The 10 Best St. Paul Suburbs To Live In For 2022


We analyzed over 98 places around St. Paul 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 St. Paul 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 St. Paul 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 to live around St. Paul for 2022:

  1. North Oaks
  2. Deephaven
  3. North Hudson
  4. Rogers
  5. Medina
  6. Chanhassen
  7. Mendota Heights
  8. Elko New Market
  9. Orono
  10. Edina

What's the best suburb of St. Paul? North Oaks ranks as the best suburb of St. Paul for 2022 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of North Oaks, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 St. Paul '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 Minnesota:

The 10 Best St. Paul Suburbs To Live For 2022

North Oaks is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the St. Paul area. We'll tell you the good about "Awesome North Oaks."

Everyone here is rich; families average $210,370 a year, which is the highest in the St. Paul region. And only 0.6% are out of work. Homes average more than $672,600 each.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,244
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $210,370
Unemployment Rate: 0.6%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on North Oaks: Real Estate | Data | Photos

North Oaks, MN

Deephaven is the second best 'burb we looked at near St. Paul for 2022.

It ranks 11th for incomes in the area and only 1.39% of residents lack insurance, good for 9th best.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 3,904
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $132,813
Unemployment Rate: 0.5%
Poverty Rate: 3.2%
More on Deephaven: Real Estate | Data

Here in North Hudson, 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 North Hudson.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 3,819
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 13)
Median Income: $108,500
Unemployment Rate: 0.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.8%
More on North Hudson: Real Estate | Data

Rogers ranks as the 4th best suburb of St. Paul for 2022.

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

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 13,183
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 7)
Median Income: $133,988
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
More on Rogers: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Rogers, MN

Coming in as the fifth best is Medina.

Medina gets kudos for having the 7th most expensive homes in the St. Paul area, where houses sell for an average of $547,900. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 6,549
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Median Income: $156,563
Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
Poverty Rate: 3.3%
More on Medina: Real Estate | Data

Medina, MN

Chanhassen 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 2.43% which is 34th best in the area.

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

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 25,965
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 3)
Median Income: $124,184
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Chanhassen: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Chanhassen, MN

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Mendota Heights.

Mendota Heights 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 5.0 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 11,339
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Median Income: $119,347
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%
Poverty Rate: 4.2%
More on Mendota Heights: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Mendota Heights, MN

Elko New Market 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 4.26% of people lack insurance, good for 64th in the area.

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 4,715
Rank Last Year: 19 (Up 11)
Median Income: $133,333
Unemployment Rate: 0.8%
Poverty Rate: 0.4%
More on Elko New Market: Real Estate | Data

Is 'Everything Better In Orono?'

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

6
/10

Population: 8,217
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 6)
Median Income: $169,557
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
Poverty Rate: 4.8%
More on Orono: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Orono, MN

And rounding out the top ten for 2022 is Edina.

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

9.5
/10

Population: 52,215
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Income: $108,576
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on Edina: Real Estate | Data | Photos

Edina, MN

Source: Public domain

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around St. Paul for 2022

Figuring out the best suburbs around St. Paul 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 St. Paul.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 100 suburbs to evaluate around St. Paul.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 100 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 St. Paul." We're lookin' at you, North Oaks. 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 St. Paul '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 St. Paul, but don't want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might just be for you.

