Cleveland has plenty to offer, but the price of admission usually comes with traffic, sky-high rent, and a calendar that fills itself.
If you want the upside of Cleveland without the daily grind, the answer is almost always a good suburb. The catch: not every suburb is worth the move.
So we ranked them. Using Saturday Night Science, we pulled the numbers on every place within commuting distance of Cleveland: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.
$156,667 median income · $396,573 median home price
Located in
Montgomery County, Ohio
Oakwood is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Cleveland area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Oakwood.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $156,667 a year, which is the 7th highest in the Cleveland region. And only 2.3% are out of work. Homes average more than $396,573 each.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$171,427 median income · $542,265 median home price
Located in
Summit County, Ohio
Hudson is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Cleveland for 2026.
It ranks 5th for incomes in the area and only 1.6% of residents lack insurance, good for 9th best.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$139,934 median income · $359,405 median home price
Here in Silver Lake, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Cleveland 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 Silver Lake.
$227,813 median income · $696,160 median home price
Located in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Pepper Pike ranks as the 4th best suburb of Cleveland for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Pepper Pike and the schools are some of the best around.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$171,875 median income · $487,890 median home price
Coming in as the fifth best is South Russell.
South Russell gets kudos for having the 7th most expensive homes in the Cleveland area, where houses sell for an average of $487,890. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$115,567 median income · $422,131 median home price
Located in
Lorain County, Ohio
Avon Lake 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 1.6%.
According to online reports, Avon Lake is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Cleveland area, meaning you need to get in soon.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$135,915 median income · $471,403 median home price
Located in
Lorain County, Ohio
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Avon.
Avon 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 17.0 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$185,592 median income · $731,145 median home price
Moreland Hills 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 1.7% of people lack insurance, good for 11th in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$122,863 median income · $418,478 median home price
Located in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Is ‘Everything Better In Highland Heights?’
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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$115,733 median income · $354,545 median home price
Located in
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Independence.
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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Ohio’s statewide median.
Ohio statewide median: $71,389
Ohio statewide median: $242,141
Ohio statewide median: 4.8%
Ohio statewide median: 13.3%
On the map
Where the best Cleveland suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best suburbs around Cleveland for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around Cleveland was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- 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
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Cleveland.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 82 suburbs to evaluate around Cleveland.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 82 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Cleveland.” We’re lookin’ at you, Oakwood.
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 more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best Cleveland suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
The full plate
Table: Best Cleveland Suburbs
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Suburb Score | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakwood | 11.14 | 9,458 | $156,667 | $396,573 |
| 2 | Hudson | 15.21 | 23,039 | $171,427 | $542,265 |
| 3 | Silver Lake | 15.50 | 2,515 | $139,934 | $359,405 |
| 4 | Pepper Pike | 16.21 | 6,840 | $227,813 | $696,160 |
| 5 | South Russell | 16.29 | 3,956 | $171,875 | $487,890 |
| 6 | Avon Lake | 16.93 | 25,752 | $115,567 | $422,131 |
| 7 | Avon | 18.71 | 25,317 | $135,915 | $471,403 |
| 8 | Moreland Hills | 19.14 | 3,456 | $185,592 | $731,145 |
| 9 | Highland Heights | 20.00 | 8,623 | $122,863 | $418,478 |
| 10 | Independence | 20.29 | 7,534 | $115,733 | $354,545 |
| 11 | Chagrin Falls | 21.00 | 4,201 | $99,672 | $493,592 |
| 12 | Fairlawn | 22.43 | 7,711 | $97,055 | $309,743 |
| 13 | Rocky River | 24.00 | 21,490 | $94,026 | $393,092 |
| 14 | Aurora | 24.14 | 17,581 | $127,886 | $428,906 |
| 15 | Solon | 24.57 | 23,943 | $139,089 | $452,828 |
| 16 | Beachwood | 25.71 | 13,865 | $106,748 | $483,433 |
