Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in Metro Detroit

Metro Detroit is full of great places to raise a family, but is there a best suburb?

There is, if you ask Niche, a website offering rankings and statistics on towns, schools and colleges. Its recently-released 2023 Best Suburbs to Raise a Family offers a look at the best places for people with kids to call home based on a variety of factors.

How’d they choose? Niche ranked suburbs based on age demographics, school ratings, crime rates, and access to affordable housing, childcare, libraries and grocery stores.

“A high ranking indicates that a suburb attracts young families with good schools and a safe community,” the site states. You can find the full methodology here.

Here are the top 10 suburbs on the list: 

Huntington Woods

• Average home value: $386,100 
• County: Oakland
• Population: 6,382

Looking for that quaint small town feel without moving too far from the liveliness of the city? Huntington Woods is less than a 30 minute drive from the city and is home to the Detroit Zoo, plenty of parks and highly-rated public schools. 

Bloomfield Charter Township

• Average home value: $479,400 
• County: Oakland
• Population: 44,043

This town has continued to rise on the list of best Detroit suburbs for the past few years. With plenty of restaurants, shops, parks and coffee shops, what more could you ask for? Oh wait, we forgot schools! The schools in Bloomfield Charter Township are top-notch, with many of its schools receiving A+ ratings. 

Beverly Hills

• Average home value: $403,100
• County: Oakland
• Population: 10,593

Although it came in #3 on the list of best suburbs, Beverly Hills was ranked #2 on the list of Best Places to Buy a House in the Detroit Area. The town is ideal for families who are looking for a slightly-rural feel but don’t want to leave the metro area. Plus, Beverly Hills Village Park has all the fun a family could ask for: a sledding hill, disc golf course, fire pits, nature trails, a playground and even an outdoor ping pong table! 

Northville Township

• Average home value: $449,100
• County: Wayne
• Population: 31,311

A move to Northville Township may be in your future if you’re looking to transition to true suburban living. The first Wayne County suburb to make the list, Northville Township is less than 30 miles from Detroit with all the amenities you want out of the ‘burbs: large park systems and shopping smalls loaded with gyms, shops and restaurants. When asked to describe their town, two-thirds of residents used the word “friendly.” 

Birmingham

• Average home value: $580,200
• County: Oakland
• Population: 21,728 

Located along the Woodward Corridor, the northern suburb of Birmingham falls at #5 on the list. With plenty of parks and trails, many Birmingham residents are active people who enjoy being out and about. The schools are top-rated schools and there is some remarkable architecture around town. 

Franklin

• Average home value: $612,900
• County: Oakland
• Population: 2,790

The small suburb of Franklin has a charming rural feel, but the homes are anything but small. Known for its sweeping, estate-style houses, Franklin offers plenty of room for your growing family to spread out and plant roots. Do we need to tell you that its public schools received an A+ rating?

Troy

• Average home value: $335,000
• County: Oakland
• Population: 86,912

Troy is the largest suburb on this list thus far. The three top phrases that residents use to describe their home are “friendly, quiet and family-oriented.” With young professionals and residents with moderate political views, Troy is a diverse place to raise a family. 

Northville

• Average home value: $369,100
• County: Wayne
• Population: 6,106

The town of Northville is a small, but dense, suburb with an historic, charming downtown and strips of shops and restaurants. With beautiful old homes and calm water views, Northville is a picture-perfect place to raise a family.

Oakland Charter Township

• Average home value: $459,400
• County: Wayne
• Population: 19,848

Welcome to Oakland Charter Township: an upper-middle class town with high ranking public schools, low crime rates and plenty of golf courses, parks and green spaces. About an hour directly north of Detroit Oakland Charter Township is close to scenic nature and state parks without being too far from the city. 

Grosse Pointe Park

• Average home value: $380,900
• County: Wayne
• Population: 11,529

The last (but not least) of the best Detroit suburbs for families is Grosse Pointe Park. This sparse suburban town lies just outside of the city and is close to attractions like Belle Isle and scenic views of the Detroit River. There are plenty of restaurants and shops in Grosse Pointe Park, and the public schools are highly rated.

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