What areas might he find good schools.

I would like to be central or western-but if I can find a small farm with good schools- that's the target.


Thank you!

I believe if you stay away from the bigger cities good schools is no problem finding in rural areas. Great schools that are exceptional might be a different story.

I live near South Vienna.  Other, similar nearby cities include London, West Jefferson, Mechanicsburg, Urbanna, New Carlisle, South Charleston

Excellent, small mostly farm-kids school system.  The school isn't terribly unlike the kind of school I grew up in, in the 80s.  Teachers and staff seem to care a lot. Parents are pretty involved.
They are one of the poorer school systems, but I don't think that seems to matter in terms of quality teachers.  As added bonus, they will have a new school completed next school year.  K - 12 grades being built in 3 buildings on one large property.  Here's link to school district  http://www.northeastern.k12.oh.us/ (there's a live cam of the new project, but it doesn't show a whole lot, since it is a large construction zone, and the camera is on top of 1 story existing building)

Located west of Columbus, right on I-70, so easy access to Columbus, Springfield and Dayton.

The Walmart (not bad at all in rural Ohio),  Kroger and Meijer are all good places to shop
Columbus is 30 minutes east, for real shopping.
Springfield is 15 minutes west for Lowes/HD/10 sit-down chain restaurants like Texas Roadhouse/Doctors/Dentists, etc...

Housing is as inexpensive as anywhere in the state (decent homes for sub-$200k, larger rural farms/compounds may go $300-450), but not a ton of options.  
I am currently looking for a home, and unfortunately many sell within 24 hrs.  If you are in a township, outside of the cities, there will be no zoning to worry about.

A pretty good indoor range in Springfield that does indoor bi-weekly tactical shooting classes, and other things like that.  Not state of the art, but a good place to shoot and talk.  Run by a really good guy.  Mad River Armory

There are really good state parks within 30 minutes in multiple directions.  John Bryan State Park is a gorgeous place to hike.

If you have any other questions feel free to reach out.

ETA -  I know a really motivated realtor, if you want a contact.  She lives in Mechanicsburg, and handles a pretty large area.  I coincidentally called her because I wanted to look at a home that she listed.  It turns out she owns(?) the real estate office, and my realtor (who isn't very motivated, but sold my last home, because he knows everyone in my old town of S Charleston) works there.
I got an incredibly upbeat, motivated, vibe from her.  Because my current realtor is an employee/subcontractor(?) of hers, I opted to stick with mine so it wouldn't be awkward, and I am only casually looking right now for the "right place" while I rent a house.  I'm not related or friends; she just struck me as someone who would work her ass off to find me a place.


Many people like Marysville, and I believe it is a good place to live.  But, it is much more costly because it has Honda employees, and is close enough to NW Columbus (Dublin, OH) where a lot of wealthy businesses reside, and so their employees build the typical 3000sq ft house on 1/2 acre for $450k.  Another thing to consider, north of 70, and west of Columbus, be very aware of flooding.  It is INCREDIBLY flat, with very little drainage.  I think because of glaciers during the ice age.  I am talking about an area north of 70, along SR 42 and SR 29 ( about 20 mins west of the Columbus outer-belt - I-270)



What price range? How much land? Barn? Shooting?


Here's an interesting place... The house looks crappy, but is huge, and so is the proprty.  Not sure what's up as not many pictures.  Price is low for the nice piece of land, which makes me think the house is terrible. (no pics)
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/8500-Jones-Rd_South-Vienna_OH_45369_M37099-60353

Super informative! Tyvm.

So you are telling me the rural- South Vienna- South charleston, the rural schools are good? That's good to know.

I'm pretty flexible on the where, 10-15 minutes off the interstate, 5 or 10 exits from the city. Off that road down the other country road.

And yes, yes, yes on all those  

I would say anywhere in Darke county. It’s extremely rural and dark red it’s so republican. Versailles and Greenville have brand new schools, they are really nice. A little farther away from the interstate but that means less traffic.

What I find interesting about the Cleveland metro area is it is much much larger than most imagine.  It's a huge triangle from Vermilion to Painsville and south below Canton.  Finding land anywhere in that triangle is pretty expensive, and not necessarily very rural.  

