The 8 Best Neighborhoods In Cincinnati For Young Professionals

Heather Robbins
by Heather Robbins

When you’re looking to live in a new neighborhood as a young professional in Cincinnati, you will likely be looking for a place that offers you the chance to socialize and engage in different community activities. In addition to low crime and affordable housing, you may also be searching for a place with a low cost of living.

We’ve put together this list of the top 8 neighborhoods to live in Cincinnati for young professionals; these neighborhoods include:

  • Downtown
  • East Walnut Hills
  • Hyde Park
  • Mount Adams
  • Mount Lookout
  • Oakley
  • Over-The-Rhine
  • Pleasant Ridge

We’ve put this list together for you to browse the Cincinnati neighborhoods by profession. That way, you can tell which neighborhood is best for you, depending on your career and goals. However, you can always commute as all of these neighborhoods are within the greater area of Cincinnati. There are many great neighborhoods in the city, and that’s one of the pros of living in Cincinnati.

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Top 8 Cincinnati Neighborhoods For Young Professionals

If you’re a young professional who is looking to relocate to Cincinnati, then this list is something you want to see! Here are the top eight best Cincinnati neighborhoods for young professionals:

1. Best For Professional Event Planners: Downtown

  • Walk Score: 90
  • Crime Rating: F
  • Transit Score: 79
  • Median Rent: $662

It is evident to most young professionals that living in Cincinnati that Downtown is one of the best options. The Ohio River and its banks have been chosen as spots for stadiums or ballparks by each Cincinnati professional sports team. This is not just because the city’s most spectacular festivals take place here, but also because many of Cincinnati’s best restaurants are in the downtown area.

Downtown Cincinnati also offers The Banks, a popular neighborhood filled with bars and restaurants with plenty of proximity to Cincinnati’s two major stadiums: Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals. A variety of festivals and events take place here all year round, making this a popular nightlife spot in the whole city.

This area doesn’t have much of a housing market, but there are plenty of opportunities to rent apartments, which is most likely what young professionals would seek when they’re just getting started in their careers and don’t yet know where they’d like to settle down.

2. Best Area For Professionals To Find Housing: East Walnut Hills

  • Walk Score: 58
  • Crime Rating: F
  • Transit Score: 47
  • Median Rent: $660

In addition to being located just 10 minutes from downtown, East Walnut Hills is another excellent neighborhood for young professionals. The downtown area of this neighborhood is known for its small but upscale restaurants and bars, one of which is The Woodburn Brewery, one of our favorite places to drink beer in the city.

The Branch restaurant is also home to a local coffee shop called Urbana Cafe, as well as one of the most secret bars in the city, called Night Drop, found in the basement. There are lots of restaurants, hotels, and bars within walking distance, and the neighborhood itself is quiet. This may explain why the area tends to attract young professionals seeking to rent and buy housing.

3. Best For Professionals In Hospitality: Hyde Park

  • Walk Score: 89
  • Crime Rating: C+
  • Transit Score: 72
  • Median Rent: $865

Hyde Park is an upscale neighborhood along the east side of the city that has some of the lowest crime rates in the city. Several restaurants, bars, and shops can be found in the neighborhood, so there are many places for you to grab a bite to eat and something to drink with your friends.

Moreover, Hyde Park is known for its walkability because you can get around the area on foot or by bike. Several excellent coffee shops can also be found in the neighborhood, including Hyde Perk, Awakenings, and Coffee Emporium. There are various parks in and around the neighborhood as well. These include Alms Park, Ault Park, and Otto Armleder Park.

Hyde Park’s housing and apartment prices are pretty high, which puts it out of the budgets of many young people, but for those who can, there’s a lot to love in terms of its low crime rate, an abundance of restaurants, and shops, and convenient location.

4. Best For Professional Curators: Mount Adams

  • Walk Score: 57
  • Crime Rating: C+
  • Transit Score: 63
  • Median Rent: $1,177

Five minutes from Downtown, Mount Adams is a favorite neighborhood of young professionals. It’s a beautiful place! The neighborhood also features several restaurants and bars, a terrific local coffee shop, Eden Park, the Krohn Conservatory, and the Seasongood Pavilion, in addition to the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Krohn Conservatory.

Amidst the weekday quietness, the area becomes a hotspot for nightlife on the weekends, thanks to the variety of bars in the area. As well as seasoned retirees and million-dollar homes, there are also a lot of young professionals who enjoy living there.

