If you’re looking for a place to live that offers both financial prosperity and peace of mind, the East Coast has no shortage of options.
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GOBankingRates’ latest list of the safest and richest East Coast cities is dominated by suburbs of three major metro areas: New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C. These locales continue to attract families and professionals seeking top-tier schools, walkable downtowns and access to major job markets. Low crime rates and high incomes set these cities even further apart from the rest of the pack.
To formulate this list, GOBankingRates analyzed and blended data from the U.S. Census, Zillow, the Federal Reserve, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the FBI and AreaVibes.
Here’s a rundown of the 25 highest blends of wealth and safety on the East Coast, starting with the 25th best and counting down to No. 1.
25. Pennington, New Jersey
- Average household income: $206,343
- Average home value: $721,275
- Total cost of living annually: $76,432
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.741
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.718
Pennington is a small borough in Mercer County, located about 10 miles north of Trenton. Living in Pennington will cost you roughly $6,400 a month on average.
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24. Decatur, Georgia
- Average household income: $193,625
- Average home value: $301,206
- Total cost of living annually: $47,316
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 23.184
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.873
You’ll find Decatur just northeast of downtown Atlanta. Decatur actually has the lowest average monthly cost of living (just under $4,000) among cities in this list.
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23. Falls Church, Virginia
- Average household income: $205,626
- Average home value: $937,436
- Total cost of living annually: $93,238
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 17.934
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.237
Falls Church sits just west of Washington, D.C., and is part of the D.C. metro area. The average cost of living in Falls Church comes in around $7,800 a month, and an average single-family home here is worth about $940,000.
22. Ramsey, New Jersey
- Average household income: $208,767
- Average home value: $908,276
- Total cost of living annually: $92,132
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.719
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.136
Ramsey is a borough in the northeastern part of the New Jersey, about 25 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan. Ramsey’s violent crime rate ranks second lowest among the cities in this list.
21. Metuchen, New Jersey
- Average household income: $190,858
- Average home value: $712,725
- Total cost of living annually: $78,779
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 12.327
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.400
Metuchen is located in Middlesex County, about 20 miles southwest of Manhattan. Its household mean income — lofty compared to many U.S. cities — is the second lowest among cities in this list.
20. Brookline, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $217,943
- Average home value: $1,703,401
- Total cost of living annually: $147,401
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.886
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.655
The town of Brookline is completely surrounded by the city of Boston. Brookline is an expensive place to live, with an average monthly cost of living around $12,300.
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19. Vienna, Virginia
- Average household income: $273,768
- Average home value: $1,197,684
- Total cost of living annually: $111,327
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.400
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.173
You’ll find Vienna in Fairfax County, about 15 miles west of Washington, D.C. Living in Vienna costs about $9,300 a month on average.
18. Needham, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $281,049
- Average home value: $1,595,565
- Total cost of living annually: $139,457
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.366
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.774
Needham sits just west of Boston along the Charles River. Needham’s average cost of living for a month is $11,600.
17. Newton, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $261,666
- Average home value: $1,737,762
- Total cost of living annually: $148,234
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.563
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.586
Another Boston suburb, Newton is located about eight miles to the west. Newton’s $12,000+ monthly cost of living is the highest among cities in this list.
16. Hopkinton, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $295,018
- Average home value: $1,001,895
- Total cost of living annually: $97,022
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 3.528
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.665
Best known as the starting point for the Boston Marathon, Hopkinton is located about 25 miles to the west of Boston. It’s the second least populous city in this list with about 3,200 residents.
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15. Sharon, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $213,836
- Average home value: $899,720
- Total cost of living annually: $91,254
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.710
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.271
Sharon is located in Norfolk County, roughly 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston. Sharon’s property crime rate is the lowest among cities listed in GBR’s rankings.
14. Summit, New Jersey
- Average household income: $304,408
- Average home value: $1,368,214
- Total cost of living annually: $124,152
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.216
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.494
Summit sits in north-central New Jersey, about 20 miles west of Manhattan. With its household mean income of just over $300,000, Summit ranks second among cities in this list.
13. Reading, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $187,490
- Average home value: $977,318
- Total cost of living annually: $94,467
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.854
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.278
Located in the North Shore region, Reading sits just north of Boston. Reading’s household mean income actually ranks lowest on this list.
