Last month, Coldwell Banker Real Estate made the move from Parsippany, NJ to a beautiful new home office in Madison, NJ. While only seven miles away, it meant major changes for the morning commute. The way I see it, every minute of commute time is a minute away from my family. So like all of my other colleagues, I jumped onto MapQuest to determine the best route to our new office.
After realizing my commute would actually be shorter than before (bonus!) I knew just how lucky I am to live the suburban dream. Not only do I live less than 20 minutes from where I work, but I have a backyard, access to my favorite “suburban staples,” and we live in a safe community filled with high-ranking schools and beautiful parks within walking distance. Perhaps more importantly though, our area recently saw a robust burst in hiring(NJ.com). For me, my neighborhood is the perfect place to work hard and play harder. (Side Note: If you are looking for a place that meets your lifestyle needs check out this amazing Lifestyle Search tool on coldwellbanker.com.)
Because job growth is incredibly important as the economy continues toward recovery, Coldwell Banker Real Estate is exploring the “Top Booming Suburbs in America” for the final installment of the Coldwell Banker® Best Places to Live series; suburbs that are showing strong economic growth and also possess the “American Ideals” which make up the fabric of a community.
About the Ranking
The “Booming Suburbs” ranking rated 1,500 communities based on increased year-over-year levels in employment and unemployment percentages below the national norm, along with a range of attributes that include access to suburban staples (grocery stores, banks, etc.), proximity to good schools, commuting by car and community safety. (Methodology created by Coldwell Banker and partner Onboard Informatics)
The Top 10 Booming Suburbs in America
Each suburb on the top 10 lists boasts an average commute time of around 30 minutes or less and a positive growth employment.
Washington state dominated the ranking with four Seattle suburbs ranked in the top 10. Cottage Lake, which captured the top spot on the list, is described as resembling an idyllic “Leave It to Beaver” setting, situated on a beautiful lake. This unincorporated suburb hosts many individual IT, finance, insurance, medical and biotechnology firms, but also benefits from nearby Internet, retail and other corporate headquarters in downtown Seattle.
1) Cottage Lake, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent
Average Commute Time: 30 minutes
2) Prairieville, La. (Suburb of Baton Rouge / Ascension County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 2.7 percent
Average Commute Time: 30 minutes
3) Fruit Cove, Fla. (Suburb of Jacksonville / St. Johns County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 3.6 percent
Average Commute Time: 30 minutes
4) Sammamish, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent
Average Commute Time: 30 minutes
5) Mercer Island, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent
Average Commute Time: 20 minutes
6) Riverton, Utah (Suburb of Salt Lake City / Salt Lake County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 2.9 percent
Average Commute Time: 25 minutes
7) Brentwood, Tenn. (Suburb of Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin / Williamson County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 2.2 percent
Average Commute Time: 25 minutes
8) Lehi, Utah (Suburb of Provo-Orem / Utah County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 4.2 percent
Average Commute Time: 25 minutes
9) Cooper City, Fla. (Suburb of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach / Broward County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 3.1 percent
Average Commute Time: 25 minutes
10) Maple Valley, Wash. (Suburb of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue / King County)
Growth in Employed Persons: 3.5 percent
Average Commute Time: 33 minutes
Learn more about these booming suburbs in this Infographic which are broken down by state:
Did your town make the list? If not, do you think it should have? Join the conversation about this exciting series on Twitter and tell us why your community is a #bestplacestolive.
[…] The “Booming Suburbs” ranking rated 1,500 communities based on increased year-over-year levels in employment and unemployment percentages below the national norm, along with a range of attributes that include access to suburban staples (grocery stores, banks, etc.), proximity to good schools, commuting by car and community safety. (Methodology created by Coldwell Banker and partner Onboard …read more […]
[…] 6) Riverton, Utah (Suburb of Salt Lake City / Salt …read more […]
[…] bustling city, outweigh the negatives of hours worth of commute time. These people enjoy the “Suburban Dream.” However, the ‘burbs aren’t for […]
[…] the bustling city, outweigh the negatives of hours worth of commute time. These people enjoy the “Suburban Dream.” However, the ‘burbs aren’t for […]