| 17 | Gates Mills | 26.14 | 2,207 | $231,250 | $758,245 |
| 18 | Lyndhurst | 27.79 | 13,801 | $91,238 | $230,587 |
| 19 | Shaker Heights | 27.86 | 28,922 | $104,073 | $342,442 |
| 20 | Brecksville | 28.07 | 13,692 | $135,000 | $437,032 |
| 21 | Sheffield | 28.36 | 4,380 | $107,837 | $286,293 |
| 22 | Broadview Heights | 28.86 | 19,771 | $103,125 | $365,133 |
| 23 | Westlake | 30.29 | 34,104 | $112,200 | $414,010 |
| 24 | Twinsburg | 30.93 | 19,410 | $99,144 | $354,964 |
| 25 | Seven Hills | 33.07 | 11,603 | $97,222 | $299,505 |
| 26 | North Ridgeville | 33.79 | 36,627 | $96,698 | $325,234 |
| 27 | Mayfield | 33.79 | 3,321 | $125,962 | $351,601 |
| 28 | Strongsville | 35.71 | 45,983 | $103,253 | $360,031 |
| 29 | LaGrange | 36.00 | 2,800 | $94,922 | $297,942 |
| 30 | University Heights | 36.14 | 13,394 | $96,971 | $278,811 |
| 31 | Walton Hills | 36.14 | 2,010 | $106,055 | $321,532 |
| 32 | Mentor | 36.50 | 47,171 | $88,949 | $269,569 |
| 33 | Olmsted Falls | 36.57 | 8,639 | $96,837 | $297,060 |
| 34 | Brunswick | 37.43 | 35,246 | $90,663 | $313,497 |
| 35 | Stow | 37.64 | 34,240 | $93,727 | $284,989 |
| 36 | Middleburg Heights | 38.14 | 15,786 | $78,815 | $271,583 |
| 37 | Macedonia | 38.14 | 12,152 | $101,285 | $339,074 |
| 38 | Kirtland | 38.57 | 6,911 | $110,455 | $404,639 |
| 39 | Orange | 39.14 | 3,485 | $170,063 | $551,009 |
| 40 | Richfield | 39.93 | 3,721 | $82,560 | $487,652 |
| 41 | Mentor-on-the-Lake | 41.79 | 7,111 | $67,188 | $212,494 |
| 42 | Willoughby Hills | 42.21 | 9,975 | $67,214 | $349,448 |
| 43 | Chardon | 42.93 | 5,249 | $86,613 | $363,602 |
| 44 | Fairview Park | 43.14 | 17,018 | $78,865 | $278,445 |
| 45 | North Olmsted | 43.21 | 31,924 | $84,363 | $270,520 |
| 46 | Willowick | 44.07 | 14,162 | $77,228 | $191,619 |
| 47 | Munroe Falls | 44.14 | 5,000 | $81,214 | $274,601 |
| 48 | Lakewood | 46.07 | 50,007 | $68,954 | $286,113 |
| 49 | Wickliffe | 46.14 | 12,659 | $81,750 | $193,210 |
| 50 | Amherst | 46.50 | 12,906 | $90,725 | $274,430 |
| 51 | Cleveland Heights | 46.79 | 44,497 | $72,826 | $202,639 |
| 52 | North Royalton | 46.79 | 30,972 | $83,670 | $334,792 |
| 53 | Berea | 46.86 | 18,218 | $74,926 | $239,040 |
| 54 | Tallmadge | 47.29 | 18,335 | $89,410 | $282,064 |
| 55 | Willoughby | 47.50 | 24,046 | $71,309 | $239,414 |
| 56 | South Euclid | 48.71 | 21,534 | $81,297 | $178,615 |
| 57 | Mayfield Heights | 48.86 | 20,022 | $66,524 | $228,639 |
| 58 | Medina | 49.00 | 25,950 | $77,385 | $374,184 |
| 59 | Streetsboro | 51.57 | 17,661 | $90,274 | $279,257 |
| 60 | Eastlake | 52.00 | 17,493 | $62,072 | $204,855 |
| 61 | Sheffield Lake | 52.29 | 8,966 | $69,632 | $203,339 |
| 62 | Grafton | 52.79 | 5,657 | $90,724 | $307,182 |
| 63 | Cuyahoga Falls | 53.86 | 50,909 | $72,705 | $213,993 |
| 64 | Parma Heights | 54.57 | 20,581 | $61,009 | $214,164 |
| 65 | Northfield | 55.07 | 3,543 | $70,917 | $297,574 |
| 66 | Brook Park | 56.07 | 18,284 | $71,332 | $191,188 |
| 67 | Brooklyn | 57.71 | 11,158 | $69,346 | $201,508 |
| 68 | Fairport Harbor | 58.29 | 3,089 | $52,308 | $186,542 |
| 69 | Parma | 58.43 | 79,870 | $69,295 | $210,914 |
| 70 | Bedford Heights | 58.71 | 10,847 | $50,269 | $190,891 |
| 71 | Kent | 60.71 | 27,116 | $42,964 | $243,706 |
| 72 | Bedford | 62.57 | 12,931 | $57,308 | $152,982 |
| 73 | Richmond Heights | 62.57 | 10,626 | $60,833 | $239,479 |
| 74 | Euclid | 63.64 | 48,823 | $50,285 | $144,364 |
| 75 | Elyria | 66.00 | 53,035 | $54,945 | $181,557 |
| 76 | Warrensville Heights | 66.07 | 13,545 | $49,669 | $134,771 |
| 77 | Maple Heights | 67.00 | 23,258 | $53,414 | $131,579 |
| 78 | Painesville | 67.36 | 20,548 | $51,516 | $222,958 |
| 79 | Garfield Heights | 68.14 | 29,269 | $54,593 | $133,201 |
| 80 | Akron | 69.14 | 189,247 | $48,076 | $137,894 |
| 81 | Lorain | 69.79 | 65,395 | $48,685 | $150,829 |
| 82 | East Cleveland | 70.36 | 13,534 | $22,116 | $75,766 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 82 suburbs within 30 miles of Cleveland.
Summary
Summary: Welcome to the Best Cleveland ‘Burbs of 2026
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.
The best suburbs of Cleveland are Oakwood, Hudson, Silver Lake, Pepper Pike, South Russell, Avon Lake, Avon, Moreland Hills, Highland Heights, and Independence.
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Cleveland but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you. Not sold on Ohio? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs Of Cleveland FAQs
What is the best suburb of Cleveland?
Oakwood is the best suburb of Cleveland for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Hudson and Silver Lake are next.
What are the best suburbs of Cleveland?
The best suburbs of Cleveland are Oakwood, Hudson, Silver Lake, Pepper Pike, South Russell, Avon Lake, Avon, Moreland Hills, Highland Heights, and Independence. We ranked all 82 places within commuting range.
How expensive is Oakwood?
The median household income in Oakwood is $156,667 and the median home costs $396,573. Top suburbs rarely come cheap; that is part of how they got there.
What counts as a suburb of Cleveland?
Any place within 30 miles of Cleveland qualifies. 82 towns fit that circle, and every one of them got scored.
How do you rank Cleveland suburbs?
Each suburb is scored on income, home values, density, unemployment, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey data. The best combined score, Oakwood, takes the crown.
