The 10 Best Akron Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 74 places around Akron to identify the most in demand places to live.

Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best Akron suburbs.

Big city living isn't for everyone--but at the same time, urban areas certainly have their perks.

There's the culture, the food, the arts, the food, the energy, and you know, the food. But there are drawbacks. There's traffic, expensive parking, expensive housing--pretty much, expensive everything, depending on which big city you're looking at.

But that's where the suburbs come in--they have all of the benefits of being near big cities, without actually having to be big cities.

Of course, not all suburbs of Akron are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado...

What's the best suburb of Akron? Oakwood ranks as the best suburb of Akron for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Oakwood, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 Akron 'burbs better than the rest--but first, a bit about our methodology.

Note: This result may differ from our state wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a larger selection of suburbs.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Ohio:

The 10 Best Akron Suburbs To Live For 2022

Oakwood is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Akron area. We'll tell you the good about "Awesome Oakwood."

Everyone here is rich; families average $121,250 a year, which is the 6th highest in the Akron region. And only 0.98% are out of work. Homes average more than $261,100 each.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 8,958
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $121,250
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%
Poverty Rate: 6.0%
More on Oakwood: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Oakwood, OH

South Russell is the second best 'burb we looked at near Akron for 2022.

It ranks 3rd for incomes in the area and only 1.41% of residents lack insurance, good for 6th best.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 3,761
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Income: $133,750
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on South Russell: Real Estate | Data

Here in Pepper Pike, it's really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you'll see in the Akron metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Pepper Pike.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 6,319
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $182,743
Unemployment Rate: 1.7%
Poverty Rate: 4.4%
More on Pepper Pike: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Pepper Pike, OH

Chagrin Falls ranks as the 4th best suburb of Akron for 2022.

You won't find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Chagrin Falls and the schools are some of the best around.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 3,935
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Median Income: $81,029
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
Poverty Rate: 2.3%
More on Chagrin Falls: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Chagrin Falls, OH

Source: Public domain

Coming in as the fifth best is Silver Lake.

Silver Lake gets kudos for having the 15th most expensive homes in the Akron area, where houses sell for an average of $234,200. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,496
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Income: $114,688
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 2.2%
More on Silver Lake: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Silver Lake, OH

Source: Public domain

Hudson is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here's why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 2.88% which is 2best in the area.

According to online reports, Hudson is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Akron area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 22,249
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Income: $133,418
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Hudson: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Hudson, OH

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Independence.

Independence schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it's only 21.5 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 7,167
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Median Income: $105,107
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Poverty Rate: 1.2%
More on Independence: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Independence, OH

Source: Public domain

Broadview Heights is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 3.4% of people lack insurance, good for 34th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 19,195
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Income: $87,815
Unemployment Rate: 1.7%
Poverty Rate: 1.8%
More on Broadview Heights: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Broadview Heights, OH

Is 'Everything Better In Moreland Hills?'

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it's really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,315
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Income: $170,391
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%
Poverty Rate: 1.3%
More on Moreland Hills: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Moreland Hills, OH

Source: Public domain

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 is Solon.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It's far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 22,858
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Median Income: $114,214
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 3.6%
More on Solon: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Solon, OH

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Akron for 2022

Figuring out the best suburbs around Akron was pretty simple; we just needed to list several things that people like, and then find out which cities have the most of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High Median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

Then we used the newest American Community Survey data for 2016-2020 to research each suburb.

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Akron.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 76 suburbs to evaluate around Akron.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 76 in each category, where 1 was the "best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index the "Best Suburb near Akron." We're lookin' at you, Oakwood. You can download the data here.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best of the best. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Akron 'Burbs of 2022

We said it once and we'll say it again--life in the big city isn't for everyone. At least not all the time.

So if you're hankering for some of the amenities of a larger city like Akron, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Akron Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Oakwood, OH 8,958 $121,250
2 South Russell, OH 3,761 $133,750
3 Pepper Pike, OH 6,319 $182,743
4 Chagrin Falls, OH 3,935 $81,029
5 Silver Lake, OH 2,496 $114,688
6 Hudson, OH 22,249 $133,418
7 Independence, OH 7,167 $105,107
8 Broadview Heights, OH 19,195 $87,815
9 Moreland Hills, OH 3,315 $170,391
10 Solon, OH 22,858 $114,214
11 Strongsville, OH 44,675 $90,377
12 Olmsted Falls, OH 8,892 $80,538
13 Reminderville, OH 4,384 $91,591
14 Beachwood, OH 11,627 $88,709
15 Shaker Heights, OH 27,148 $88,635
16 Fairlawn, OH 7,536 $72,088
17 Twinsburg, OH 18,754 $82,760
18 Macedonia, OH 11,942 $96,029
19 Valley View, OH 2,075 $83,233
20 Seven Hills, OH 11,597 $81,128
21 University Heights, OH 12,908 $80,817
22 Stow, OH 34,770 $76,883
23 North Royalton, OH 30,179 $69,788
24 Brecksville, OH 13,521 $105,527
25 Brunswick, OH 34,902 $70,384
26 Aurora, OH 16,165 $113,438
27 Middleburg Heights, OH 15,514 $68,125
28 Richfield, OH 3,767 $63,692
29 Orange, OH 3,269 $124,271
30 Green, OH 25,737 $81,899
31 Tallmadge, OH 17,681 $74,783
32 Medina, OH 26,026 $66,691
33 Northfield, OH 3,667 $65,629
34 Hartville, OH 3,054 $44,797
35 North Canton, OH 17,244 $60,473
36 Wadsworth, OH 23,789 $66,920
37 New Franklin, OH 14,143 $75,807
38 Berea, OH 18,713 $60,292
39 Mogadore, OH 3,724 $69,250
40 Creston, OH 2,020 $62,623
41 Walton Hills, OH 2,221 $86,071
42 Munroe Falls, OH 5,069 $59,406
43 Canal Fulton, OH 5,413 $48,908
44 Seville, OH 2,596 $59,400
45 Louisville, OH 9,336 $58,547
46 Cuyahoga Falls, OH 49,191 $60,280
47 Wooster, OH 26,557 $52,366
48 Cleveland Heights, OH 44,176 $59,086
49 Parma Heights, OH 19,916 $51,328
50 Orrville, OH 8,281 $58,211
51 Norton, OH 11,984 $73,146
52 Parma, OH 78,623 $58,011
53 Bedford, OH 12,555 $45,945
54 Streetsboro, OH 16,444 $64,667
55 Brook Park, OH 18,486 $56,302
56 Massillon, OH 32,484 $48,268
57 Lakemore, OH 3,070 $47,320
58 Bedford Heights, OH 10,530 $43,912
59 Grafton, OH 6,017 $67,455
60 Kent, OH 29,698 $36,809
61 Brooklyn, OH 10,788 $52,341
62 Lodi, OH 2,870 $43,370
63 Maple Heights, OH 22,178 $43,036
64 Garrettsville, OH 2,497 $49,754
65 Brewster, OH 2,254 $45,733
66 Warrensville Heights, OH 13,178 $39,919
67 Garfield Heights, OH 27,673 $43,901
68 Barberton, OH 26,030 $41,119
69 Ravenna, OH 11,436 $38,011
70 Newton Falls, OH 4,494 $41,918
71 Alliance, OH 21,671 $36,883
72 Cleveland, OH 383,331 $31,838
73 Rittman, OH 6,439 $47,664
74 Sebring, OH 4,213 $38,984
75 Canton, OH 70,863 $32,735
76 Windham, OH 2,019 $38,409

How Is Your Town In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.