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best St. Paul Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income
1 North Oaks, MN 5,244 $210,370
2 Deephaven, MN 3,904 $132,813
3 North Hudson, MN 3,819 $108,500
4 Rogers, MN 13,183 $133,988
5 Medina, MN 6,549 $156,563
6 Chanhassen, MN 25,965 $124,184
7 Mendota Heights, MN 11,339 $119,347
8 Elko New Market, MN 4,715 $133,333
9 Orono, MN 8,217 $169,557
10 Edina, MN 52,215 $108,576
11 Shorewood, MN 7,939 $146,029
12 Plymouth, MN 78,879 $112,631
13 Scandia, MN 4,135 $84,741
14 Victoria, MN 9,787 $166,477
15 Lake Elmo, MN 9,071 $145,433
16 Mahtomedi, MN 8,232 $112,105
17 Maple Grove, MN 71,569 $113,793
18 Minnetonka, MN 53,760 $100,363
19 Lakeville, MN 65,710 $112,020
20 Andover, MN 33,019 $112,967
21 Wayzata, MN 4,591 $88,431
22 Lino Lakes, MN 21,748 $107,647
23 Grant, MN 4,106 $115,850
24 Shoreview, MN 26,922 $97,633
25 Prior Lake, MN 26,775 $108,481
26 St. Anthony, MN 9,035 $85,469
27 Afton, MN 3,008 $109,387
28 Columbus, MN 4,109 $93,892
29 Eden Prairie, MN 64,481 $115,227
30 St. Louis Park, MN 48,874 $84,694
31 Mound, MN 9,498 $75,542
32 Hugo, MN 15,008 $92,032
33 Stillwater, MN 19,471 $91,947
34 Ham Lake, MN 16,630 $99,736
35 Rosemount, MN 24,792 $110,573
36 Cottage Grove, MN 37,120 $102,600
37 Spring Park, MN 2,136 $48,661
38 Woodbury, MN 71,298 $108,055
39 Champlin, MN 24,980 $96,469
40 Corcoran, MN 6,113 $138,848
41 Excelsior, MN 2,414 $80,750
42 Minnetrista, MN 7,989 $144,188
43 Carver, MN 5,438 $109,589
44 Savage, MN 31,758 $116,895
45 Golden Valley, MN 21,611 $97,783
46 Oak Grove, MN 8,819 $107,112
47 Farmington, MN 22,996 $95,326
48 Chaska, MN 26,753 $90,161
49 Centerville, MN 4,006 $110,341
50 Hastings, MN 22,796 $75,026
51 Wyoming, MN 7,976 $88,876
52 Apple Valley, MN 53,728 $90,162
53 Oak Park Heights, MN 4,914 $71,140
54 Eagan, MN 66,377 $93,332
55 Circle Pines, MN 4,951 $84,550
56 East Bethel, MN 11,958 $90,809
57 Ramsey, MN 27,201 $97,779
58 Dayton, MN 6,258 $112,557
59 Prescott, MN 4,278 $67,491
60 Hudson, MN 13,912 $74,207
61 Falcon Heights, MN 5,586 $72,616
62 Arden Hills, MN 10,276 $105,664
63 Roseville, MN 36,139 $74,571
64 White Bear Lake, MN 25,718 $70,981
65 Bayport, MN 3,758 $87,986
66 Vadnais Heights, MN 13,565 $81,643
67 New Brighton, MN 22,663 $75,099
68 Blaine, MN 65,048 $86,796
69 Shakopee, MN 41,423 $90,642
70 Robbinsdale, MN 14,393 $73,510
71 Coon Rapids, MN 62,706 $76,169
72 Crystal, MN 22,937 $70,724
73 Spring Lake Park, MN 6,582 $71,958
74 Bloomington, MN 85,226 $78,224
75 St. Paul Park, MN 5,404 $84,167
76 Burnsville, MN 61,536 $76,017
77 North St. Paul, MN 12,421 $67,595
78 Forest Lake, MN 20,393 $84,436
79 Osseo, MN 2,738 $54,636
80 Inver Grove Heights, MN 35,492 $83,155
81 Lauderdale, MN 2,624 $65,578
82 River Falls, MN 15,870 $62,786
83 Hopkins, MN 18,400 $59,141
84 Brooklyn Park, MN 80,173 $73,207
85 Mounds View, MN 13,193 $73,243
86 Minneapolis, MN 424,536 $66,068
87 Oakdale, MN 27,925 $74,303
88 New Hope, MN 20,913 $60,762
89 Richfield, MN 36,253 $70,091
90 Anoka, MN 17,512 $60,890
91 Maplewood, MN 40,684 $72,959
92 Little Canada, MN 10,423 $55,893
93 South St. Paul, MN 20,132 $63,204
94 West St. Paul, MN 19,805 $57,142
95 Columbia Heights, MN 20,247 $60,778
96 Fridley, MN 27,789 $65,669
97 Newport, MN 3,664 $58,569
98 Somerset, MN 2,842 $70,370
99 Brooklyn Center, MN 30,755 $64,023
100 Lexington, MN 2,276 $65,333

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.