While big cities like Akron offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Akron. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Akron without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Akron are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Akron area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Akron for 2024:
What’s the best suburb of Akron? Pepper Pike ranks as the best suburb of Akron for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Pepper Pike, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Akron ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about Ohio:
The 10 Best Akron Suburbs To Live For 2024
/10
Population: 6,778
Median Income: $198,438
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Pepper Pike: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Pepper Pike is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Akron area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Pepper Pike.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $198,438 a year, which is the 2nd highest in the Akron region. And only 1.57% are out of work. Homes average more than $590,591 each.
/10
Population: 9,496
Median Income: $132,722
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.4%
More on Oakwood: Data | Real Estate
Oakwood is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Akron for 2024.
It ranks 7th for incomes in the area and only 2.87% of residents lack insurance, good for 23rd best.
/10
Population: 23,005
Median Income: $160,280
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.4%
More on Hudson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Here in Hudson, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Akron 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 Hudson.
/10
South Russell ranks as the 4th best suburb of Akron for 2024.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in South Russell and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Coming in as the fifth best is Chagrin Falls.
Chagrin Falls gets kudos for having the 6th most expensive homes in the Akron area, where houses sell for an average of $442,782. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
6. Silver Lake, OH
/10
Population: 2,621
Median Income: $131,012
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 2.5%
More on Silver Lake: Real Estate
Silver Lake 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 3.32%.
According to online reports, Silver Lake is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Akron area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 7,539
Median Income: $109,691
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
Poverty Rate: 1.0%
More on Independence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Independence.
Independence 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 21.5 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
/10
Population: 7,697
Median Income: $87,952
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Poverty Rate: 6.8%
More on Fairlawn: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Fairlawn 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 0.41% of people lack insurance, good for 1st in the area.
Schools are good. Crime is kinda sketchy.
Nice area, passed Fairlawn and into Akron is Sketchy.
/10
Population: 13,846
Median Income: $105,346
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on Beachwood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Is ‘Everything Better In Beachwood?’
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.
/10
Population: 3,440
Median Income: $199,279
Unemployment Rate: 5.4%
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
More on Moreland Hills: Data | Real Estate
And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Moreland Hills.
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.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Akron for 2024
Figuring out the best suburbs around Akron 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 2018-2022 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 Akron.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 74 suburbs to evaluate around Akron.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 74 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 Akron.” We’re lookin’ at you, Pepper Pike.
