The suburbs moved into the spotlight in the wake of the pandemic, but this way of life doesn’t have the same appeal for everyone. Many buyers seek places that offer the space and affordability of the suburbs, while still maintaining a big-city feel. This begs the question: Which places can offer the perks of suburban living while also enabling city-like lifestyles?

In our most recent study, we set out to identify the suburbs that best strike a balance between the sought-after suburban atmosphere and the benefits of big-city living, starting out with a list of approx. 1,000 suburbs and ranking them across several criteria, including housing affordability index, median household income, crime rate, public schools ranking, number of restaurants and shopping avenues.

All things considered, Alpharetta emerges as the 19th-best suburb with a city feel in the U.S. Living here means you get plenty of space, safe streets, plus an good mix of lifestyle-oriented amenities. The Atlanta metro area claims 4 locations featured in the best 100.

Here’s what brought Alpharetta to the top:

• Not only are Alpharetta locals boasting high earnings (ca. $114,000/year/household), but they also enjoy relaxed surroundings with low population density (2,438 people/sq. mi.).

• Local businesses are also on the rise. In fact, there are about 58 businesses per 1,000 residents and you’d earn over $65,000/year if you work within the community.

• Additionally, Alpharetta is home to about 4.5 stores and about 3.0 restaurants per 1,000 residents.

• Moreover, locals have access to about 4.6 health care and social assistance establishments per 1,000 persons.

• Suwanee was the next Atlanta suburb to make the list in 21st place, followed by Milton in 87th place and Snellville which came in at No. 98.

You can read the full report, together with expert commentary on the trends that are currently shaping suburban living, here: https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/best-suburbs-for-city-amenities/.