RANKED: The 50 Best Suburbs In America

Population: 6,866

Great Schools score: 9

Residents who live in the "City of Faith and Beauty" take an average 25.4 minutes to commute to the nearby Cleveland-Elyria metro area. The median household income for this small town (less than 17 square miles) is $85,938.

Population: 6,943

Great Schools score: 10

The median annual household income in Bellbrook — $73,168 — may seem low, but cost of living is relatively low as well, and nearly 82% of homeowners spend 30% or less of their income on housing costs. Average commute time to Dayton, the nearest metro area, is just 21.8 minutes.

Population: 6,194

Great Schools score: 10

Home to the liberal arts school Swarthmore College, the town of Swarthmore is conveniently located near the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro areas. Commuters are looking at an average commute time of 24.3 minutes.

Population: 14,970

Great Schools score: 9

A suburb of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area, Berkley benefits from a low poverty rate (2.7%) and good public schools. Folks in Berkley spend an average of 21.8 minutes commuting to work.

Population: 30,404

Great Schools score: 10

Ballwin may be looking at a higher-than-average commute time of 25.2 minutes, but a median annual household income of $83,441 and low crime rates make this St. Louis suburb a pleasant place. Money Magazine named Ballwin one of America's best places to live in 2005, 2011, and 2013.

Population: 5,931

Great Schools score: 8

Designated "Tree City, USA," the town of Kasson has fewer than 6,000 residents, but being just 22 minutes outside Rochester it never feels isolated. Kasson has virtually zero violent crime and very little property crime.

Population: 5,548

Great Schools score: 9

Also boasting a 22-minute commute, this Champaign-Urbana suburb hosts the Piatt County courthouse. Monticello is a small community with a median annual income of $64,269.

Population: 12,097

Great Schools score: 10

Waunakee is about 21.1 minutes outside Madison. The town, with an annual median household income of $84,614, proudly dubs itself "The Only Waunakee in the World."

Population: 5,869

Great Schools score: 10

The only New England suburb on our list, Yarmouth is a seaside town just 22 minutes outside of Portland. It's a small community, with fewer than 5,900 residents.

Population: 25,043

Great Schools score: 9

Shoreview is privy to almost no violent crime and offers a plethora of community activities and events. The median household income falls at $80,641. Commuting time to the nearest metro areas — Bloomington and the Twin Cities — is an average of 24.1 minutes.

Population: 70,576

Great Schools score: 10

Plymouth is the largest suburb on our list, with a population of over 70,000. Residents make a median household income of $86,730 and have average commute times of 22.3 minutes.

Population: 60,797

Great Schools score: 9

Located about 21.2 minutes outside Bloomington and the Twin Cities, Eden Prairie isn't just a great place to live. It's also a great place to work. Residents make decent livings in this town, with a median annual household income of $93,828.

Population: 13,470

Great Schools score: 10

Residents of Franklin Park are up against a longer-than-average commute time — 27.9 minutes — but it's worth it with all that the nearby city of Pittsburgh has to offer. The median household income ($113,828) is very high.

Population: 13,790

Great Schools score: 9

The cost of living is pretty good in Waukee, where the median annual household income is $78,102. This suburb is just a short 20.3-minute commute from Des Moines, but it makes a number of community organizations, from the Waukee Area Arts Council to the Historical Society, available right there in town.

Population: 45,582

Great Schools score: 10

Also a suburb of Des Moines, Ankeny (pronounced "AN-ken-ee") is a large town about 21.1 minutes away. It even has a logo. Residents take home a median household income of $73,622.

Population: 22,262

Great Schools score: 10

Hudson's residents are fairly well off, with a median household income of $116,188, but they have to travel an average of 27.9 minutes to reach the nearest big city, Akron. Luckily for residents, the suburb has a lively downtown area, with plenty of places to shop, eat, and explore.

Population: 8,575

Great Schools score: 8

Edgewood is full of parks, all within walking distance of the city limits. Amid low rates of poverty and violent crime, folks who live in this suburb have a median household income of $85,552. The average commute time is 22.5 minutes to Cincinnati.

