These Are The 10 Best New York City Suburbs For 2018

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:

1. Scarsdale (Photos | Homes)
2. Larchmont (Photos | Homes)
3. Woodcliff Lake (Photos | Homes)
4. North Hills (Photos | Homes)
5. Oyster Bay Cove (Homes)
6. Sands Point (Photos | Homes)
7. Ho-Ho-Kus (Photos | Homes)
8. North Caldwell (Photos | Homes)
9. Fair Haven (Photos | Homes)
10. 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	Unemployment Rate	Median Home Price	Median Income
1	Scarsdale	17,684	3.2%	$1,318,500	$250,000
2	Larchmont	6,031	6.0%	$1,060,700	$152,483
3	Woodcliff Lake	5,844	2.4%	$756,100	$150,862
4	North Hills	5,420	0.9%	$957,600	$123,798
5	Oyster Bay Cove	2,112	1.9%	$1,506,900	$204,107
6	Sands Point	2,859	2.3%	$2,000,000	$231,667
7	Ho-Ho-Kus	4,139	4.0%	$716,800	$163,988
8	North Caldwell	6,519	3.8%	$713,500	$188,897
9	Fair Haven	6,033	5.6%	$664,500	$161,131
10	Lawrence	6,526	2.3%	$856,000	$140,221
11	Demarest	5,007	4.6%	$652,800	$150,139
12	Munsey Park	2,719	9.6%	$1,420,000	$222,083
13	Westfield	30,438	5.3%	$689,400	$150,486
14	Bronxville	6,395	8.5%	$995,100	$203,036
15	Chatham	9,030	3.8%	$729,000	$150,625
16	East Williston	2,581	5.9%	$791,100	$141,250
17	Pelham Manor	5,564	5.2%	$854,700	$158,788
18	Rye	15,949	4.9%	$1,107,000	$162,394
19	Rumson	6,878	4.7%	$956,600	$135,089
20	Haworth	3,446	3.8%	$644,700	$168,371
21	Brookville	3,556	5.4%	$1,835,200	$237,083
22	Glen Rock	11,887	5.5%	$610,600	$159,247
23	Little Silver	5,922	3.5%	$608,300	$137,652
24	Old Brookville	2,154	3.5%	$1,753,500	$202,083
25	East Hills	7,072	4.8%	$921,600	$167,917
26	Essex Fells	2,164	6.8%	$832,400	$174,432
27	Old Westbury	4,582	4.5%	$1,675,000	$164,286
28	Glen Ridge	7,615	5.7%	$593,300	$170,839
29	Upper Saddle River	8,301	6.3%	$905,100	$171,747
30	Stewart Manor	2,018	3.9%	$508,800	$115,313
31	Pelham	6,996	4.0%	$628,500	$136,389
32	Irvington	6,559	2.3%	$648,300	$127,045
33	Floral Park	16,189	5.3%	$499,300	$103,644
34	Great Neck Estates	2,820	1.3%	$1,230,500	$152,614
35	Sea Cliff	5,069	4.1%	$650,700	$114,048
36	Ardsley	4,570	3.5%	$616,000	$143,906
37	Shrewsbury	4,000	4.3%	$528,500	$116,071
38	Ridgewood	25,430	5.8%	$724,400	$144,734
39	Malverne	8,556	4.5%	$434,400	$105,213
40	Bayville	6,745	3.2%	$506,900	$100,078
41	Franklin Lakes	10,810	5.4%	$944,900	$160,000
42	Ramsey	15,000	6.1%	$559,900	$133,702
43	Massapequa Park	17,176	6.8%	$444,400	$117,934
44	Oradell	8,160	6.0%	$560,100	$145,761
45	Fanwood	7,530	7.2%	$422,700	$119,383
46	Englewood Cliffs	5,405	2.9%	$984,700	$131,936
47	Hoboken	53,136	4.0%	$621,300	$118,479
48	New Providence	12,434	4.4%	$576,000	$139,375
49	Monmouth Beach	3,249	4.5%	$663,800	$105,391
50	Rockville Centre	24,262	5.9%	$608,600	$102,807
51	East Rockaway	9,815	5.4%	$443,600	$92,369
52	Allendale	6,767	7.8%	$680,000	$151,641
53	Norwood	5,828	4.3%	$610,000	$112,031
54	Watchung	5,944	2.4%	$752,700	$126,250
55	Cresskill	8,745	4.2%	$540,700	$117,164
56	Williston Park	7,282	5.1%	$484,300	$104,750
57	Tenafly	14,821	5.4%	$750,800	$144,353
58	Harrington Park	4,790	3.7%	$600,900	$136,313
59	Hastings-On-Hudson	7,959	6.2%	$627,100	$116,798
60	Lake Success	3,084	5.0%	$1,150,500	$179,531
61	Piermont	2,565	3.2%	$619,900	$101,500
62	Madison	16,090	5.1%	$681,900	$120,608
63	Flower Hill	4,764	3.7%	$1,077,500	$188,958
64	Metuchen	13,791	5.2%	$393,500	$112,561
65	Summit	21,895	4.8%	$822,000	$136,491
66	Mountainside	6,835	6.7%	$622,000	$122,500
67	River Edge	11,586	3.0%	$470,100	$111,250
68	Great Neck	10,183	4.8%	$763,600	$92,367
69	Silver Lake	2,452	2.4%	$198,100	$94,500
70	Midland Park	7,283	3.1%	$456,000	$99,436
71	Thomaston	2,737	7.7%	$754,900	$119,760
72	Waldwick	9,922	5.0%	$428,600	$110,089
73	Florham Park	11,787	5.3%	$606,700	$116,528
74	Closter	8,650	6.3%	$637,200	$128,674
75	Kings Point	5,140	4.9%	$1,724,800	$131,027
76	Mineola	19,071	3.0%	$438,900	$89,706
77	Edgewater	11,998	5.2%	$533,700	$102,355
78	Hillsdale	10,454	5.0%	$515,800	$118,138
79	South Nyack	3,551	6.5%	$450,300	$97,898
80	Saddle River	3,241	7.5%	$1,784,500	$131,845
81	Cedarhurst	6,652	7.1%	$530,500	$94,417
82	Dobbs Ferry	11,058	6.4%	$618,200	$120,631
83	Fair Lawn	33,205	5.3%	$396,800	$102,716
84	Oakland	13,041	5.0%	$438,500	$112,917
85	Dumont	17,788	5.1%	$358,300	$96,395
86	Park Ridge	8,854	6.8%	$533,500	$103,700
87	Farmingdale	8,532	4.4%	$369,700	$79,291
88	New Hyde Park	9,854	6.9%	$483,100	$108,313
89	Roseland	5,875	5.5%	$477,200	$96,250
90	Paramus	26,795	5.4%	$565,300	$101,793
91	Garwood	4,315	5.8%	$372,500	$74,521
92	Port Washington North	3,225	5.5%	$771,300	$100,547
93	Westwood	11,170	4.9%	$437,800	$89,817
94	Lynbrook	19,584	6.7%	$423,600	$81,077
95	Old Tappan	5,942	8.5%	$740,400	$133,750
96	Manorhaven	6,601	6.8%	$561,500	$89,144
97	Roslyn	2,808	5.6%	$436,500	$93,606
98	Wood-Ridge	8,109	7.2%	$383,600	$100,169
99	Caldwell	7,967	6.6%	$423,100	$75,583
100	Great Neck Plaza	6,924	6.8%	$331,500	$66,384