Three cities in northern Jefferson County have been named amove the best places in the metro area by a well-known real estate website.

Movoto.com picked Gardendale, Fultondale and Pinson for their list, titled “The 10 Best Places Near Birmingham.”

The top part of the rankings are filled with over-the-mountain suburbs, topped by Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Pelham.

Gardendale was the top northern Jefferson city, tied for seventh place with Helena. Movoto.com cited Gardendale’s average commute time of 23 minutes, plus the wide range of amenities available and the annual Magnolia Festival as part of the reasons for the selection.

“Home buyers will find a variety of well built single family homes on spacious lots,” the report said.

Pinson and Fultondale rounded out the list, with the two cities tied for ninth place.

Fultondale was cited for its low 4.4-percent unemployment rate as well as its low 15-minute commute time to downtown Birmingham. “Home buyers in this Birmingham suburb will find everything from affordable ranch style houses to stately single family homes,” the authors said.

Pinson was also noted for its low unemployment rate — at 4.4 percent, identical to Fultondale — and amenities such as Turkey Creek Nature Preserve and Cumberland Lakes Golf Course.

“Home buyers on a budget will find affordable ranch style homes, while those prepared to splurge have their pick of large, well built single family homes with beautiful views or immaculate yards,” the report stated.

The full report is available at this page.