Miami 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 Miami 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 Miami: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.
$181,505 median income · $1,658,764 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Key Biscayne is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Miami area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Key Biscayne.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $181,505 a year, which is the 2nd highest in the Miami region. And only 2.8% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,658,764 each.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$206,417 median income · $2,172,519 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Pinecrest is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Miami for 2026.
It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 2.1% of residents lack insurance, good for 2nd best.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$161,051 median income · $1,437,706 median home price
Located in
Broward County, Florida
Here in Southwest Ranches, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Miami 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 Southwest Ranches.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$89,663 median income · $660,038 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Bay Harbor Islands ranks as the 4th best suburb of Miami for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Bay Harbor Islands and the schools are some of the best around.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$142,447 median income · $920,528 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Coming in as the fifth best is Palmetto Bay.
Palmetto Bay gets kudos for having the 8th most expensive homes in the Miami area, where houses sell for an average of $920,528. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$100,208 median income · $1,276,757 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Surfside 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 5.2%.
According to online reports, Surfside is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Miami area, meaning you need to get in soon.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$134,216 median income · $1,516,825 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Coral Gables.
Coral Gables 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 7.2 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,557 median income · $653,606 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami Lakes 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 8.6% of people lack insurance, good for 16th in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$139,825 median income · $730,059 median home price
Located in
Broward County, Florida
Is ‘Everything Better In Weston?’
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
$144,050 median income · $735,780 median home price
Located in
Miami-Dade County, Florida
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Miami Shores.
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 Florida’s statewide median.
Florida statewide median: $74,568
Florida statewide median: $375,662
Florida statewide median: 4.8%
Florida statewide median: 12.6%
On the map
Where the best Miami suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best suburbs around Miami for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around Miami 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 Miami.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 47 suburbs to evaluate around Miami.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 47 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 Miami.” We’re lookin’ at you, Key Biscayne.
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 Miami suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
The full plate
Table: Best Miami Suburbs
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Suburb Score | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Key Biscayne | 4.36 | 14,791 | $181,505 | $1,658,764 |
| 2 | Pinecrest | 8.50 | 18,462 | $206,417 | $2,172,519 |
| 3 | Southwest Ranches | 10.79 | 7,656 | $161,051 | $1,437,706 |
| 4 | Bay Harbor Islands | 11.00 | 5,847 | $89,663 | $660,038 |
| 5 | Palmetto Bay | 12.21 | 24,639 | $142,447 | $920,528 |
| 6 | Surfside | 12.57 | 5,631 | $100,208 | $1,276,757 |
| 7 | Coral Gables | 13.00 | 49,802 | $134,216 | $1,516,825 |
| 8 | Miami Lakes | 13.43 | 31,553 | $101,557 | $653,606 |
| 9 | Weston | 13.57 | 68,837 | $139,825 | $730,059 |
| 10 | Miami Shores | 15.00 | 11,752 | $144,050 | $735,780 |
| 11 | South Miami | 16.43 | 12,277 | $94,507 | $867,893 |
| 12 | Aventura | 18.29 | 39,885 | $89,274 | $425,757 |
| 13 | Miami Springs | 18.43 | 13,726 | $87,099 | $729,504 |
| 14 | Virginia Gardens | 18.50 | 2,423 | $70,469 | $600,367 |
| 15 | Florida | 19.43 | 2,893 | $123,250 | $461,427 |
| 16 | Sunny Isles Beach | 19.50 | 22,437 | $61,921 | $649,891 |
| 17 | Bal Harbour | 19.79 | 3,055 | $80,806 | $1,942,193 |
| 18 | Wilton Manors | 20.07 | 11,511 | $85,392 | $576,125 |
| 19 | Pembroke Pines | 20.21 | 173,194 | $85,104 | $487,422 |
| 20 | Doral | 21.00 | 79,216 | $94,164 | $549,014 |
| 21 | Biscayne Park | 21.07 | 3,085 | $77,083 | $927,080 |
| 22 | Islandia | 21.57 | 3,600 | $116,313 | $614,891 |
| 23 | Miramar | 21.86 | 138,600 | $89,125 | $518,019 |
| 24 | West Miami | 23.00 | 7,162 | $61,274 | $662,496 |
| 25 | Cutler Bay | 24.14 | 45,070 | $89,244 | $564,584 |
| 26 | Miami Beach | 24.50 | 82,031 | $72,856 | $515,965 |
| 27 | Davie | 25.79 | 108,346 | $87,250 | $515,020 |
| 28 | Cooper | 26.07 | 2,220 | $76,000 | $456,392 |
| 29 | Sunrise | 27.00 | 97,918 | $77,652 | $360,656 |
| 30 | Hialeah Gardens | 27.86 | 22,915 | $65,439 | $416,365 |
| 31 | Fort Lauderdale | 28.29 | 185,604 | $83,130 | $508,474 |
| 32 | Tamarac | 29.71 | 73,019 | $61,718 | $295,512 |
| 33 | Hialeah | 30.64 | 226,165 | $55,594 | $443,804 |
| 34 | Sweetwater | 31.36 | 20,085 | $54,967 | $438,052 |
| 35 | Oakland Park | 31.64 | 44,682 | $72,708 | $366,517 |
| 36 | Hollywood | 31.86 | 155,082 | $67,203 | $439,400 |
| 37 | North Miami Beach | 32.14 | 43,898 | $63,280 | $447,840 |
| 38 | Hallandale Beach | 33.29 | 41,854 | $52,340 | $292,053 |
| 39 | Miami Gardens | 34.00 | 113,177 | $63,627 | $469,434 |
| 40 | West Park | 34.86 | 15,249 | $65,952 | $422,622 |
| 41 | Homestead | 35.29 | 82,807 | $65,423 | $436,669 |
| 42 | Pembroke Park | 35.57 | 6,360 | $52,928 | $246,080 |
| 43 | North Miami | 36.29 | 60,344 | $57,188 | $416,688 |
| 44 | Lauderhill | 36.86 | 74,896 | $51,165 | $213,844 |
| 45 | Lauderdale Lakes | 38.71 | 36,404 | $50,006 | $140,910 |
| 46 | Opa-locka | 39.14 | 16,282 | $37,532 | $468,451 |
| 47 | Dania Beach | 39.43 | 32,180 | $52,748 | $326,898 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 47 suburbs within 30 miles of Miami.
Summary
Summary: Welcome to the Best Miami ‘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 Miami are Key Biscayne, Pinecrest, Southwest Ranches, Bay Harbor Islands, Palmetto Bay, Surfside, Coral Gables, Miami Lakes, Weston, and Miami Shores.
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Miami but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you. Not sold on Florida? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs Of Miami FAQs
What is the best suburb of Miami?
Key Biscayne is the best suburb of Miami for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Pinecrest and Southwest Ranches are next.
What are the best suburbs of Miami?
The best suburbs of Miami are Key Biscayne, Pinecrest, Southwest Ranches, Bay Harbor Islands, Palmetto Bay, Surfside, Coral Gables, Miami Lakes, Weston, and Miami Shores. We ranked all 47 places within commuting range.
How expensive is Key Biscayne?
The median household income in Key Biscayne is $181,505 and the median home costs $1,658,764. Top suburbs rarely come cheap; that is part of how they got there.
What counts as a suburb of Miami?
Any place within 30 miles of Miami qualifies. 47 towns fit that circle, and every one of them got scored.
How do you rank Miami 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, Key Biscayne, takes the crown.
