The suburbs are having their day in the sun.
Annual rankings that proclaim the country’s “best places to live” are cruising past some of the country’s largest metros to park in their more spacious suburbs.
These family-friendly towns can boast increasingly powerful population magnets, including affordable homes and low unemployment.
Rankings darling Johns Creek, Georgia, sits alongside the Chattahoochee River. Marcus Jones – stock.adobe.com
The popular, pricey Atlanta suburb enjoys high public safety and low unemployment. rodphotography – stock.adobe.comJohns Creek, Georgia, has been raking in the honors this year.
Following US News & World Report’s lead, Architectural Digest has recognized this Atlanta suburb as the country’s best place to live in 2025. Johns Creek, the suburban city 25 miles outside of the city’s downtown, boasts a high quality of life thanks to its strong job market, low crime rate and mild climate.
The glossy magazine also carved out considerations for more high-minded attractions like local access to art and design. As a result, Architectural Digest fit extra-pricey picks into the ranking’s top five.
Downtown Carmel, Indiana. Chase – stock.adobe.comSilver and bronze went to Carmel, Indiana, and Pearland, Texas, respectively. Both midsized cities were ranked equally high by US News & World Report earlier this year.
Carmel, which famously claims the country’s largest concentration of roundabouts (150 in total), is yet another darling of the “best of” rankings. The suburb of Indianapolis is oft-praised for its innovative urban planning, low crime rate and high-quality schools.
Architectural Digest lent particular praise to its fourth-place pick, Pearland, for its Cultural Arts Master Plan. The local plan, introduced in 2024, aims to foster cultural events in the Houston suburb.
A 2,500-square-foot Pearland home available for $370,000 — a balance of price and space that is increasingly rare in America’s most popular midsized cities. Courtesy of Crystal Brown, Broker Associate with Pinnacle Realty Advisors & Next ListingPearland’s thriving Arts District isn’t the only thing adding to its curb appeal. The median home sale price in Pearland was $377,000 in July, according to Redfin. That’s a generous step down from the most recent national median of $443,019.
Pearland’s homes on offer don’t disappoint, either. Shopping for a median-priced home in Pearland often yields four-bed properties spanning more than 2,000 square feet. After all, everything’s bigger in Texas.
Bethesda’s luxurious, suburban comforts come at the cost of affordable housing options. Tim – stock.adobe.com
Farmington Hills was praised for ample public art and high public safety. SNEHIT PHOTO – stock.adobe.comThe rest of the periodical’s top five was filled out by pricier locales — Bethesda, Maryland, and Farmington Hills, Michigan, won seals of approval this year.
Bethesda’s luxurious, suburban comforts come at the cost of affordable housing options, but the DC commuters that call the wealthy enclave home are well-positioned to afford life there. The suburb that hosts the National Philharmonic Orchestra boasts a median household income well over $100,000 and high graduation rates.
Farmington Hills’ artistic attractions earned the well-off town outside of Detroit high praise, as well as its impressive public safety record.
Honorable mentions went to Midwest and Western locales, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Boise, Idaho.
