Ohio Has a Lot More Going for It Than the Internet Admits
Think you really know Ohio? It's a state with Cedar Point coasters that could turn knuckles fluorescent white, Skyline Chili that you'll have to fork at 2 am (it's served over spaghetti, yes, really), and Hocking Hills caves that are cooler than your AC. Let's run through the facts, stats, and goetta lore that showcase what makes Ohio's next Buckeye bragging rights showdown.
Heather, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Heather has lived in Ohio for 36 years, minus a brief three-year stint in Kentucky (thanks, parents). Born in Appalachian southeastern Ohio, she later moved to the city and spent years wondering where all the cows went and why everyone was suddenly in such a darn hurry. She's adapted...mostly. That culture shock taught her Ohio doesn't get enough credit for its range of flat farmland, Amish hills, and mini mountains all crammed into one state. When she's not writing copy while binging true crime podcasts, she's hunting down a "bubble" from Jackson County (if you know, you know) or stealing the last slice of pie from her husband at So Pizza in Miamisburg. She's telling you about So Pizza with reluctance, because long lines would ruin everything. At Snappy Scout, Heather writes Ohio guides that don't waste your time and occasionally drops puns that may or may not land. You've been warned.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Ohio Ohio?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Ohio
The Buckeye State, The Heart of It All
Local Reality Check
Rust Belt gloom? Try booming Columbus, world class healthcare (Cleveland Clinic, anyone?), metro parks, breweries, tech.
You're most likely moving from
California, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and priced out Chicagoans.
Strangely large concentration of
Drive thru beverage barns (you can get beer, pop, and ice cream without leaving your car), buckeye candy, covered bridges (Ashtabula County alone has 19), presidential birthplaces.
Music scene
Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall, Columbus indie, Cincinnati funk roots, Akron punk (hello Devo and Black Keys).
You'll have to see it to believe it
Cincinnati's abandoned subway tunnels (built in the 1920s, never finished, just sitting there).
Unique Geography
Glaciated plains, Lake Erie islands (Put-in-Bay gets wild in summer), Hocking Hills caves and gorges.
Ohio is home to
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar Point (aka America's Roller Coast), OSU, Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Well known for its
buckeye candies (peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate), cornfields, football fandom, swing state politics, roller coasters.
Fun history fact
First electric traffic signal installed in Cleveland in 1914.
Celebrity sightings
LeBron around Akron, Dave Chappelle in Yellow Springs (owns a comedy club there), Joe Burrow in Athens.
Noteworthy Census stat
7th most populous state in the 2020 Census.
Most interesting sub-culture within Ohio
Holmes County Amish buggy culture (largest Amish population in the world).
Population
7th by population, 34th by land size
Ohio is roughly the same geographic size as
Bulgaria
Locals Know Best
Ohio town names will straight-up mess with you if you say them like they look on the map. For example: Wooster is “WUSS-ter,” not “WOO-ster.”
Bellefontaine is “bell-FOUN-tuhn,” not “bell-fon-tayne.”
Versailles is “ver-SALES,” like the French one but with zero fancy accent.
Just roll with whatever the gas station attendant says and you’ll sound less like a tourist. We notice.
— Heather Taylor
Ohio Local Expert
Ready to See If Ohio Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Ohio guide for the bigger picture.