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 New York are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado…
Here are the 10 best suburbs around New York for 2018:
- Scarsdale (Photos | Homes)
- Larchmont (Photos | Homes)
- Woodcliff Lake (Photos | Homes)
- North Hills (Photos | Homes)
- Oyster Bay Cove (Homes)
- Sands Point (Photos | Homes)
- Ho-Ho-Kus (Photos | Homes)
- North Caldwell (Photos | Homes)
- Fair Haven (Photos | Homes)
- Lawrence (Photos | Homes)
If you happen to be a resident of Scarsdale, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 New York ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
For more New York reading, check out:
- 10 Safest Places In New York According To Science
- 10 Most Dangerous Places In New York
- 10 Worst Places To Live In New York State
Editor’s Note: If you see a slight difference between the best in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it’s because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.
How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around New York for 2018
Figuring out the best ‘burbs around New York 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 (2012-2016) to research each suburb.
FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of New York.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 202 suburbs to evaluate around New York.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 202 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 New York.’ We’re lookin’ at you, Scarsdale.
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.
1. Scarsdale
Population: 17,684
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Median Home Price: $1,318,500
Median Income: $250,000
More on Scarsdale: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |Scarsdale is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the New York area. We’ll tell you the good about ‘Awesome Scarsdale.’
Everyone here is rich; families average $250,000 a year, which is the 1st highest in the New York region. And only 3.2% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,318,500 each.
2. Larchmont
Population: 6,031
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%
Median Home Price: $1,060,700
Median Income: $152,483
More on Larchmont: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |Larchmont is the second best ‘burb we looked at near New York for 2018.
It ranks 24th for incomes in the area and only 1.3% of residents lack insurance, good for 6th best.
3. Woodcliff Lake
Population: 5,844
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
Median Home Price: $756,100
Median Income: $150,862
More on Woodcliff Lake: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |Here in Woodcliff Lake, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the New York 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 Woodcliff Lake.
4. North Hills
Population: 5,420
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%
Median Home Price: $957,600
Median Income: $123,798
More on North Hills: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |North Hills ranks as the 4th best suburb of New York for 2018.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in North Hills and the schools are some of the best around.
5. Oyster Bay Cove
Population: 2,112
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
Median Home Price: $1,506,900
Median Income: $204,107
More on Oyster Bay Cove: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |Coming in as the fifth best is Oyster Bay Cove.
Oyster Bay Cove gets kudos for having the 7th most expensive homes in the New York area, where houses sell for an average of $1,506,900. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
6. Sands Point
Population: 2,859
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Median Home Price: $2,000,000
Median Income: $231,667
More on Sands Point: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |Sands Point 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 2.3% which is 5th best in the area.
According to online reports, Sands Point is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the New York area, meaning you need to get in soon.
7. Ho-Ho-Kus
Population: 4,139
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
Median Home Price: $716,800
Median Income: $163,988
More on Ho-Ho-Kus: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Ho-Ho-Kus.
Ho-Ho-Kus 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 24.6 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
8. North Caldwell
Population: 6,519
Unemployment Rate: 3.8%
Median Home Price: $713,500
Median Income: $188,897
More on North Caldwell: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |North Caldwell 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 0.3% of people lack insurance, good for 1st in the area.
9. Fair Haven
Population: 6,033
Unemployment Rate: 5.6%
Median Home Price: $664,500
Median Income: $161,131
More on Fair Haven: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |Is ‘Everything Better In Fair Haven?’
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.
10. Lawrence
Population: 6,526
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Median Home Price: $856,000
Median Income: $140,221
More on Lawrence: Real Estate | Data
| Add A Comment |And rounding out the top ten for 2018 is Lawrence.
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.
Welcome to the Best New York ‘Burbs of 2018
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 New York, but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.