Attached File

Great information. I’ll add in Cedarville and Jamestown for places close to these. Country, but still fairly close to everything.

All these schools mentioned are super conservative for being public schools.

In the ne, I see places all the way up in the corner.

I have no desire to live lake effect snow the rest of my days.

And scratch cedarville. I love the town- don't want dewine for a neighbor.

Shitter’s full! Sorry.

Our public school districts aren’t anything to write home about. Since that’s part of your criteria.. I’d look elsewhere.

Urbana-West Liberty here, 43078 and the surrounding area meet your criteria

I always liked urbana- st paris is on my list. Good to hear those schools are decent. Thank you!

I don’t live there anymore but I miss when I lived outside Jefferson. Life just seemed simpler and more pure out there. The snow isn’t ideal but you make the best of it

Fair point about DeWine. He’s a tool.

@rogueboss use to live just down the road?

GD is going to be even more traumatic moving forward!

Yup

Route 11 landlocked family property when they put it In

I hauleda lot of rock to the outlet malls and shopped a few Christmases there too.

I like that area-how are the schools?

Any of you guys that way know mickey mouse? If so-give him my regards!

DeWine is old as hell: he'll be inconsequential soon enough, and forgotten.
I wouldn't base anything off where he lives.

I live on 40 acres a couple miles outside of st paris. Not bad around here, but I’m not really very social minded. Bars disappeared over last few years. New schools, but i have no kids in them, so all i get to do is pay taxes for it. I did see a couple punk looking kids the other day that couldn’t pull their pants up all the way, but usually the kids look normal around here. Whoever owns the giant, fenced in mansion in middle of town is a piece of shit blm/biden supporter who leaves giant banners up to piss off everybody else. I did notice more democrap supporters this election in town. Fucking townies,,,

1 hour from columbus, 20 minutes from springfield, 45 minutes from dayton, 20 minutes from piqua, 25 minutes from Indian Lake and Bellefontaine, 5 minutes from kiser lake(don’t get in the water sometimes???)

Enough gun shops around to keep you going. Black wing in Delaware, and one in springfield mentioned shoot indoors, but i shoot in back yard so I don’t know costs.

Lots of tractor parts available. Decent hardware store in st paris and Ace in Urbana. Miniature auto parts store in st paris that is very good.

New fire station in St Paris(couple years old)

New hangers at urbana airport.

Good cupcakes at a place intersection of rt235 and rt40 past new carlisle. What else you want?

Rt 36 running east/west seems to be a weather wall. Snow and fog seem to go away when south of 36

FWIW will second the London S Charleston S Vienna area (I'm in the middle of london and s vienna). Good schools, not overly taxed yet, easy access to I70 (Cols and Dayton). As for me great neighbors (not sure they'd say the same ??) most everyone shoots around here. Most shopping is within 20 minutes or so, less fir basics.

Any deals in realestate go fast but there always seems there is something available. Somebody just over paid for an adjoining property but they got suckered in by a 1900s brick farmhouse (in need of complete renovation, a fallen in post frame barn and of course me as the greatest neighbor ever!). Where are you looking to be budget wise?

Other requirements? How many bedrooms, pature/barn etc.

The area between London and Washington ch is like what I have in my mind-knowing the schools are good helps.

I thought I wanted 50 acres-the more I work this through in pre-planning, I think 75 or 100 may go better.

I'm wanting a decent barn, I'd like a small patch of woods, a pond would be a plus.

I will second the London-South Vienna if you want access to bigger cities--except for the fact Leisure and my little sister are neighbors, the place ain't too bad!!

Also--Miami/Darke counties are close to Dayton, and within an hour and a half to Columbus and 2 hours to Toledo--lots of elevation changes, farm ground, and streams/woods there.  Where I grew up, still have family on farms down there.  If you get there, and need work, let me know,

The further you get from Tastytown (columbus) the cheaper your land is going to get. Madison county expect around $10k an acre, of course the more you buy the cheaper it usually gets. You got a tall order there. We'll keep our eyes open for you.

