09/02/2026
Niche’s 2026 Oakland County rankings:
#1 — ROCHESTER
#7 — ROCHESTER HILLS
Now Niche has released its broader 2026 rankings. And when you zoom out — from Oakland County, to Metro Detroit, to Michigan, and all the way to the entire country — the picture gets even more interesting.
🏆 ROCHESTER
DETROIT AREA
#2 Best Places to Live
#2 Best Places to Raise a Family
#3 Places with the Best Public Schools
MICHIGAN
#3 Best Places to Live
#3 Best Suburbs to Live
#3 Places with the Best Public Schools
#3 Suburbs with the Best Public Schools
#4 Best Places to Raise a Family
#4 Best Suburbs to Raise a Family
UNITED STATES
🇺🇸 #51 of 6,807 — Best Suburbs to Live in America
🇺🇸 #107 of 6,804 — Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in America
🇺🇸 #109 of 18,433 — Best Places to Raise a Family in America
🇺🇸 #126 of 18,104 — Best Places to Live in America
🇺🇸 #186 of 6,803 — Suburbs with the Best Public Schools in America
🇺🇸 #201 of 12,998 — Places with the Best Public Schools in America
🇺🇸 #244 of 6,807 — Best Suburbs for Young Professionals in America
🇺🇸 #498 of 6,807 — Best Suburbs to Buy a House in America
🇺🇸 #1,008 of 18,393 — Best Places to Buy a House in America
🇺🇸 #2,394 of 18,445 — Best Places for Young Professionals in America
🇺🇸 #2,817 of 12,636 — Best Places to Retire in America
🇺🇸 #3,852 of 6,807 — Most Diverse Suburbs in America
A+ Overall | A+ Public Schools | A+ Good for Families
And Rochester Hills continues to rank extremely well:
🏆 ROCHESTER HILLS
DETROIT AREA
#12 Best Places to Live
#12 Best Places to Raise a Family
#12 Places with the Best Public Schools
MICHIGAN
#14 Best Suburbs to Live
#16 Best Suburbs to Raise a Family
#17 Suburbs with the Best Public Schools
#18 Best Places to Live
#20 Best Places to Raise a Family
#23 Places with the Best Public Schools
UNITED STATES
🇺🇸 #447 of 6,807 — Best Suburbs to Buy a House in America
🇺🇸 #502 of 6,807 — Best Suburbs to Live in America
🇺🇸 #741 of 6,804 — Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in America
🇺🇸 #824 of 18,433 — Best Places to Raise a Family in America
🇺🇸 #867 of 6,803 — Suburbs with the Best Public Schools in America
🇺🇸 #904 of 18,393 — Best Places to Buy a House in America
🇺🇸 #993 of 12,998 — Places with the Best Public Schools in America
🇺🇸 #1,119 of 18,104 — Best Places to Live in America
🇺🇸 #1,351 of 6,807 — Best Suburbs for Young Professionals in America
🇺🇸 #2,654 of 6,807 — Most Diverse Suburbs in America
🇺🇸 #4,064 of 12,636 — Best Places to Retire in America
🇺🇸 #5,134 of 18,445 — Best Places for Young Professionals in America
A+ Overall | A Public Schools | A+ Good for Families
Take a second and put Rochester’s national numbers in perspective.
#51 out of 6,807 suburbs in America.
#109 out of more than 18,000 places in America to raise a family.
#126 out of more than 18,000 places to live in America.
And when it comes to public schools:
#186 out of 6,803 suburbs nationwide.
That’s not a claim made by a campaign. It’s not a district press release. It’s not someone’s opinion in a Facebook comment. It’s another independent data point about the community we actually live in.
Niche’s rankings consider factors including public schools, crime and safety, housing, cost of living, jobs and amenities. Its public-school rankings incorporate measures including test scores, graduation rates, SAT/ACT performance, teacher quality and student and parent reviews.
No ranking means a community or school district is perfect. There will always be weaknesses to identify and things worth improving. But perspective is important. And so is the starting point in this School Board election.
Rochester Forward is running on building upon what this community has already achieved — making a strong district even stronger. The competing slate has consistently presented a very different picture: a district in decline, poorly managed and in need of rescue.
Those are two fundamentally different assessments of the same school district and community. The evidence is worth considering when deciding which one more closely resembles reality.
And there is another reason to pay attention. Narratives have consequences. When candidates repeatedly portray strong public schools as failing or in decline, families, Realtors and businesses hear it too. Voters should ask why that perception is so central to the campaign — and whether it is simply a diagnosis being offered or a rationale for dismantling, defunding or radically changing what has made the district successful.
There is a profound difference between identifying where strong schools can improve and convincing a community that its schools need to be rescued.
#1 in Oakland County.
#2 in Metro Detroit.
#3 in Michigan.
#51 among suburbs nationwide.
And #186 among suburbs in America for public schools. That’s Rochester. There is plenty here worth protecting — and plenty worth continuing to improve.