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 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Akron suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Akron ‘Burbs of 2024
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 Akron are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Akron but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more Ohio reading, check out:
Table: Best Akron Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pepper Pike, OH | 6,778 | $198,438 | $590,591 |
| 2 | Oakwood, OH | 9,496 | $132,722 | $362,725 |
| 3 | Hudson, OH | 23,005 | $160,280 | $483,879 |
| 4 | South Russell, OH | 3,966 | $175,343 | $461,432 |
| 5 | Chagrin Falls, OH | 4,116 | $99,821 | $442,782 |
| 6 | Silver Lake, OH | 2,621 | $131,012 | $318,605 |
| 7 | Independence, OH | 7,539 | $109,691 | $323,090 |
| 8 | Fairlawn, OH | 7,697 | $87,952 | $275,067 |
| 9 | Beachwood, OH | 13,846 | $105,346 | $427,232 |
| 10 | Moreland Hills, OH | 3,440 | $199,279 | $620,017 |
| 11 | Shaker Heights, OH | 29,157 | $96,494 | $293,145 |
| 12 | Strongsville, OH | 46,165 | $101,176 | $319,958 |
| 13 | Solon, OH | 24,053 | $128,470 | $396,920 |
| 14 | Reminderville, OH | 5,305 | $101,463 | $324,200 |
| 15 | Broadview Heights, OH | 19,815 | $97,902 | $321,266 |
| 16 | Aurora, OH | 17,227 | $134,728 | $399,236 |
| 17 | Brecksville, OH | 13,618 | $122,546 | $379,607 |
| 18 | Brunswick, OH | 35,304 | $81,780 | $276,607 |
| 19 | Twinsburg, OH | 19,291 | $91,554 | $317,334 |
| 20 | Olmsted Falls, OH | 8,670 | $92,416 | $255,597 |
| 21 | Mogadore, OH | 3,838 | $80,099 | $226,819 |
| 22 | North Canton, OH | 17,773 | $69,132 | $250,648 |
| 23 | Stow, OH | 34,459 | $89,805 | $251,917 |
| 24 | Green, OH | 27,333 | $90,419 | $281,652 |
| 25 | Middleburg Heights, OH | 15,918 | $74,109 | $246,379 |
| 26 | University Heights, OH | 13,649 | $91,960 | $241,309 |
| 27 | Richfield, OH | 3,719 | $72,625 | $423,387 |
| 28 | Seven Hills, OH | 11,681 | $91,975 | $264,289 |
| 29 | Tallmadge, OH | 18,411 | $85,394 | $250,321 |
| 30 | Hartville, OH | 3,318 | $63,873 | $263,637 |
| 31 | Wadsworth, OH | 24,073 | $72,325 | $279,596 |
| 32 | Macedonia, OH | 12,126 | $97,611 | $310,528 |
| 33 | Medina, OH | 26,092 | $74,820 | $335,714 |
| 34 | North Royalton, OH | 31,120 | $81,511 | $296,870 |
| 35 | New Franklin, OH | 13,874 | $87,032 | $227,011 |
| 36 | Munroe Falls, OH | 5,034 | $67,601 | $242,177 |
| 37 | Orange, OH | 3,432 | $150,729 | $477,356 |
| 38 | Grafton, OH | 5,730 | $81,522 | $266,406 |
| 39 | Canal Fulton, OH | 5,315 | $57,500 | $237,709 |
| 40 | Louisville, OH | 9,500 | $62,287 | $213,545 |
| 41 | Walton Hills, OH | 2,140 | $95,521 | $293,266 |
| 42 | Cleveland Heights, OH | 45,002 | $69,155 | $182,494 |
| 43 | Berea, OH | 18,550 | $67,493 | $207,002 |
| 44 | Northfield, OH | 3,546 | $68,342 | $265,237 |
| 45 | Wooster, OH | 27,021 | $61,608 | $247,514 |
| 46 | Seville, OH | 2,153 | $65,729 | $227,070 |
| 47 | Parma Heights, OH | 20,706 | $57,197 | $186,633 |
| 48 | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | 50,916 | $67,922 | $190,568 |
| 49 | Creston, OH | 2,072 | $64,157 | $245,012 |
| 50 | Streetsboro, OH | 17,378 | $77,199 | $245,221 |
| 51 | Norton, OH | 11,643 | $81,034 | $211,534 |
| 52 | Parma, OH | 80,587 | $65,848 | $182,504 |
| 53 | Orrville, OH | 8,304 | $67,388 | $229,110 |
| 54 | Brook Park, OH | 18,509 | $64,046 | $184,693 |
| 55 | Brewster, OH | 2,093 | $54,028 | $150,169 |
| 56 | Bedford, OH | 13,043 | $55,198 | $139,045 |
| 57 | Massillon, OH | 32,179 | $53,699 | $189,106 |
| 58 | Lodi, OH | 2,764 | $55,284 | $224,948 |
| 59 | Lakemore, OH | 2,935 | $53,414 | $180,953 |
| 60 | Bedford Heights, OH | 10,933 | $47,528 | $169,165 |
| 61 | Brooklyn, OH | 11,259 | $59,875 | $172,924 |
| 62 | Kent, OH | 27,336 | $37,505 | $215,123 |
| 63 | Alliance, OH | 21,603 | $51,721 | $144,229 |
| 64 | Garrettsville, OH | 2,591 | $60,739 | $245,282 |
| 65 | Ravenna, OH | 11,323 | $48,221 | $185,128 |
| 66 | Warrensville Heights, OH | 13,659 | $43,848 | $114,360 |
| 67 | Barberton, OH | 25,167 | $49,289 | $132,446 |
| 68 | Maple Heights, OH | 23,473 | $49,877 | $112,147 |
| 69 | Rittman, OH | 6,058 | $61,331 | $186,301 |
| 70 | Garfield Heights, OH | 29,497 | $49,864 | $119,737 |
| 71 | Newton Falls, OH | 4,562 | $50,738 | $148,175 |
| 72 | Canton, OH | 70,589 | $37,627 | $149,414 |
| 73 | Cleveland, OH | 370,365 | $37,271 | $100,343 |
| 74 | Sebring, OH | 4,185 | $46,387 | $99,117 |