Moving to the suburbs isn’t for everyone. But for many Americans, it’s a merit of success. If you’re moving out of the city, you’re likely trading an apartment for a multi-room house and a yard. If you’re moving from the country, perhaps you’re looking to be closer to the hustle and bustle of a big city without sacrificing too much space (and expense). No matter your reason for moving to the “burbs,” you may be interested in learning which U.S. cities offer the best suburban life.
The research team at Today’s Homeowner ranked more than 580 U.S. suburbs located outside 78 of the largest cities to find the best suburbs for first-time homebuyers. Our rankings are based on housing affordability, inventory, job market and livability (climate risk, entertainment and dining, etc.) metrics. Check out the Methodology section below to learn more about how we scored these cities.
Key Findings
- Bel Air, Md., is the best suburb to buy a home in America, ranking within the top 15 out of 583 for affordability and livability.
- Two suburbs of Wichita, Kan. — Newton and Andover — ranked in the top 10 suburbs (No. 5 and No. 9, respectively).
- Fort Mill, S.C. (suburb of Charlotte, N.C.) earned the highest “livability” score based on entertainment and dining options, low climate risk, and percentage of households with children.
- Of America’s most populous cities, these have the best-rated suburbs on average: Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Austin, Texas; and Washington, D.C.
The Best Overall Suburbs to Buy Your First Home
Where is the best suburb to buy a home? The list below shows the top 100 (of 583 total) best suburbs based on affordability, housing inventory, job market and livability factors.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Southern and Midwestern suburbs scored higher in our rankings for first-time homebuyers. Most of the top 100 suburbs are outside of up-and-coming urban areas that offer plenty of dining and entertainment options but still have affordable homes for sale.
Most Desirable Big City Suburbs For First-Time Homebuyers
To find the biggest U.S. cities that offer the best suburbs, we combined the average score from multiple suburbs of cities that had populations over 500,000 to find the “average suburb rank.” The following big cities had the highest-scoring suburbs:
Nashville, Tennessee
Music City has been a moving hot spot in recent years and is currently America's 22nd most populous city. For incoming residents who want a little distance from the hustle and bustle of Broadway, the city offers many wonderful suburbs — seven Nashville suburbs ranked in the top 100, three of which landed in the top 50:
- Brentwood, TN (No. 12)
- Spring Hill, TN (No. 17)
- Columbia, TN (No. 47)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Queen City has grown in population over the years, now ranking as America's 15th most populous city. According to our study, Charlotte has some of the best suburbs for prospective homebuyers, with four in the top 50 and six in the top 100 best suburbs ranking. The best Charlotte suburbs are:
- Fort Mill, SC (No. 2)
- Indian Trail (No. 14)
- Concord (No. 29)
Indianapolis, Indiana
According to our study, Indianapolis, the 16th most populous city in America, offers some of the best suburbs. Five Indianapolis suburbs ranked in our top 50, and eight Indianapolis suburbs ranked in our top 100 — more than any other big city. The top three Indianapolis suburbs are:
- Zionsville, IN (No. 10)
- Brownsburg, IN (No. 16)
- Fishers, IN (No. 31)
Austin, Texas
Austin has grown faster than any other U.S. metro in the last decade, with a 33% increase in population from 2010 to 2020. Despite its popularity, its suburbs remain affordable, making it one of the best big cities for first-time homebuyers to live near. While Austin only has two suburbs in the top 50, it’s especially notable because it has seven total suburbs in the top 100 — very impressive for the 10th largest city in America. The top three suburbs to buy a home near Austin are:
- Leander, TX (No. 11)
- Hutto, TX (No. 43)
- Cedar Park, TX (No. 64)
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital is the 24th most populous city in America and the fifth most expensive, making it difficult for new homebuyers to find a place within city limits. However, four of its Virginia suburbs made the top 100 list, with two ranking in the top 50. Its suburbs ranked particularly well in jobs and livability metrics, allowing Washington, D.C. to earn an average suburb rank of 13th out of 78. Not bad for the nation’s capital.
- Falls Church, VA (No. 26)
- Sterling, VA (No. 27)
- Vienna, VA (No. 91)
Least Attainable Big City Suburbs For First-Time Homebuyers
Many suburbs of the big cities didn’t fare too well in the overall rankings, with most taking a hit due to low home inventory and affordability. It’ll cost you to live near the big city — sometimes, even more so than in the city itself. Below are the five least attainable big cities (500,000-plus populations) to live near and the suburbs that weighed them down.
