St. Paul 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 St. Paul 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 St. Paul: incomes, home prices, unemployment, schools, the works. The result is a no-nonsense ranking of where you actually want to live.
$197,679 median income · $1,062,991 median home price
Deephaven is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the St. Paul area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Deephaven.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $197,679 a year, which is the 3rd highest in the St. Paul region. And only 1.7% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,062,991 each.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$195,639 median income · $608,561 median home price
Located in
Carver County, Minnesota
Victoria is the second best ‘burb we looked at near St. Paul for 2026.
It ranks 4th for incomes in the area and only 1.1% of residents lack insurance, good for 11th best.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$132,768 median income · $562,137 median home price
Located in
Dakota County, Minnesota
Here in Mendota Heights, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the St. Paul 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 Mendota Heights.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$136,534 median income · $508,713 median home price
Located in
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Plymouth ranks as the 4th best suburb of St. Paul for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Plymouth and the schools are some of the best around.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$131,614 median income · $913,298 median home price
Coming in as the fifth best is Wayzata.
Wayzata gets kudos for having the 4th most expensive homes in the St. Paul area, where houses sell for an average of $913,298. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$152,150 median income · $472,662 median home price
Elko New Market 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 0.0%.
According to online reports, Elko New Market is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the St. Paul area, meaning you need to get in soon.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$153,669 median income · $618,480 median home price
Located in
Washington County, Minnesota
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Lake Elmo.
Lake Elmo 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 9.9 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$128,767 median income · $615,641 median home price
Located in
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Edina 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 17th in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$123,319 median income · $478,624 median home price
Located in
Washington County, Minnesota
Is ‘Everything Better In Mahtomedi?’
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
$158,750 median income · $458,983 median home price
Located in
Hennepin County, Minnesota
And rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Rogers.
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 Minnesota’s statewide median.
Minnesota statewide median: $89,062
Minnesota statewide median: $346,668
Minnesota statewide median: 4.1%
Minnesota statewide median: 9.3%
On the map
Where the best St. Paul suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best suburbs around St. Paul for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around St. Paul 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 St. Paul.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 99 suburbs to evaluate around St. Paul.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 99 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 St. Paul.” We’re lookin’ at you, Deephaven.
