The best places to raise a family in Texas
(NEXSTAR) — One of the most important decisions in an adult’s life is where to put down roots and start a family. Fortunately, there are many fantastic options in Texas – but is it possible to determine which is the best?
Niche.com is a ranking and review website that uses federal data, state data, user-generated reviews and other criteria to rank K-12 schools, universities, cities and neighborhoods.
According to the description on their sitethe methodology behind the Best Places to Raise a Family in Texas study is a comprehensive assessment of key factors that matter to families, including the quality of local schools, safety, affordability and access to family amenities.
Below are the criteria used by Niche.com to compile their rankings, the source of the information and how much it contributes to the overall ranking score:
For more information on how Niche.com calculates their rankings and the methodology they use, as well as the full list of the best places to start a family, please visit his website.
Located south of Denton in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Lantana is a census-designated place of just over 10,000 residents. Resident Reviews note the high tax rates, but say many amenities come with it, such as community pools, gyms, lawn care and more.
- Public schools — A
- Crime and safety – there is no
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — C+
- Night life – ° С
- Diversity — B
Highland Park is a very affluent suburb located in the northern part of Dallas. Fun fact, 3-time Cy Young pitcher Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams both graduated from Highland Park High School in 2006. They were friends and teammates.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B
- Housing — C+
- Work places — A
- Cost of living – ° С
- Outdoor activities — B
- Night life — A+
- Diversity — C+
A small country town of under 7,000 people, Sunnyvale is located in the far eastern part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Sunnyvale is the only city on this list that boasts a median rent price under $1,000. And they have the 18 best public schools in Texas, according to Niche.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety – there is no
- Housing — B+
- Work places — A-
- Cost of living — B
- Outdoor activities — B
- Night life — C+
- Diversity — A
Not far from Spring Valley Village, another community on this list, Bunker Hill Village is located near Houston. It is the most expensive community to buy a home on this list, with an average home value of $1,526,400. Bunker Hill Village is one of the Forbes Top 25 Where to Retire Rich.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety – there is no
- Housing — C+
- Work places — A-
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B+
- Night life — A-
- Diversity — B
Located on the edge of Lake Grapevine, just west of DFW Airport, Trophy Club is a master-planned community built around the only golf course designed by PGA golf professional Ben Hogan. Niche also ranked Trophy Club as the second best home suburb in DFW.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — A-
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — C+
- Night life — B+
- Diversity — B-
Colleyville is a suburb located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In a 2018 study, Colleyville was ranked as the 10th wealthiest city in the United States. However, the median home value is $567,600, far from the most expensive community on this list.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A
- Cost of living — B
- Outdoor activities — B-
- Night life — B+
- Diversity — C+
Friendswood is the most affordable city on this list, with a median home value of just over $300,000. Located between Houston and Galveston, it is a short drive to both a major American city and the beach. Fun fact, it’s also home to several former NASA astronauts and former WWE wrestlers.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A-
- Cost of living — B
- Outdoor activities — A-
- Night life — B+
- Diversity — A-
Home of Imperial Sugar, probably in your office right now, Sugar Land is one of the fastest growing cities in Texas. Located less than 20 miles outside of Houston, it has seen tremendous job growth since 2000. It is also home to several current and former Houston Astros and Houston Rockets players.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B-
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — A-
- Night life — B
- Diversity — A
Located near Round Rock, north of Austin, Brushy Creek is a census-designated place of approximately 19,000 people. With home prices just above $300,000 and most of the CDP in the Round Rock Independent School District, families can expect all the benefits of a larger school district without having to pay full price.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety – there is no
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B
- Night life — B
- Diversity — A
Murphy is a small town of about 20,000 on the outskirts of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Just a short drive from Plano, homes in Murphy average under $400,000, making it one of the most affordable cities on this list. And because of its proximity to other major DFW cities, it’s likely to see a lot of growth over the next few decades.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B
- Housing — B+
- Work places — A
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B
- Night life — C+
- Diversity — A
Flower Mound is a suburb of Dallas with about 80,000 residents. Their public schools are ranked 8th in the state and their median home value is under $400,000, making it one of the more affordable communities on this list. And yes. The “Color Mound” for which the town is named is still there.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B-
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B-
- Night life — B
- Diversity — A+
Located in the Houston metropolitan area, this city of approximately 4,000 residents is located 10 miles from downtown Houston. The median home costs about $860,000 in Spring Valley Village, which, while under $1 million, is still one of the most expensive towns on this list.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B-
- Housing — B+
- Work places — A
- Cost of living — B
- Outdoor activities — B+
- Night life — A-
- Diversity — B-
Frisco Public Schools are ranked in the top 10 in Texas. Even with nearly 200,000 residents, violent crime rates are significantly lower than the national average. Several large national companies have moved to Frisco in recent years, which is one of the many reasons why named the fastest growing city in the US between 2010 and 2019.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B-
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B-
- Night life — B+
- Diversity — A
Located west of Austin and northwest of Rollingwood, ranked fourth on this list, West Lake Hills is another more expensive community with median home prices above $1 million. However, its proximity to Austin and highly rated public schools make it quite attractive to younger families.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B-
- Housing — B-
- Work places — A-
- Cost of living — C+
- Outdoor activities — B
- Night life — B
- Diversity — B-
University Park is a suburb of Dallas located in north Dallas between US-75 and the Dallas North Tollway. The town is located just a few miles north of the heart of downtown, making it attractive to younger parents. However, at $1.35 million, the cost of the homes is one of the most expensive on this list.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B
- Housing — B-
- Work places — A-
- Cost of living — C+
- Outdoor activities — B
- Night life — A+
- Diversity — B-
Fulshear is a town of about 12,000 people outside of the Houston metropolitan area. It’s one of the safest cities on this list and the schools are highly rated. The town is named after Churchill Fulshear, one of the “Old Three Hundred,” the original settlers of Mexican Texas.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — A-
- Housing — A
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B
- Outdoor activities — C+
- Night life — B-
- Diversity — B+
Rollingwood is a suburb of Austin with the Colorado River to the north and Zilker Park to the east. For families looking for a smaller town, Rollingwood boasts less than 1,500 residents. However, Rollingwood is one of the most expensive cities on this list with a median home price of over $1 million.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B+
- Housing — B
- Work places — A
- Cost of living – ° С
- Outdoor activities — B+
- Night life — B
- Diversity – ° С
Families who enjoy shopping will love living in Southlake, especially Southlake Town Square, home to a variety of retailers and restaurants. Although part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Southlake maintains a more rural feel. And the public school system is one of the best in Texas.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B
- Housing — A
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B-
- Night life — B+
- Diversity — B-
Coppell is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, completely surrounded by major highways. It is ranked as the third best suburb in Texas to live. The public schools are highly regarded and two current NFL players, Solomon Thomas and Connor Williams, both played at Coppell High School.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety — B-
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — B-
- Night life — A-
- Diversity — A
Ranked as the best place to raise a family in Texas, The Woodlands is a northern suburb of Houston. Their schools are among the top-ranked in Texas, and their city website boasts that every single resident lives within a 10-minute walk of a public park. The Woodlands has been ranked the best city to live in America for two years in a row.
Fun fact – The Woodlands boasts many notable current and former residents, including country singers Jack Ingram and Parker McCollum, rapper Chamillionaire and brothers Will and Winn Butler of Arcade Fire.
- Public schools — A+
- Crime and safety – there is no
- Housing — A-
- Work places — A+
- Cost of living — B-
- Outdoor activities — A-
- Night life — B+
- Diversity — A-