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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 Salem are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado...
What's the best suburb of Salem? Sublimity ranks as the best suburb of Salem for 2021 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Sublimity, you're probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 Salem '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 Oregon:
The 10 Best Salem Suburbs To Live For 2021
/10
Population: 2,810
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $73,977
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Poverty Rate: 5.6%
More on Sublimity: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Sublimity is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Salem area. We'll tell you the good about "Awesome Sublimity."
Everyone here is rich; families average $73,977 a year, which is the 5th highest in the Salem region. And only 2.53% are out of work. Homes average more than $325,100 each.
/10
Population: 3,234
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $79,297
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 6.8%
More on Dundee: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Dundee is the second best 'burb we looked at near Salem for 2021.
It ranks 2nd for incomes in the area and only 2.5% of residents lack insurance, good for best.
/10
Population: 24,073
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $72,312
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 9.7%
More on Wilsonville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Here in Wilsonville, it's really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you'll see in the Salem 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 Wilsonville.
/10
Population: 2,494
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Income: $82,689
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%
Poverty Rate: 5.3%
More on Turner: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Turner ranks as the 4th best suburb of Salem for 2021.
You won't find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Turner and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 17,695
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Median Income: $73,038
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 8.7%
More on Canby: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Coming in as the fifth best is Canby.
Canby gets kudos for having the 3rd most expensive homes in the Salem area, where houses sell for an average of $329,700. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 38,980
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Income: $64,638
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
Poverty Rate: 10.9%
More on Keizer: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Keizer 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 5.08% which is 13th best in the area.
According to online reports, Keizer is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Salem area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 4,149
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Median Income: $76,319
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 7.7%
More on Lafayette: Real Estate | Data | Photos
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Lafayette.
Lafayette 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 22.7 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 10,242
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Income: $64,296
Unemployment Rate: 7.5%
Poverty Rate: 8.3%
More on Silverton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Silverton 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 6.07% of people lack insurance, good for 12th in the area.