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 St. Paul suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
The full plate
Table: Best St. Paul Suburbs
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Suburb Score | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deephaven | 15.36 | 3,793 | $197,679 | $1,062,991 |
| 2 | Victoria | 19.14 | 11,295 | $195,639 | $608,561 |
| 3 | Mendota Heights | 23.43 | 11,612 | $132,768 | $562,137 |
| 4 | Plymouth | 24.50 | 79,220 | $136,534 | $508,713 |
| 5 | Wayzata | 25.64 | 4,354 | $131,614 | $913,298 |
| 6 | Elko New Market | 26.14 | 5,002 | $152,150 | $472,662 |
| 7 | Lake Elmo | 26.29 | 13,140 | $153,669 | $618,480 |
| 8 | Edina | 26.36 | 53,262 | $128,767 | $615,641 |
| 9 | Mahtomedi | 27.14 | 8,133 | $123,319 | $478,624 |
| 10 | Rogers | 27.21 | 13,685 | $158,750 | $458,983 |
| 11 | Orono | 27.71 | 8,195 | $173,527 | $1,113,974 |
| 12 | Lakeville | 29.00 | 74,354 | $139,041 | $487,882 |
| 13 | Chanhassen | 29.00 | 26,006 | $143,651 | $548,742 |
| 14 | North Hudson | 30.43 | 3,819 | $122,647 | $403,225 |
| 15 | Corcoran | 30.71 | 7,302 | $133,423 | $601,129 |
| 16 | Prior Lake | 30.93 | 28,016 | $134,255 | $525,577 |
| 17 | Carver | 31.86 | 6,239 | $147,697 | $493,733 |
| 18 | Minnetonka | 32.93 | 53,064 | $119,517 | $483,591 |
| 19 | Hugo | 33.64 | 16,340 | $116,228 | $432,376 |
| 20 | North Oaks | 33.64 | 5,179 | $231,742 | $936,794 |
| 21 | Maple Grove | 34.29 | 71,173 | $132,731 | $424,803 |
| 22 | Minnetrista | 34.29 | 8,708 | $163,051 | $684,705 |
| 23 | Scandia | 34.79 | 3,950 | $101,953 | $540,660 |
| 24 | Shorewood | 35.36 | 7,647 | $171,063 | $804,465 |
| 25 | Afton | 35.71 | 2,957 | $133,305 | $711,857 |
| 26 | Grant | 35.93 | 3,950 | $150,875 | $713,726 |
| 27 | Oak Grove | 36.43 | 9,130 | $117,696 | $462,896 |
| 28 | Excelsior | 36.93 | 2,570 | $103,068 | $799,758 |
| 29 | Centerville | 37.50 | 3,935 | $122,541 | $397,125 |
| 30 | Medina | 37.57 | 6,968 | $230,859 | $832,022 |
| 31 | Rosemount | 39.29 | 27,562 | $129,625 | $432,777 |
| 32 | Andover | 39.57 | 33,035 | $137,593 | $435,598 |
| 33 | Eden Prairie | 40.00 | 63,051 | $130,489 | $501,363 |
| 34 | Lino Lakes | 40.29 | 22,113 | $127,181 | $447,709 |
| 35 | St. Anthony | 40.86 | 9,671 | $97,363 | $396,789 |
| 36 | Bayport | 42.57 | 3,905 | $125,893 | $434,119 |
| 37 | Dayton | 42.71 | 9,095 | $148,947 | $509,219 |
| 38 | Stillwater | 43.86 | 19,355 | $105,853 | $445,501 |
| 39 | Champlin | 44.36 | 23,294 | $116,102 | $370,691 |
| 40 | St. Louis Park | 44.86 | 49,594 | $101,648 | $379,371 |
| 41 | Woodbury | 44.93 | 78,305 | $125,310 | $457,355 |
| 42 | Shoreview | 45.43 | 26,714 | $108,370 | $410,993 |
| 43 | Arden Hills | 47.00 | 9,658 | $134,118 | $477,166 |
| 44 | Savage | 47.14 | 32,889 | $125,513 | $427,463 |
| 45 | Ramsey | 47.36 | 28,421 | $116,415 | $381,243 |
| 46 | Falcon Heights | 48.00 | 5,085 | $96,528 | $412,532 |
| 47 | Columbus | 48.00 | 4,248 | $123,194 | $471,094 |
| 48 | Chaska | 48.14 | 28,706 | $110,956 | $479,348 |
| 49 | Ham Lake | 48.14 | 16,702 | $120,135 | $492,264 |
| 50 | Circle Pines | 48.29 | 4,968 | $101,800 | $309,951 |
| 51 | Wyoming | 48.57 | 8,087 | $107,565 | $387,741 |
| 52 | Farmington | 49.07 | 23,902 | $123,673 | $400,171 |
| 53 | Cottage Grove | 49.43 | 40,992 | $120,791 | $396,381 |
| 54 | Eagan | 49.57 | 68,000 | $108,690 | $401,217 |
| 55 | East Bethel | 51.71 | 12,115 | $110,000 | $414,303 |
| 56 | Apple Valley | 52.86 | 55,679 | $97,673 | $376,121 |
| 57 | Hudson | 53.43 | 14,959 | $93,937 | $496,565 |
| 58 | Mound | 53.71 | 9,107 | $86,675 | $378,827 |
| 59 | Inver Grove Heights | 53.79 | 35,906 | $101,316 | $374,324 |
