | 6,035 | 10.1% | $193,163 | 37.0% | 22.93% |
| 96 | Napoleon, OH | 8,888 | 13.3% | $183,089 | 35.0% | 33.08% |
| 97 | Upper Sandusky, OH | 6,537 | 7.1% | $166,406 | 38.0% | 27.57% |
| 98 | Lebanon, OH | 20,999 | 7.4% | $352,816 | 34.0% | 33.56% |
| 99 | Powell, OH | 14,113 | 1.4% | $544,262 | 37.0% | 47.95% |
| 100 | Willowick, OH | 14,213 | 6.1% | $173,013 | 38.0% | 23.13% |