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Best Places To Live: Cleveland's Top 20 Suburbs

Each year, we pull out our surveys and spreadsheets and get to work combing over safety, school, housing and other info that gives us insight into Northeast Ohio's best places to live.

by Cleveland Magazine Staff | May. 31, 2022 | 11:30 AM

Casey Rearick

Casey Rearick

Below, we list our 2022 top 20 suburbs. Before you dive in, take a look at some of the other stories in this month's Best Places to Live cover package.

Editor Colleen Smitek on how to discover the community that's right for you. Read More >>

Back in Brecksville
Carl and Beverly Joyce never planned to make the move they did, but they also never planned on an out-of-control housing market. Read More >>

More in Mentor

We follow one happy couple as they find a century home with character in this Lake County suburb. Read More >>

River of Dreams
One global pandemic, two years, 40 showings, eight offers and six suburbs later, Terrance and Andrea Hudson finally found their starter home in Rocky River. Read More >> 

How one man found fun — and savings — by downsizing from Geauga County. Read More >>

Comic Agent
The housing market is no joke  — unless you’re real-estate agent/comedian Marty Krieger. Read More >> 

The State of Real Estate
COVID-era inflation has kicked up a seller’s market everywhere in Northeast Ohio. Here’s how to navigate it. Read More >>

How We Did It
A look at the process — and huge amounts of data — behind our Best Places to Live cover package. Read More >> 

 

Cleveland's 20 Best Places To Live

1. Beachwood
The second-best school system of our suburbs, Beachwood’s walkability (90% of roads with sidewalks) and diversity (29.7%, the second-highest in the top 20) propel it into the top spot this year. With Beachwood Place Mall, a super-fun aquatics complex and perhaps the best dog park in the Land, there’s always something to do in this bustling suburb.  

Our No. 1 suburb last year, Rocky River held strong this year on the back of education (No. 4 in our school rankings) and an 89.1% increase in median home sale value over the past 10 years. This suburb’s prime lakefront location combined with easy access to downtown (along with having a bustling downtown of its own) makes it a premier suburb in Cleveland.

3. Pepper Pike
This small community of 6,269 is leafy and green but also super close and connected to great shopping, nature, private schools and dining. It's also an easy commute, and it's worth noting that it funnels into the Orange City School District. All of which combine to make this East Side suburb the complete package.
 
4. Moreland Hills
This affluent suburb finished with the No. 1 safety rank and the No. 5 education ranking, proving once again why it's often near the top of our list. It's worth noting that Moreland Hills is also home to the Cleveland Metroparks' only polo field, which tells you something.

5. Orange Village
This suburb boasts the No. 5 school system in our rankings along with a $418,750 median home sale price. It’s also home to Pinecrest, a 58-acre mixed-use development that has everything from luxury apartments to national retail brands and office space.

6. Solon
Once again, Solon nabbed the No. 1 education ranking. As the third-most diverse suburb in our top 20 with the second most home sales in 2021, Solon continues to be one of the best places to live in the area

The No. 7 school district in our education ranking, this community is tight-knit and easy to get around in as evidence by the long row of bikes you'll find outside the elementary school on a nice spring day. This community, which clocks in with a $285,000 median home sale price, offers both million-dollar homes on the water and cozy bungalows on leafy streets.

8. Hudson
Another community built on the back of its strong school system, Hudson boasts the No. 3 school system in our rankings as well as oodles of character in its charming downtown. The bottom line? This Summit County suburb offers the perfect mixture of historic charm combined with modern amenities.
 
Brecksville kept its top 10 ranking this year thanks in large part to a 10-year housing appreciation of 75.9%. But that's not quite the whole story. This quiet suburb offers superb access to nature, downtown and both the East and West sides of town. 

10. Chagrin Falls
Come for the cute and compact downtown, stay for the stellar school system (No. 6 on our list) and small, safe community (No. 15 on our list).  With the Chagrin Falls waterfall serving as the village backdrop, this suburb looks like something you’d see on a post card — and the amazing dining options continue to expand.
 
11. Highland Heights
This small community of 8,390 has a median home price of $313,000. A funnel city into the Mayfield City School District, this suburb is located between both the airport and North Chagrin Reservation.

12. Westlake
Westlake offers affordable property taxes ($1,910) along with a 69.5% 10-year home sale price increase. Combine that with the convenience of Crocker Park and 100% of the streets being walkable, and it’s no surprise Westlake is a mainstay in our top 20 suburbs.

13. Bath Township
Housing values in this southern suburb are improving each year. With a $496,000 median home sale price and some of the lowest property taxes ($2,010) in the top 20, Bath Township is a top Summit County draw.

14. Avon
This suburb on Lorain County’s border is the perfect quiet community for families. With affordable property taxes in our top 20 ($,1970) along with a strong school system (No. 14 on our list), Avon is the perfect suburb for those looking for an active place with a small-town feel.  

15. Shaker Heights
Shaker Heights schools took the No. 13 slot, no easy feat in a suburb surrounded by top-notch private schools. It also clocked in with a 45.4% diversity rating, another factor that helped it score high on our list.

16. Avon Lake
With a No. 11 safety ranking and No. 8 education ranking, Avon Lake is a top suburb. Add in the lake, and it's even better. This quaint West Side suburb makes the most of its lakefront border, with Veterans Park standing out for its picturesque lake views.

17. Mayfield Village
This suburb of 3,372 people has a median home sale price of $280,000 — and a 10-year housing appreciation of 57.7%. It fell just one spot from last year and continues to rank well in education (No. 19).

18. Mayfield Heights
With 393 home sales last year, Mayfield Heights is a suburb on the move. It boasts an education ranking of 19 — and is walkable, as evidenced by its 94.6% of completed sidewalks.

19. Broadview Heights
Good schools (No. 11 in our ranking) and safety (No. 20 in our ranking) help Broadview Heights stand out amongst other suburbs. With a new, state-of-the-art community and recreation center that appeals to residents of all ages, this suburb is perfect for anyone who wants to stay active and fit.

20. Middleburg Heights
With a safety ranking of No. 20 and relatively low property taxes, this community is appealing to all but especially those looking to get in at a lower price point. The median home sale value here rose 55.5% over the past 10 years, but the median home sale price ($213,850) is more approachable than other suburbs in our top 20.

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