Most of my relocation clients arrive at Central Ohio sight unseen. They've taken a job at one of the big healthcare systems, or at Intel, or at a financial firm downtown. They've spent two weeks looking at houses on a phone screen, and they're trying to figure out — from another time zone — what kind of life Marysville, Dublin, Powell, or New Albany would actually be.
I love this work. Helping a family from Texas, California, or New Jersey land somewhere they'll genuinely thrive is one of the most satisfying parts of my job. So this is the long-form version of the conversation I'd want to have with you over coffee, if you were already here. What Central Ohio is, what each of the suburbs is genuinely like, and how to do this well from a thousand miles away.
Why people are moving to Central Ohio
The honest answer: the math works. You can buy a real four-bedroom house with a yard, in a strong school district, within commuting distance of a major metro, for a fraction of what the same lifestyle costs on either coast. Job growth is steady. Columbus has invested heavily in arts, food, and parks. Winters are real but not punishing. Summers are warm and green. The state is flat enough to bike, and a few hours of driving puts you on a great lake, in Appalachia, or in a major city in three different states.
On top of the lifestyle math, there's the employer story. Intel's investment in Licking County is reshaping the eastern side of the metro. JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide, and Huntington anchor downtown. Ohio State and the medical center anchor the central core. Honda anchors a swath of Union County north of Marysville. None of those employers are going anywhere, and the secondary economy that supports them — engineering, healthcare, logistics — keeps growing too.
The neighborhoods at a glance
Central Ohio is not one place — it's a constellation of suburbs, each with a different feel. Here's how I describe the ones I work in most often. These are intentionally short and conservative; the real version of any of these is a forty-minute drive together once you're in town.
Marysville
Marysville sits about 30 miles northwest of downtown Columbus, in Union County. Honda's North American operations are anchored just outside town, which gives it a real economic backbone separate from the metro. Downtown Marysville has a small, walkable square with local restaurants and a farmer's market. The schools are well-regarded, taxes are reasonable for the metro, and you can still find newer construction with land. If you want a small-town feel without giving up access to big-city employers, this is where I'd start.
Dublin
Dublin is the polished northwest suburb. Excellent schools, a charming historic district along the Scioto River, the Memorial Tournament, and a strong corporate base. It tends to price higher than its neighbors, but you're paying for the schools, the amenities, and the commute. If you want established trees, top-rated public schools, and a clear identity, Dublin is the easy answer.
Powell
Powell sits north of Dublin and has grown quickly in the last decade. Olentangy schools are a major draw. The Liberty Township feel is suburban and family-oriented, with newer subdivisions, ample parks, and quick access to U.S. 23 and 315. If Dublin feels a touch too established for your budget, Powell is often where people land.
New Albany
New Albany is on the metro's east side and has a deliberately planned, manicured feel — Georgian architecture, white fences, a strong civic identity, and one of the highest-rated school districts in the state. The corporate corridor on the north edge is anchored by major healthcare and tech employers. Inventory tends to be tighter and prices higher, but the consistency of the experience is unmatched.
Westerville
Westerville is the established northeast suburb. A historic Uptown district with local restaurants and shops, strong schools (both Westerville City Schools and small private options), and quick access to I-270 and Polaris. Housing stock ranges from mid-century to brand-new. A great pick if you want walkable downtowns and don't need to be on the metro's west side.
Hilliard
Hilliard is the practical west-side suburb. Good schools, an old town center that's been getting steady investment, and a price band that runs a little lower than Dublin or Upper Arlington for similar square footage. If your job is on the west side or in the Innovation Park corridor, Hilliard's commute math is hard to beat.
Bexley
Bexley is the leafy in-town pocket, a small independent city completely surrounded by Columbus. Brick streets, mature trees, a strong walking culture, and fast access to downtown and the medical center. If you want a real urban-feeling neighborhood with one of the most distinct identities in the metro, Bexley is the answer. It tends to price like the small luxury suburb it effectively is.
Schools, in plain English
Central Ohio's public schools are generally strong, with several districts that consistently rank near the top of state. New Albany, Dublin, Olentangy (which serves much of Powell), and Bexley have particularly strong reputations. Marysville, Hilliard, and Westerville are well-regarded too. There's a healthy private and parochial scene as well — Columbus Academy, Wellington, St. Charles Prep, and several Catholic K-8s among them.
I won't tell you which district is 'best' — that depends on your kids, your priorities, and how your family learns. What I will do, when we work together, is give you honest, on-the-ground feedback from clients who've placed kids in each district recently. That feedback is more useful than any state ranking.
Commute notes
Columbus is a driving city. The good news: traffic is mild compared to almost any peer metro. The bad news: the metro is sprawling, so where you live relative to where you work matters a lot. A few rules of thumb:
- Downtown commute: Bexley, Westerville, Hilliard, Dublin, and Upper Arlington are all 20 to 35 minutes door-to-door in normal traffic.
- Polaris / north corporate corridor: Westerville, Powell, and Lewis Center are the natural picks; New Albany works too.
- New Albany / east corporate corridor (including Intel-adjacent Licking County): New Albany and Westerville are obvious; Bexley works for the medical-tech crowd.
- Honda / Marysville plant: Marysville, Plain City, and Richwood are right there; Dublin and Powell are 25 to 35 minutes.
- Working remote: open up the whole map — even Marysville, Plain City, and Richwood become legitimate options because you're not paying for proximity in commute time.
How my remote-tour process works
If you can't fly in for every showing, we can absolutely buy a home well from a thousand miles away. I've done it many times. Here's what that looks like in practice.
First, we have a video call to talk through your budget, your priorities, and the suburbs that match your job and family. I'll send you a curated tour of three or four neighborhoods on video — driving the streets, narrating what I'm seeing, showing the grocery stores and parks, not just the houses. That alone usually narrows your shortlist to two or three places.
When listings hit, I tour them in person and send you a private walkthrough video the same day — open closets, run faucets, check the basement, point out flags. We FaceTime live for the homes that make the cut. I represent your interests in inspection and negotiation as if you were standing next to me. Many of my relocation clients first set foot in their new house on closing day. That's a real thing we can do well together.
Tips for landing well
Buying the house is half the relocation. Settling in is the other half. A few things I tell every relocating client:
- Keep your closing date flexible if you can. Aligning a sale on your old home with a purchase here gets easier when both sides have a week of cushion.
- Plan a 48-hour visit before you commit if at all possible. Even a single weekend on the ground will give you a feel for distances and lifestyle that no video can.
- Talk to two lenders. Out-of-state buyers sometimes get rate-shopped harder than locals — get real loan estimates from at least two before you lock.
- Don't underestimate winter. Buy snow tires or all-weather tires before December, and budget for a real coat and boots if you're coming from a warm climate.
- Join one local thing in your first month. A gym, a place of worship, a Saturday class, a parents' group at school. The people who feel at home fastest are the ones who plug in early.
“Buying a home is hard. Buying one in a city you've never lived in is harder. The fix is the same either way — a local you trust, who'll tell you the truth, and who's done this enough times to see what you can't yet.”
— Jazzy
Let's talk about your move
Whether your move is six weeks out or six months out, I'd love to hear what's pulling you to Central Ohio and where you're hoping to land. Send me a note with a little about your job situation, family, and budget, and I'll come back with a real shortlist of suburbs and a plan for how we'd work together from wherever you are.