For more New York reading , check out:
- 10 Best Places To Live In New York
- 10 Safest Places In New York According To Science
- 10 Worst Places To Live In New York State
Detailed List Of The Best New York Suburbs
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Scarsdale | 17,684 |
2 | Larchmont | 6,031 |
3 | Woodcliff Lake | 5,844 |
4 | North Hills | 5,420 |
5 | Oyster Bay Cove | 2,112 |
6 | Sands Point | 2,859 |
7 | Ho-Ho-Kus | 4,139 |
8 | North Caldwell | 6,519 |
9 | Fair Haven | 6,033 |
10 | Lawrence | 6,526 |
11 | Demarest | 5,007 |
12 | Munsey Park | 2,719 |
13 | Westfield | 30,438 |
14 | Bronxville | 6,395 |
15 | Chatham | 9,030 |
16 | East Williston | 2,581 |
17 | Pelham Manor | 5,564 |
18 | Rye | 15,949 |
19 | Rumson | 6,878 |
20 | Haworth | 3,446 |
21 | Brookville | 3,556 |
22 | Glen Rock | 11,887 |
23 | Little Silver | 5,922 |
24 | Old Brookville | 2,154 |
25 | East Hills | 7,072 |
26 | Essex Fells | 2,164 |
27 | Old Westbury | 4,582 |
28 | Glen Ridge | 7,615 |
29 | Upper Saddle River | 8,301 |
30 | Stewart Manor | 2,018 |
31 | Pelham | 6,996 |
32 | Irvington | 6,559 |
33 | Floral Park | 16,189 |
34 | Great Neck Estates | 2,820 |
35 | Sea Cliff | 5,069 |
36 | Ardsley | 4,570 |
37 | Shrewsbury | 4,000 |
38 | Ridgewood | 25,430 |
39 | Malverne | 8,556 |
40 | Bayville | 6,745 |
41 | Franklin Lakes | 10,810 |
42 | Ramsey | 15,000 |
43 | Massapequa Park | 17,176 |
44 | Oradell | 8,160 |
45 | Fanwood | 7,530 |
46 | Englewood Cliffs | 5,405 |
47 | Hoboken | 53,136 |
48 | New Providence | 12,434 |
49 | Monmouth Beach | 3,249 |
50 | Rockville Centre | 24,262 |
51 | East Rockaway | 9,815 |
52 | Allendale | 6,767 |
53 | Norwood | 5,828 |
54 | Watchung | 5,944 |
55 | Cresskill | 8,745 |
56 | Williston Park | 7,282 |
57 | Tenafly | 14,821 |
58 | Harrington Park | 4,790 |
59 | Hastings-On-Hudson | 7,959 |
60 | Lake Success | 3,084 |
61 | Piermont | 2,565 |
62 | Madison | 16,090 |
63 | Flower Hill | 4,764 |
64 | Metuchen | 13,791 |
65 | Summit | 21,895 |
66 | Mountainside | 6,835 |
67 | River Edge | 11,586 |
68 | Great Neck | 10,183 |
69 | Silver Lake | 2,452 |
70 | Midland Park | 7,283 |
71 | Thomaston | 2,737 |
72 | Waldwick | 9,922 |
73 | Florham Park | 11,787 |
74 | Closter | 8,650 |
75 | Kings Point | 5,140 |
76 | Mineola | 19,071 |
77 | Edgewater | 11,998 |
78 | Hillsdale | 10,454 |
79 | South Nyack | 3,551 |
80 | Saddle River | 3,241 |
81 | Cedarhurst | 6,652 |
82 | Dobbs Ferry | 11,058 |
83 | Fair Lawn | 33,205 |
84 | Oakland | 13,041 |
85 | Dumont | 17,788 |
86 | Park Ridge | 8,854 |
87 | Farmingdale | 8,532 |
88 | New Hyde Park | 9,854 |
89 | Roseland | 5,875 |
90 | Paramus | 26,795 |
91 | Garwood | 4,315 |
92 | Port Washington North | 3,225 |
93 | Westwood | 11,170 |
94 | Lynbrook | 19,584 |
95 | Old Tappan | 5,942 |
96 | Manorhaven | 6,601 |
97 | Roslyn | 2,808 |
98 | Wood-Ridge | 8,109 |
99 | Caldwell | 7,967 |
100 | Great Neck Plaza | 6,924 |