12. Belmont, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $239,287
- Average home value: $1,686,352
- Total cost of living annually: $144,788
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.435
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.603
You’ll find Belmont about eight miles west of downtown Boston. Living costs in Belmont will run you about $12,000 a month on average.
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11. Glen Ridge, New Jersey
- Average household income: $300,489
- Average home value: $1,165,641
- Total cost of living annually: $111,066
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 17.652
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.370
Glen Ridge is located in northern New Jersey and is part of the New York metropolitan area. Glen Ridge’s property crime rate is the highest among cities listed here, though it is still relatively low compared to most other U.S. cities.
10. Haddonfield, New Jersey
- Average household income: $279,257
- Average home value: $832,771
- Total cost of living annually: $83,587
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 13.310
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.239
Haddonfield sits across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Single-family homes in Haddonfield are worth $832,000 on average, and average monthly living costs come in around $7,000.
9. Madison, New Jersey
- Average household income: $247,235
- Average home value: $1,047,592
- Total cost of living annually: $102,035
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.807
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.125
Madison is found roughly 20 miles west of Manhattan in Morris County. It’s a very safe community, with the lowest violent crime rate among cities in this list.
8. Purcellville, Virginia
- Average household income: $189,791
- Average home value: $898,023
- Total cost of living annually: $91,010
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.784
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.334
Purcellville is located about 50 miles west of Washington, D.C., in Loudon County. The average value of a single-family home in Purcellville is just shy of $900,000.
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6. Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $368,179
- Average home value: $2,098,597
- Total cost of living annually: $174,523
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.326
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.256
Wellesley sits just west of Boston in Norfolk County. Wellesley’s household median income is the highest among cities in this list, and its average value for a single-family home also ranks first.
5. Westfield, New Jersey
- Average household income: $297,367
- Average home value: $1,263,623
- Total cost of living annually: $117,378
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.662
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.164
Westfield is located about 16 miles southwest of Manhattan. Westfield’s violent crime rate ranks third lowest among cities in this list.
4. Ridgewood, New Jersey
- Average household income: $288,861
- Average home value: $1,182,764
- Total cost of living annually: $112,398
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.252
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.379
You’ll find Ridgewood in Bergen County, roughly 20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan. Single-family homes in Ridgewood are worth about $1.2 million on average.
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3. University Park, Maryland
- Average household income: $239,838
- Average home value: $695,938
- Total cost of living annually: $75,913
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 16.532
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.424
University Park is located just northeast of Washington, D.C., in Prince George’s County. With a hard-to-find AreaVibes livability score of 93, University Park tops this list. It’s also relatively affordable compared to most other cities in this list — the average monthly cost of living here is about $6,300.
2. Winchester, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $296,327
- Average home value: $1,721,011
- Total cost of living annually: $147,229
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.029
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.221
Winchester is located about eight miles north of Boston. In addition to its low crime rates, Winchester has the fifth-best AreaVibes livability score (91) among cities listed here.
1. Lexington, Massachusetts
- Average household income: $300,716
- Average home value: $1,697,821
- Total cost of living annually: $145,764
- Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.937
- Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.294
Historic Lexington sits about 10 miles northwest of downtown Boston. A household mean income of just over $300,000 places Lexington third highest among cities in this list. Lexington also has the second-lowest property crime rate and the eighth-lowest violent crime rate. On top of all that, Lexington’s livability score from AreaVibes is tied for second highest.
Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.
Methodology: GOBankingRates conducted a comprehensive study to identify the safest and richest cities in the United States by analyzing the top 1,000 cities with the highest average household income, based on data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city, key demographic and economic indicators were compiled, including total population, senior population, household counts, median and mean household income. Housing costs were estimated using Zillow’s May 2025 Home Value Index, assuming a 10% down payment and the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from the Federal Reserve. Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces, and average household expenditures were calculated using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Crime data, including property and violent crime rates per 1,000 residents, was obtained from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer. Cities with a livability index below 80, as reported by AreaVibes, were excluded to ensure a baseline quality of life. Each city was scored across five equally weighted categories: total cost of living, property crime rate, violent crime rate, household mean income and livability index. Final scores were summed and ranked to determine the safest and richest cities. East Coast cities were then separated and ranked. All data is current as of Aug. 4, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 25 Safest and Richest East Coast Cities To Live in 2025
