Schools, value, new construction, lakes, commute and walkability. See which Twin Cities suburbs win for each priority, then go deeper with a full city guide.
There is no single best suburb of Minneapolis. The right answer depends on what you are optimizing for. Here is how the Twin Cities suburbs stack up by priority, using the medians, drive times and school districts in our city guides.
If the district is your first filter, start with the districts that rank highest on Niche.com (2026), as cited in our guides: Wayzata (ISD 284) is ranked #1 among Minnesota districts, Minnetonka (ISD 276) #2 and Orono (ISD 278) #5, and Mounds View (ISD 621), which serves Shoreview, ranks in the top 15. Always confirm the exact district for a specific address.
These suburbs combine lower medians with established amenities and shorter drives than most of the metro.
If you want newer homes, master-planned neighborhoods and room to grow, these are the suburbs with the most active building.
Minnesota's lakes are the draw here, from village-scale lake towns to estates on Lake Minnetonka.
Close-in suburbs trade lot size for time. These have the shortest typical drives to downtown in our guides.
If a walkable main street matters, these suburbs have a real center rather than just strip retail.
Tell me your commute, budget and priorities and I will point you to the two or three suburbs worth touring first.