2008 Rating the Suburbs - #3 Mayfield Village

While I-271 roars by and construction tears up nearby Mayfield Heights’ main drag, little Mayfield Village stays tranquil and builds on its small-scale character. The former Mayfield United Methodist Church reopened in October as the village-owned Reserve Hall, a beautiful 192-seat theater that will soon host plays. Only about a third of the town’s homes have sidewalks, but the village has put a lot of effort into becoming more walkable, with 7 miles of trails linking town parks to the North Chagrin Reservation. In fact, parks make up about 40 percent of the village. Progressive Insurance’s headquarters anchors the tax base, so the village can spend lots on recreation and still keep taxes relatively low. Residents pay $1,630 in property taxes on a $100,000 home, and if they work outside of town, they pay no income tax to the village. Plenty of annual events bring the little town together: the Fifties Cruise Night, an all-day Fourth of July party, free summer concerts at the town center on Thursday nights, and Santa Claus’ annual trip through town on a fire truck.

population: 3,191
square miles: 3.98
school district: Mayfield City Schools
percentage parkland: 40%

 

A Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Center will open in the fall.