The super liberal Denison people don’t help the area.

I have a house in Alexandria that I am preparing to sell.  It’s near Granville, but in a very red part of the county.  Good people, good schools... and a bar up the road.

The Nests food has gotten so much better when they renovated it.  The Rona forced them to remove the pool tables, but it was a great place to hang out before the world ended.  

Village Taco went out of business a year or so ago... well they moved it to Columbus.  It was vegan only, which doesn’t fly so well in rural Alexandria.

Who ever thought a vegan taco place would work in Alexandria is crazy.  It was busy for a few months, Granville people and the uninformed, but the first time I went I thought something was off.  The I found out it was vegan... they weren’t even out front with it that I saw.

I need to move closer to the farm or I would stay here in Alexandria.  Good location and good people for sure.

Hey there neighbor! Do you know if they still have a shooting range up by Kiser lake? I used to go to some competitions years ago.

I live between Fletcher and St. Paris. Moved here about 4 years now. My daughter goes to Miami East Elementary which we’ve been very happy with. The area is great, not too far from I-75.

The range by the lake is gone as far as I know I think it was sued out of existance by shithead neighbors.

Yup. Lead contamination allegations from an adjacent neighbor beyond the trap range pretty much shut down all shooting activity at the Kiser Lake sportsman club a few years ago.

Full disclosure its my parents house... but we shoot on it, and it buts up to blackhand gorge and a state forrest.... super trump area and all the neighbors look pit for each other.

Rockhaven house for sale

IDK that area very well-i read the great school webpage, I know zville area had well rated schools.

You have to read thru the ratings- one fucked up student trashes a score.

Like that house-love under house garage. I want more dirt. I cannot justify a back hoe and bobcat with 10 acres. ;)

I"m 20 min south of there, Lewisburg. School is small and teachers are conservatives. My sons high school has around 70 per grade.
1 mile to I70, 20 min to IN, 30 min to Dayton.
But it is kind of flat and boring terrain, at least for me since I dirt bike. I travel to Chillicothe  and SE of there around McArthur, Laurelville.

It’s a shame that it was closed down, I enjoyed the laid back not too competitive style of the shoots. During that time the drive was a long one for me so I only went a few times. I feel like I did meet you there once though.

Are there any ranges in the area? I can shoot on my property, but it would be nice to have a longer range and maybe attend matches?

We have you surrounded! My son works in fletcher and i live outside of st paris. I am relatively new too. Moved from indian lake to here 11 years ago.

Save your money and send your kids to private school. High property taxes and levies are for life, tuition ends

Most rural areas don't have nearby private schools.

What ZW17 and turfegineer said.

The Granville/Alexandria/Johnstown area is a great little circle of the world... I’m on a rural property about 10min from all three. Good schools, friendly conservative people, nice small town restaurants to enjoy. I really can’t complain. Are there other places I would rather live? Sure. But God damn it’s home... and it’s a great place to raise a family.

Columbus isn’t too far if you need a city to make a living but it’s far enough for now. I do worry about the sprawl from Columbus creeping our way but for now, life is great. It’s relatively affluent for a rural area without being uppity (minus maybe downtown Granville.) Not overrun with methbillies.

It’s been 8 months since I’ve been home. This thread makes me miss it like crazy.

I looked once upon a time-parochial schools are cheaper here than back there.

Unless you want a college payment now, we have those too.

I would like a good public rural system if that exists-if it doesn't I may home school them, we will see.

What would you consider a good public school? I don't think your kid is going to get smart at a public school, I don't think any kind of school can MAKE you smarter. It's up to the individual what they want to learn.
To me my sons school is good in that it is not full of liberals, doesn't kick a kid out for having a tictak or making food into gun shapes. My son did a history day project on a Vietnam hero from the area, his story board had lots of war pictures and even a toy M16.

The hero
William Hart Pitsenbarger (July 8, 1944 – April 11, 1966) was a United States Air Force Pararescueman who flew on almost 300 rescue missions during the Vietnam War

If it's not a left wing indoctrination camp, I'm good.

A group of guys like this with no major complaints is probably what I'm looking for.

You are correct-what they learn is on them.