Population: 5,012

Great Schools score: 8

Considered a "bedroom community," Munroe Falls is the smallest suburb to make our list. The town has virtually no violent crime, and it is an easy 22.5-minute commute from Akron.

Population: 34,033

Great Schools score: 10

Vestavia Hills is a quick 20-minute commute to Birmingham-Hoover. The suburb maintains its southern hospitality while being the fastest-growing town in Alabama. Vestavia Hills boasts great schools and has a median household income of $85,417.

Population: 14,787

Great Schools score: 7

West University Place is a 17.7-minute trip from the Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area. With one of the lowest poverty rates (1.4%) and the highest median household income ($202,132) on our list, West University Place is a great place to live.

Population: 47,941

Great Schools score: 10

Edina residents take home a median household income of $84,251. The Minnesota suburb is home t0 40 award-winning public parks and is a quick 20.4-minute commute to the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro area.

Population: 16,325

Great Schools score: 10

Fort Thomas' lower-than-average median household income of $60,578 is offset by the suburb's low cost of living. Famous for its stone water tower (pictured), a famous northern Kentucky landmark honoring the town's soldiers who fought in the Spanish-American War, this historical town is only a 19.6-minute commute from Cincinnati.

Population: $16,267

Great Schools score: 10

The residents of Morton also enjoy low costs of living with 83.5% of homeowners spending less than 30% of their incomes on housing costs. Morton, also known as the pumpkin capital of the world, is an 18.7-minute commute to the city of Peoria.

Population: 14,110

Great Schools score: 10

Whitefish Bay residents take home a median household income of $106,699. The Wisconsin suburb is a 21.7-minute commute to the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metropolitan area. The town was recently named as a Bird City of Wisconsin because of its nature conservation efforts.

Population: 9,552

Great Schools score: 9

Arden Hills sits eight miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area (a 20.8-minute commute). Residents of Arden Hills enjoy low living costs and an average median household income of $79,208.

Population: 17,278

Great Schools score: 9

Residents of Johnston, which has doubled its population over the past 10 years, have low costs of living and a median household income of $94,014. The Iowa suburb is home to the military training site Camp Dodge and is a quick 17.8-minute commute to the cities of Des Moines and West Des Moines.

Population: 8,428

Great Schools score: 10

Folks in the tight-knit, state-named Ohio community take home a median household income of $95,572. The town has top-notch schools and is just 21 minutes to Cincinnati.

Population: 23,132

Great Schools score: 10

Sitting right on the shores of Lake Michigan, Mequon boasts beautiful lakeshore bluffs as well as numerous outdoor recreation spaces. Mequon is a 22.1-minute commute to the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metropolitan area, and the median household income is $106,733.

Population: 41,751

Great Schools score: 8.67

One of the larger suburbs to make our list, Dublin provides a high quality of life with low living costs. The Ohio suburb is 22.1 minutes outside of downtown Columbus, and the median household income is $114,183. Dublin is also home to Muirfield Village Golf Club, one of the best courses in the country.

Population: 10,251

Great Schools score: 9

With low violent-crime rates, great schools, and low costs of living, Montgomery is a great place to live. Located 22.6 minutes outside of Cincinnati, Montgomery has residents with a median household income of $109,779. The town is known to host a seasonal arts series at the local theater.

Population: 10,267

Great Schools score: 10

Beverly Hills is located 21.9 minutes outside of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area. The Michigan suburb has the second-lowest poverty rate on our list, at 0.5%. The town fosters a strong sense of community with regular town celebrations including the coming Halloween Hoot. Residents of Beverly Hills have a median household income of $104,951.

Population: 31,867

Great Schools score: 9

Leawood has the fourth-highest median annual income on our list, at $134,242. The charming Kansas suburb has a low crime rate and great schools. Leawood is bordered by three cities, the largest being Kansas City, which is just 20.1 minutes away.

Population: 6,238

Great Schools score: 6

Huntington Woods is consistently ranked as one of the top suburbs in the country. Residents of this city, located just 20 minutes outside of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area, enjoy low costs of living and take home a median annual income of $112,593.

