Facebook/New Albany Country Club
Residents of New Albany, Ohio, lead a charmed life.
A 21-minute drive from Columbus, New Albany has a population of 8,135 with a median household income of $185,076.
Education
The tiny community scores high marks for its 200-acre learning campus for grades K-12. Every school within the district has earned a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
For older kids, the commute to Ohio State University is 20 minutes. Over 99% of residents have a high school diploma and 79% have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Housing and Safety
With a home ownership rate of nearly 94%, the median home value in New Albany is $485,2000. According to Zillow, the largest real estate network on the web, there are 114 active public listings in the city, with prices starting at $200,000 and topping out at $4.9 million.
The New Albany Country Club and New Albany Links are among the area's most sought-after neighborhoods, according to Trulia.
Zillow This 9,543-square-foot home near the New Albany Country Club is asking $1.9 million.
Crime data from the FBI counts 25 instances of violent crime per 100,000 people in the city. In the New Albany Police Department's September 2015 report, there are four cases of theft/larceny, two of domestic violence, and one of disorderly conduct.
Some of the year-to-date police department stats include eight burglaries, one rape, and 14 assaults. Arrests for child endangerment and kidnapping have been at zero since 2014. The poverty rate in the idyllic community is a low 1.2%.
Recreation
Residents stay active with over 600 acres of public parks and green space. Between Bevelhymer Park, Thompson Road Park, and Wexner Community Park, locals have access to baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse fields, tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, and plenty of walking trails.
Facebook/New Albany, Ohio Government
Thirty miles of trails connect each neighborhood to the New Albany Market Square, Village Center, and learning campus.
There's even a walking club that organizes the New Albany Walking Classic - the nation's largest walking-only race.
New Albany is also home to the New Albany Classic Grand Prix, the top specialty equestrian event in the nation that raises awareness of domestic violence.
Its premier gem is the New Albany Country Club, which features the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus championship golf course. Members also enjoy a grand clubhouse with three restaurants and a 250-seat ballroom, 18 tennis courts, five pools, a 30,000-square-foot health club.
For a dose of culture, the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts promises live music, theater, dance, and a series of lectures. The center also hosts local school productions.
Thirty miles of walking trails connect the quintessential neighborhoods to Market Square, a pedestrian-friendly destination full of shops, cafés, and the New Albany Farmers Market.
From its annual Fourth of July and Founder's Day parades to special events like the Taste of New Albany, the Ohio suburb is, according to its website, "a master planned community built upon the best traditions of small town America."