If you’re considering moving to Cincinnati and you’re unfamiliar with the area, you might be interested in learning about the the pros and cons of the city before making your decision.
While there are tons of pros of Cincinnati living, there are a few cons that could influence your decision to move here. Fortunately for you, we’ve done the heavy lifting and compiled a list of all the good and the bad in this post.
The Pros of Living in Cincinnati
Here is a list of pros of living in the Queen City.
1. A Booming Job Market
One of the most practical reasons to move to Cincinnati is the booming job market.
The city is home to two major hospital systems that offer employment in the area in the form of UC Health and TriHealth. With dozens of individual locations, these two networks employ thousands of people around the Queen City in the healthcare industry.
Cincy is also home to several financial institutions that employ thousands of people around the city. Two of the larger institutions include Western & Southern Financial Group and Fifth Third Bank.
In addition, Cincinnati is also home to several major retail companies including Macy’s, The Kroger Company, and Proctor & Gamble.
2. Low Cost of Living
Another practical reason to move to Cincinnati is the low cost of living relative to other major cities around the country. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Queen City as the 10th most affordable city in the entire country for 2019 since the typical cost of living is 21% of the median household income. This means that the income you can earn in Cincinnati relative to the amount you’ll have to pay in expenses is quite good.
3. An Unparalleled Beer Scene
Cincinnati has an unparalleled beer scene. With over 40 different breweries located around the city ranging from massive breweries with rooftop bars to breweries housed in old churches to ones with outdoor volleyball courts, there is a mind-boggling amount of different places to enjoy a beer of any type around the city.
4. A Massive Park System
Whether you’re interested in going for peaceful walks, intense hikes, or you’re just looking to immerse yourself deep in a forest, Cincinnati has tons of green spaces around the city where you can do each of these things.
Many people who move to the area are actually shocked at the sheer amount of outdoor spaces to enjoy. From public areas with dog parks to nature centers with miles of hiking trails like the Cincinnati Nature Center to parks with beautiful lakes like Sharon Woods to hidden gardens like Glenwood Gardens, Cincinnati has it all.
For a complete catalog of green spaces around the city, check out this post where we compiled a list of every park, nature center, public garden, and forest in the area.
5. A Thriving Food Scene
Whether you love tacos, BBQ, wings, sushi, or some other type of dish, Cincinnati truly has something to offer to everyone in terms of food. For detailed lists of the best restaurants around the city, check out some of our specific guides:
The 17 Best Places to Get Tacos in Cincinnati
Ranking the 12 Best BBQ Places in Cincinnati
The 10 Best Places for Chicken Wings in Cincinnati
Ranking the 10 Best Places for Sushi in Cincinnati
The 13 Best Places to Get Brunch in Cincinnati
6. Beautiful Architecture
If there’s one thing that tends to surprise visitors more than anything, it’s the sheer amount of gorgeous architecture that can be seen around the city.
From the historic Music Hall in Over-The-Rhine to City Hall to the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park to historic houses sprinkled throughout the city with unique designs, Cincinnati is packed with a wide variety of architectural masterpieces.
For a glimpse at some of the incredible architecture around the city, check out the Instagram account Cincinnati Revealed, which regularly posts photos of unique shops, houses, and buildings around the city.
7. A Diverse Mix of Neighborhoods
Another pro of living in Cincinnati is the incredible diversity that you can experience simply from traveling from one neighborhood to the next.
Each neighborhood in the city literally has a culture of its own. From upscale Hyde Park to the unique Clifton Gaslight District to the incredible views of Mt. Adams to the hip culture of Northside to the vibrant activity at The Banks to the San Franciso-type feel of Columbia-Tusculum to the trendy vibes of Oakley and everything in between, each neighborhood in the city has its own personality.
This means that you don’t have to travel to a different state to feel like you’re in a new place; rather, you can just drive five minutes down the road and you’ll likely be in a completely different area with plenty of places to explore.
8. Plenty of Things to Do
Lastly, there’s always plenty of things to do and places to check out around the city. From hidden bars like Video Archive to the indoor botanical Krohn Conservatory to the annual Oktoberfest Festival to the city’s most hidden library, The Mercantile Library, to over 40 different independent coffee shops to Ohio’s oldest farmers’ market Findlay Market to year-round festivals and activities at Fountain Square, there is always something to do or some new place to check out around the city.
The Cons of Living in Cincinnati
While there are plenty of pros of living in Cincinnati, there are a few cons that you may want to be aware of.
1. Unpredictable Weather
If there’s one thing that locals tend to grumble about with regards to Cincinnati, it’s the unpredictable weather. It’s one of the few cities in the U.S. where it’s not uncommon to experience every season in one day.
Although the city doesn’t deliver beautiful sunny weather during 350 days a year like San Diego, it does offer a healthy dose of all four seasons, which means you can enjoy the sun in the summer, brisk mornings in the fall, snowfall in the winter, and gorgeous flowers in the spring.
2. Lack of Public Transportation
Cincinnati doesn’t have a dedicated subway system, and although it does have a Metro system and a streetcar system located mostly Downtown, it’s not exactly easy to get around the city in a quick and timely manner without using a car. This can be a turn off for some residents in larger cities who are used to being able to rely on a subway or similar public transit system.
3. Political Divide
Cincinnati is one of those cities that is divided evenly between Conservatives and Liberals, which means there can be political tension in the city. For those who aren’t interested in politics, this doesn’t present much of a problem, but it’s something to be aware of.
Conclusion
Cincinnati isn’t perfect by any means, but in our opinion the pros far outweigh the cons.
The income that you can earn in the city relative to the cost of living is incredible, there are plenty of things to do and places to visit year-round so you’re unlikely to go bored, there’s a plethora of excellent restaurants and public parks to check out, a mind-boggling amount of independent coffee shops, and an incredible brewery scene.
For those of us who live in Cincinnati, we know that it’s a hidden gem. And for those who aren’t familiar with the city, it represents an incredible area that’s rich with culture and just waiting to be discovered.
I lived in Cincy off and on in the 50s as a baby, and there from 1963-1967. I lived in the Clifton area near the zoo. All in all, it was a great place to live as a young person. I still love Cincinnati and return home for visits every year.