| 60 | Golden Valley | 54.00 | 21,725 | $108,772 | $437,256 |
| 61 | White Bear Lake | 55.00 | 23,908 | $83,554 | $355,724 |
| 62 | River Falls | 55.36 | 16,719 | $83,627 | $406,768 |
| 63 | Hastings | 55.71 | 22,117 | $93,998 | $378,760 |
| 64 | Somerset | 56.43 | 3,208 | $80,395 | $411,158 |
| 65 | Oak Park Heights | 56.93 | 4,756 | $82,476 | $344,826 |
| 66 | New Brighton | 57.50 | 22,710 | $88,521 | $380,080 |
| 67 | Oakdale | 58.21 | 28,585 | $93,772 | $353,330 |
| 68 | Prescott | 58.21 | 4,503 | $74,412 | $396,930 |
| 69 | Vadnais Heights | 60.29 | 12,838 | $98,685 | $370,284 |
| 70 | Crystal | 61.50 | 22,476 | $92,513 | $318,582 |
| 71 | Roseville | 61.57 | 35,802 | $86,930 | $374,912 |
| 72 | Blaine | 61.64 | 72,488 | $106,801 | $378,017 |
| 73 | St. Paul Park | 62.14 | 5,457 | $100,642 | $314,770 |
| 74 | Lauderdale | 62.64 | 2,388 | $78,684 | $304,242 |
| 75 | North St. Paul | 63.14 | 12,570 | $84,797 | $325,856 |
| 76 | Shakopee | 63.71 | 46,012 | $107,223 | $403,598 |
| 77 | Mounds View | 64.79 | 12,926 | $90,009 | $341,297 |
| 78 | Forest Lake | 65.00 | 20,729 | $92,944 | $421,551 |
| 79 | Robbinsdale | 67.43 | 14,234 | $88,252 | $313,988 |
| 80 | Richfield | 68.14 | 36,642 | $85,132 | $347,412 |
| 81 | Coon Rapids | 68.43 | 63,468 | $88,251 | $325,994 |
| 82 | Bloomington | 69.86 | 88,665 | $93,211 | $361,589 |
| 83 | New Hope | 69.93 | 21,181 | $77,662 | $350,939 |
| 84 | Anoka | 70.29 | 17,970 | $75,948 | $326,597 |
| 85 | Osseo | 71.07 | 2,584 | $62,119 | $306,481 |
| 86 | Spring Lake Park | 71.43 | 7,032 | $90,753 | $318,674 |
| 87 | Brooklyn Park | 71.57 | 83,876 | $89,891 | $347,073 |
| 88 | Maplewood | 72.29 | 40,695 | $91,394 | $342,804 |
| 89 | South St. Paul | 73.21 | 20,611 | $87,994 | $295,755 |
| 90 | West St. Paul | 74.29 | 21,382 | $68,464 | $317,548 |
| 91 | Minneapolis | 74.57 | 427,246 | $80,846 | $330,882 |
| 92 | Little Canada | 74.57 | 10,514 | $77,957 | $362,746 |
| 93 | Hopkins | 74.93 | 18,819 | $75,234 | $330,893 |
| 94 | Burnsville | 75.71 | 64,463 | $87,024 | $368,611 |
| 95 | Lexington | 78.57 | 2,770 | $75,347 | $319,764 |
| 96 | Columbia Heights | 79.86 | 22,155 | $73,691 | $295,929 |
| 97 | Fridley | 81.43 | 30,241 | $77,680 | $318,919 |
| 98 | Newport | 82.57 | 4,754 | $71,979 | $341,540 |
| 99 | Brooklyn Center | 83.29 | 32,479 | $72,535 | $297,384 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 99 suburbs within 30 miles of St. Paul.
Summary
Summary: Welcome to the Best St. Paul ‘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 St. Paul are Deephaven, Victoria, Mendota Heights, Plymouth, Wayzata, Elko New Market, Lake Elmo, Edina, Mahtomedi, and Rogers.
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like St. Paul but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you. Not sold on Minnesota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs Of St. Paul FAQs
What is the best suburb of St. Paul?
Deephaven is the best suburb of St. Paul for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Victoria and Mendota Heights are next.
What are the best suburbs of St. Paul?
The best suburbs of St. Paul are Deephaven, Victoria, Mendota Heights, Plymouth, Wayzata, Elko New Market, Lake Elmo, Edina, Mahtomedi, and Rogers. We ranked all 99 places within commuting range.
How expensive is Deephaven?
The median household income in Deephaven is $197,679 and the median home costs $1,062,991. Top suburbs rarely come cheap; that is part of how they got there.
What counts as a suburb of St. Paul?
Any place within 30 miles of St. Paul qualifies. 99 towns fit that circle, and every one of them got scored.
How do you rank St. Paul 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, Deephaven, takes the crown.
