Money magazine has confirmed what many Mason residents have long suspected.
The magazine announced Monday that the Warren County community is the 24th best place to live in its survey of smaller towns and cities.
The annual rankings are based on factors such as great job opportunities, top-notch schools, safe streets, good weather, things to do, economic strength, and more.
The city of 33,100 was cited for its high-ranking schools, recreational opportunities and housing prices.
“Families love Mason for one main reason: The schools. They consistently perform among the best in the state, placing 5th out of 613 Ohio school districts in 2010,” Daniel Bortz wrote.
“Another plus: Residents are a 25-minute drive to jobs in Cincinnati, thanks to close proximity to two major interstates. Add in three public golf courses, a water park, and the Kings Island amusement park, and you’ve got lots of recreation for families,” Bortz said.
“Houses here aren’t dirt-cheap but aren’t over the top either: the median value of a single-family home was $350,000 in mid-2011,” concluded Bortz.
The ranking is not new for Mason — the city landed as No. 81 on Money’s 2007 list of the 100 best places to live in America (all of them cities with 50,000 or fewer people).
“It’s great to see Money magazine recognize the same things that I and many of our residents know and love about Mason– this is a very special community with outstanding schools,” said Mason City Schools Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline.
See Money’s complete list of top-ranked communities here.0
