The 10 Best Detroit Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 75 places around Detroit to identify the most in demand places to live.

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Editor’s Note: Data has been updated for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best Detroit 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 Detroit 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 Detroit? Huntington Woods ranks as the best suburb of Detroit for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Huntington Woods, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 Detroit '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 Michigan:

The 10 Best Detroit Suburbs To Live For 2022

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

Everyone here is rich; families average $150,114 a year, which is the 4th highest in the Detroit region. And only 1.82% are out of work. Homes average more than $372,200 each.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 6,303
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Median Income: $150,114
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Poverty Rate: 1.5%
More on Huntington Woods: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Huntington Woods, MI

Grosse Pointe is the second best 'burb we looked at near Detroit for 2022.

It ranks 11th for incomes in the area and only 0.97% of residents lack insurance, good for 4th best.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 5,176
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Income: $117,222
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 2.8%
More on Grosse Pointe: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Grosse Pointe, MI

Here in Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, it's really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you'll see in the Detroit 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 Village of Grosse Pointe Shores.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 2,791
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $172,250
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Poverty Rate: 1.5%
More on Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores, MI

Grosse Pointe Park ranks as the 4th best suburb of Detroit for 2022.

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

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 11,108
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Income: $122,800
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Poverty Rate: 4.0%
More on Grosse Pointe Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Grosse Pointe Park, MI

Coming in as the fifth best is Grosse Pointe Farms.

Grosse Pointe Farms gets kudos for having the 9th most expensive homes in the Detroit area, where houses sell for an average of $357,100. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 9,142
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Income: $140,647
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 1.7%
More on Grosse Pointe Farms: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Birmingham 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 3.27% which is 2best in the area.

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

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 21,272
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 4)
Median Income: $126,601
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on Birmingham: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Birmingham, MI

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills 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 11.9 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 10,378
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Median Income: $129,196
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.4%
More on Beverly Hills: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Beverly Hills, MI

Berkley 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 2.37% of people lack insurance, good for 16th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 15,352
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Income: $93,038
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Berkley: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Berkley, MI

Is 'Everything Better In Northville?'

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

10
/10

Population: 5,968
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Median Income: $129,426
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Northville: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Northville, MI

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 is Franklin.

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

7.5
/10

Population: 2,877
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Median Income: $158,958
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
More on Franklin: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Franklin, MI

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

Figuring out the best suburbs around Detroit 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 Detroit.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 75 suburbs to evaluate around Detroit.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 75 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 Detroit." We're lookin' at you, Huntington Woods. 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 Detroit '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 Detroit, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more Michigan reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Detroit Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 Huntington Woods, MI 6,303 $150,114
2 Grosse Pointe, MI 5,176 $117,222
3 Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores, MI 2,791 $172,250
4 Grosse Pointe Park, MI 11,108 $122,800
5 Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 9,142 $140,647
6 Birmingham, MI 21,272 $126,601
7 Beverly Hills, MI 10,378 $129,196
8 Berkley, MI 15,352 $93,038
9 Northville, MI 5,968 $129,426
10 Franklin, MI 2,877 $158,958
11 Bloomfield Hills, MI 3,995 $177,614
12 Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 15,409 $111,392
13 Pleasant Ridge, MI 2,589 $122,422
14 Royal Oak, MI 59,256 $83,194
15 Plymouth, MI 9,168 $92,662
16 Milford, MI 6,502 $87,848
17 Farmington, MI 10,520 $78,875
18 Lake Orion, MI 3,143 $95,854
19 Clawson, MI 11,909 $71,376
20 Rochester Hills, MI 74,340 $99,666
21 Troy, MI 84,051 $104,132
22 Novi, MI 60,439 $93,943
23 Rochester, MI 13,203 $92,128
24 South Lyon, MI 11,818 $74,300
25 Wolverine Lake, MI 4,712 $86,148
26 New Baltimore, MI 12,333 $83,767
27 Keego Harbor, MI 3,323 $60,813
28 Ferndale, MI 20,139 $77,100
29 Livonia, MI 93,970 $82,158
30 Farmington Hills, MI 80,937 $85,152
31 Rockwood, MI 3,177 $82,969
32 Wixom, MI 13,970 $58,886
33 Allen Park, MI 27,089 $69,331
34 St. Clair Shores, MI 59,184 $62,935
35 Trenton, MI 18,214 $69,710
36 Woodhaven, MI 12,501 $67,067
37 Gibraltar, MI 4,546 $74,919
38 Southgate, MI 29,129 $59,975
39 Riverview, MI 12,085 $59,841
40 Oak Park, MI 29,446 $54,202
41 Sterling Heights, MI 132,296 $66,346
42 Wyandotte, MI 24,944 $54,419
43 Walled Lake, MI 7,153 $53,699
44 Southfield, MI 72,966 $58,076
45 Madison Heights, MI 30,000 $54,668
46 Fraser, MI 14,503 $57,345
47 Auburn Hills, MI 23,984 $68,780
48 Flat Rock, MI 9,974 $57,277
49 Romeo, MI 3,908 $51,672
50 Westland, MI 81,713 $51,956
51 Utica, MI 5,025 $47,244
52 Belleville, MI 3,879 $52,810
53 Center Line, MI 8,212 $45,210
54 Dearborn, MI 94,328 $56,302
55 Harper Woods, MI 13,829 $50,718
56 Ypsilanti, MI 20,792 $40,028
57 Roseville, MI 47,160 $49,426
58 Hazel Park, MI 16,452 $43,725
59 Carleton, MI 2,449 $47,857
60 Dearborn Heights, MI 55,630 $50,987
61 Eastpointe, MI 32,221 $49,800
62 Taylor, MI 61,164 $52,872
63 Warren, MI 134,188 $51,796
64 Lincoln Park, MI 36,525 $47,094
65 Romulus, MI 23,544 $61,314
66 Mount Clemens, MI 16,212 $47,528
67 New Haven, MI 4,856 $55,877
68 Wayne, MI 16,894 $47,704
69 Hamtramck, MI 21,704 $29,230
70 Melvindale, MI 10,300 $37,438
71 Inkster, MI 24,398 $32,109
72 Ecorse, MI 9,456 $34,278
73 Pontiac, MI 59,714 $34,673
74 Highland Park, MI 10,818 $20,666
75 River Rouge, MI 7,465 $22,664

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.