On the hilltop above Downtown Cincinnati, the Ohio River, and Northern Kentucky lies the OverTheRhine neighborhood, one of the most scenic places to live in Cincinnati. The rent for rental apartments in the area is affordable, but the prices of homes are very high.

5. Great For Professionals Looking To Expand Their Business: Mount Lookout

  • Walk Score: 38
  • Crime Rating: C+
  • Transit Score: 33
  • Median Rent: $778

Mount Lookout, located on the eastern side of the city, is another hub for young professionals. The location of the area is one of its major assets. Several establishments can be found in the town square, including the popular coffee shop Lookout Joe, a sushi restaurant, a pizza place, and several bars.

Mount Lookout is also known for being one of the safest neighborhoods in the city due to its upscale nature. Even though housing prices are quite expensive in Mount Lookout most of the time, rent in Mount Lookout is reasonably priced.

6. Best For Professionals Looking To Network: Oakley

  • Walk Score: 61
  • Crime Rating: C+
  • Transit Score: 40
  • Median Rent: $888

Oakley is a mecca for young professionals on the east side of the city. One of the largest and most popular young people’s neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Oakley boasts a multitude of restaurants, bars, shops, gyms, and other facilities that make it a prime place to live for younger people.

You may want to check out the following places in Oakland:

  • Deeper Roots Coffee & The Redtree Art Gallery
  • Oakley Station
  • Climb Time Oakley
  • The Amazing Restaurants, including Oakley Pub & Grill, and The Oak Tavern
  • Madtree Brewery

A large number of attractions also contribute to the high prices of homes and apartments in the area, which shows how in-demand it is to live here. But it’s great for those professionals who depending on networking to keep their businesses flowing.

7. Best For Professionals Who Are On Foot: Over-The-Rhine

  • Walk Score: 94
  • Crime Rating: F
  • Transit Score: 73
  • Median Rent: $678

The Over-The-Rhine neighborhood is located just north of Downtown Cincinnati and has developed into one of the city’s most lively and bustling districts in just the past decade. It offers an endless amount of interesting and affordable places to eat and drink in OTR, which is known for its high density of restaurants, bars, and breweries.

During the year, Washington Park holds more than a dozen festivals and concerts and is the city’s most famous park. There are also plenty of places to walk throughout the neighborhood, so you won’t need a car to get around. Not to mention, the rent is relatively low, so you’re able to save a few bucks when living in this neighborhood.

8. Best For Professionals With Tight Budgets: Pleasant Ridge

  • Walk Score: 43
  • Crime Rating: F
  • Transit Score: 40
  • Median Rent: $612

This tucked-away apartment community is a bit of a secret among young professionals. In addition to having a vibrant downtown area with establishments such as Nine Giant Brewing, several bars, coffee shops, a record store, and many restaurants, this area has low crime rates. Plus, it has affordable housing, making it a prime destination for young professionals.

This neighborhood is just 15 minutes from downtown, just 5 minutes from Oakley, and only a few minutes from French Park – one of the city’s best hiking spots. As compared to other neighborhoods such as Oakley or Hyde Park, Pleasant Ridge offers more affordable prices for buyers and renters alike. Young professionals are attracted to this area, and it’s no wonder why it’s grown in popularity in recent years.

While it’s not the most fantastic area to get around on foot or by public transportation, the low rental prices make it easier for people to afford and maintain a car. Therefore, the walkability aspect and transit aspects don’t matter unless you would rather not drive.

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Related Questions

Is Cincinnati a good place to live for young professionals?

According to a new report, Cincinnati is one of the best cities in the country for young professionals. A SmartAsset study ranked New York sixth among U.S. cities for the fourth consecutive year.


Is Cincinnati a dying city?

Ohio’s largest city is also among the nation’s fastest-declining. Statistics released today reveal that the city experienced the fastest population decline among 245 cities with more than 100,000 residents last year. In July 2003, Cincinnati’s population numbered 317 thousand 361 — a decrease of 0.5% from two years earlier.


Is it expensive to live in Cincinnati?

Cincinnati’s housing expenses are 24% lower than the national average, and the utility prices are 5% lower than the national average. Compared to the national average, bus fares and gas prices are 1% higher. It is 9% cheaper to buy groceries in Cincinnati than in the nation as a whole.

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Heather Robbins
Heather Robbins

Heather is a passionate writer who loves anything DIY. Growing up, she learned everything from home repairs to design, and wants to share her tips with you. When she's not writing, she's usually hiking or searching for her next DIY project.

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