Population: 8,785

Great Schools score: 8

Located just 18 minutes from the Sioux Falls area, Brandon boasts a median household income of $66,766. While the town has an unusually high poverty rate (for this list) of 4.3%, its violent-crime rate is very low.

Population: 6,536

Great Schools score: 8

Grandview Heights, where the median household income is $80,729, is also home to 45 acres of park lands. The average commute time to Columbus, Ohio, is 17 minutes — one of the shortest on this list.

Population: 5,970

Great Schools score: 10

Northville is nicknamed the "Switzerland of Wayne County" because of its distinct location atop rolling hills in an otherwise flat and sandy area. The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area is just a short 21-minute drive away, and the median household income is $88,237.

Population: 79,191

Great Schools score: 10

Famous for its Fourth of July weekend festival CarmelFest, the town of Carmel is located almost 25 minutes from the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metro area. The median household income is $107,505, and over 80% of homeowners spend no more than 30% of income on housing costs.

Population: 38,844

Great Schools score: 10

Dominated by the retail and commercial service industries, Germantown boasts a large median household income of $114,520. It's just 20 minutes outside the greater Memphis area.

Population: 6,701

Great Schools score: 9

This quaint village situated along Lake Michigan is located 21 minutes from the Milwaukee-Wakesha-West Allis area and has a violent-crime rate of 0%. The median household income is $102,552.

Population: 7,554

Great Schools score: 9

Signal Mountain takes its name from a promontory of land called Signal Point, which overlooks the Tennessee River Gorge and the city of Chattanooga, which is just 22 minutes away. The median household income is $81,302.

Population: 17,409

Great Schools score: 9

Boasting big-city amenities and a small-town atmosphere, Springboro has a median household income of $95,406 and an average commute time of 22 minutes to Cincinnati.

Population: 11,500

Great Schools score: 10

First settled in 1801, this small city is a 25-minute commute from Ohio's state capital of Columbus. Powell has the fourth-highest median household income ($133,133) on this list.

Population: 7,724

Great Schools score: 10

Just a 21-minute trip to Columbus, New Albany has a very low poverty rate, at 0.4%. The median household income is $161,314.

Population: 7,489

Great Schools score: 7

Transformed from farm land to a quiet bedroom community in just the past 50 years, Villa Hills has an average commute time of 22 minutes to Cincinnati. Residents earn a median household income of $87,342.

Population: 33,771

Great Schools score: 10

Upper Arlington enjoys a convenient location just 18 minutes from the bustling capital, with easy access to the Columbus airport and major highways. The median household income is $95,588.

Population: 21,447

Great Schools score: 9

A great housing market, over 1,500 licensed businesses, and beautiful scenery combine to make Prairie Village — just 19 minutes outside Kansas City — the fifth-best suburb in America. The median household income is $83,848.

Population: 20,413

Great Schools score: 10

Though Mountain Brook is only 17 minutes from the Birmingham-Hoover metro area, we don't know why you'd ever want to leave it. With a median household income of $135,833, the community has five distinct shopping villages, its own school system, and residential areas designed by Warren Manning — the landscape planner of New York's Central Park.

Population: 8,726

Great Schools score: 10

Forbes named Madeira to its list of the best high-performing public school districts with affordable housing last year. Boasting a median household income of $87,232 and an average commute time of 21 minutes to Cincinnati, the city has earned an "Excellent" score on the state's report card for school districts since the inception of the rating system.

Population: 14,160

Great Schools score: 10

Located 23 minutes from the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metro area, Zionville is the second-best US suburb thanks to its ideal environment for raising a family (just under half of households have children below the age of 18). And nearly 80% of homeowners, in a population with a median household income of $104,455, spend less than one-third of their earnings on housing costs.

Population: 5,934

Great Schools score: 10

Elm Grove has it all: phenomenal schools, low poverty and violent-crime rates, and a six-figure median household income ($109,933). Residents can access the downtown Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area in just 20 minutes, or escape the bustle of the big city at the village's nature sanctuaries. Elm Grove is a designated "Bird City," a distinction awarded to cities committed to making their communities a better place for people, birds, and other wildlife.

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