5 Best Up-and-Coming Suburbs for the Middle-Class To Live in 2024
Written by
Jake Safane
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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Trying to find a place to live in 2024 can be difficult for the middle class, considering the rise in real estate prices that are putting many attractive areas out of budget. However, you can still find great communities near major cities without breaking the bank, but sometimes you have to look a little bit deeper than the top rankings of the best suburbs.
Using information from Niche, a platform that analyzes data on U.S. schools and neighborhoods, we analyzed some of the best suburbs in America that have a good mix of affordability, schools, jobs, and more. Here are several of the best ones to keep an eye on.
1. Fairlawn, Ohio
Fairlawn is a small suburb of less than 8,000 residents located between Akron and Cleveland. It’s closer to Akron but only about 35 minutes to downtown Cleveland, so you can live in a small town while being close to a mid-size and fairly large city.
The median home value in Fairlawn is $227,900, compared to the national average of $281,900, according to Niche. Meanwhile, the median household income is a little bit above the national average. Resident reviews tout Fairlawn as feeling safe and having great schools.
2. Ballwin, Missouri
Ballwin is a suburb around 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis with a little over 30,000 residents. The median home value of $337,500 is a bit above the national average, according to Niche, but it’s much more affordable than several other top St. Louis suburbs.
Plus, Ballwin scores an A+ ranking on Niche for jobs, with a median household income of $118,647, above the national average. It also has an A+ ranking for schools, and resident reviews say it’s a diverse community that’s great for families, with plenty of restaurants and other businesses nearby.
3. Buffalo Grove, Illinois
The Chicago suburbs can get pretty pricey, but one of the more affordable ones is Buffalo Grove, located about 45 minutes north of the heart of Chicago with a little over 40,000 residents. Here, the median home value is $380,700, according to Niche, but the median household income is quite high at $127,553. So, if moving to the area, perhaps you can land a median-paying job that enables you to comfortably afford a home here.
Buffalo Grove has an A+ rating on Niche for health & fitness as well as an A for outdoor activities, with several residents touting the local parks, along with its schools, which have an A+ rating on Niche.
4. Morrisville, North Carolina
Roughly halfway between Raleigh and Durham lies the suburb of Morrisville, a town with a population of a little over 30,000. Although the median home value is higher here than these other suburbs, at $429,600, the Raleigh-Durham region is known for its strong economy. Morrisville has an A rating from Niche, with a median household income of $114,075.Â
Plus, the town is 50/50 renters vs. homeowners, according to Niche, and the median rent of $1,687, while still higher than the national average, is certainly in range for many in the middle class. Resident reviews on Niche say Morrisville is a friendly community that’s great for families.
5. Woodway, Texas
Woodway is a small town of just under 10,000 people, located about 10 minutes from Waco, Texas. So, it’s not a suburb of a huge city, although it’s almost exactly halfway between Austin and Dallas, about an hour and a half drive to both.
What makes Woodway appealing now is that the median home value of $304,200 is just slightly above the national average, according to Niche, while it has a healthy median household income of $111,014. Resident reviews on Niche cite the town’s lush trees and great schools.
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