(KRON) — What Bay Area suburb should you live in if you still want a taste of the city lifestyle? According to one study, the answer is Palo Alto.
Storage Cafe posted a study ranking the top suburbs across the country for “city-like lifestyles.” Palo Alto came in third, trailing Edina, MN and Falls Church, VA.
According to the study, Palo Alto is an attractive suburb because of its business sector, amenities and health. Storage Cafe said Palo Alto boasts a diverse economy, sustaining jobs even though there are layoffs in the tech industry.
“There are around 60 businesses registered per 1,000 residents, and its downtown alone generated $3.2 million in sales-tax revenues in fiscal year 2021-22, more than in any other downtown in the area,” Storage Cafe said.
Palo Alto also drew compliments for prioritizing affording housing projects. Despite the pricy real estate in the city, the study said high incomes “tend to bridge the affordability gap.”
“Naturally, there’s no shortage of things to do besides work in Palo Alto – not only do residents have access to plenty of options in terms of retail outlets and restaurants, but they also enjoy an impressive 1,900 square feet of park space per capita,” Storage Cafe’s article said.
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Palo Alto also earned points for its health consciousness. Palo Alto residents have an obesity rate of 22%, compared to 33% nationwide, according to the study. The city’s life expectancy is also above average, and biking to work is popular.
Two other Bay Area cities cracked the Top 10 list: Los Gatos (#7) and Burlingame (#8). Both cities earned points for their business sectors and health.
Methodology
To complete the study, Storage Cafe ranked 912 suburbs located in the United States’ top 100 metro areas. A suburb was defined as a place within a large metro area with between 10,000 and 100,000 residents.
A large list of factors was considered in the study, including housing affordability index, single-family homes percentage, businesses per 1,000 people, obesity and crime rate. For an in-depth look at the study, click HERE.