San Diego, California
San Diego is at the bottom regarding average suburb ranking — only Oakland ranks below it. San Marcos was the first San Diego suburb to even make the list, ranking No. 468 out of 583. The suburbs in “America’s Finest City” didn’t fare well mostly because they’re expensive and don’t have a lot of homes for sale, but none performed strongly in livability or job rank metrics, either. The worst San Diego suburbs for first-time homebuyers are:
- Encinitas, CA (No. 563)
- Carlsbad, CA (No. 556)
- El Cajon, CA (No. 554)
Los Angeles, California
It’s perhaps not too big of a surprise to learn that Los Angeles suburbs didn’t fare too well in our study, with the first L.A. suburb to even make the list (Palmdale) coming in at No. 470. Pasadena, California, ranked as the worst overall suburb for first-time homebuyers. Los Angeles had a very small gain on San Diego for worst suburbs, likely because it’s a bigger city with more suburbs. The bottom three were:
- Pasadena, CA (No. 583)
- Torrance, CA (No. 581)
- Pomona, CA (No. 573)
Las Vegas, Nevada
While Las Vegas suburbs offer more affordable housing options than the other cities in this section, Nevada ‘burbs lost many points across job and livability metrics. The first Vegas suburb to make the list was Enterprise, coming in at No. 453. The three worst Las Vegas suburbs for first-time homebuyers were:
- Paradise, NV (No. 576)
- Spring Valley, NV (No. 569)
- Winchester, NV (No. 567)
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is the ninth most expensive city, and its suburbs don’t offer much financial relief. Brockton was the best-ranking Boston suburb for first-time homebuyers but didn’t make the list until No. 312. Aside from housing costs, Beantown suburbs took a hit for having low housing inventory, with the three lowest-ranking being:
- Cambridge, MA (No. 557)
- Somerville, MA (No. 542)
- Lawrence, MA (No. 531)
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is just ahead of Boston as the eighth most expensive city in America, but its suburbs fared slightly better, on average, for first-time homebuyers. Most Seattle suburbs ranked within the top 100 for job-related metrics, including high household income and low unemployment rates. However, the worst three Seattle suburbs for first-time homebuyers are:
- Lynwood, WA (No. 516)
- Issaquah, WA (No. 514)
- Mercer Island, WA (No. 513)
Top Considerations for First-Time Homebuyers
We could write an entire article about tips for first-time homebuyers. But if you’re looking to move to the suburbs and have a little flexibility about location, we recommend considering the following factors.
Your Lifestyle
According to our study, Bel Air, Maryland, is the top U.S. suburb to buy a home. But if you dream of a home in the mountains, it’s probably not the best suburb for you. Consider your interests, hobbies, preferred climate and what you value most about a city to find the best place for your overall well-being.
Your Budget
Some opt to move out of the city for more affordable housing. But in some markets, the suburbs may be more expensive. Look up the average median sales price for homes in the suburbs and ensure it’s realistic for your budget. The famous rule of thumb is that your housing expenses are no more than 30% of your gross income. Additionally, you’ll need to consider the cost of moving. You can usually get more affordable moving rates if you’re more flexible about the time of year you move
Your Career
If your job requires you to show up in person, career should be a considerable factor when determining where you want to live. For example, Boston, Los Angeles and New York are the best places to work for nurses, while Pittsburgh, Birmingham and New York are among the best for police officers.
Consider moving to a place with less competition. For example, if you’re in construction, cities with the biggest shortage of skilled laborers could mean less competition and more business for you.
The City’s Potential
Some cities in the top 10 of our list may surprise you, but you must consider investment potential and “up-and-coming” neighborhoods. Suburbs with a high inventory of affordable homes may become untouchable in a few years. For example, Austin, Texas, is the fastest-growing U.S. metro, with its population rising 25% and its home prices increasing 55% between 2010 and 2020. Buying a home in the next boom-town suburb is a great way to ensure a future return on your investment.
Methodology
The research team at Today’s Homeowner compared 583 suburbs of the largest U.S. cities across 11 metrics spanning four categories to rank the best suburbs to buy a home in America. The suburbs were selected by taking the largest 100 cities by population and asking AI, “Can you provide a list of the 10 most popular suburbs of [city]?” The categories and metrics we considered are below:
Affordability (30%)
- Down payment-to-income ratio: We assumed a 6% down payment on the median home value in each suburb. We compared that figure to the median household income for individuals between the ages of 25 and 44. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 5-year 2021 American Community Survey.
- Under-45 homeownership rate: This is the percentage of people under 45 who are homeowners. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 5-year 2021 American Community Survey.
- Difference between suburb and city housing costs rank: The median monthly housing costs of the city minus the median monthly housing costs of the suburb. Data comes from the Census.
Inventory (10%)
- Homes for sale per 100,000 residents: The active supply of properties in the area per capita. Data comes from Redfin and is as of X.
- Median Days on Market: The average number of days homes for sale are on the market. Data comes from Redfin.
Job Opportunities (20%)
- 2022 unemployment rate: Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and is at the county level.
- Median household income. This is the median household income for individuals between the ages of 25 and 44. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 5-year 2021 American Community Survey.
Livability (30%)
- Climate risk: Data from the FEMA national risk index represents how vulnerable a county is to climate change/natural disasters.
- Entertainment establishments per 10,000 people: We considered all entertainment establishments, including movie theaters. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2021 County Business Patterns Survey.
- Restaurants per 10,000 people: We considered the number of full-service restaurants. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2021 County Business Patterns Survey.
- Percentage of households with children: This is the percentage of households with children under the age of 18. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 5-year 2021 American Community Survey.
Questions about our study? Please contact media@todayshomeowner.org.
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