Two Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs rank among the most livable cities in America, according to financial news site 24/7 Wall Street.
Frisco ranked No. 16 on the list of the top 50 best cities to live in. Flower Mound came in a few spots ahead at No. 13.
Low crime, a healthy economy and affordability are among the universally desirable attributes considered to define the “most liveable” cities, but 24/7 Wall Street devised the rankings based on an index of over three dozen socioeconomic measures.
From 24/7 Wall Street:
16. Frisco, Texas
• Population: 163,631
• Median home value: $369,900 (top 25%)
• Poverty rate: 4.3% (bottom 10%)
• Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 65.9% (top 10%)
Frisco is a fast growing suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area and one of the best places to live in the country. Over the past 10 years, Frisco’s population has increased by 73%, the third fastest growth of any city. Frisco is also one of the wealthiest cities in the country and has one of the lowest costs of living. The typical household in Frisco earns $124,829 a year, more than twice the national median household income of $57,617. Adjusted for the area’s low cost of living — goods and services cost 6 cents less on the dollar in Collin County than they do nationwide — Frisco households earn more than any U.S. city other than neighboring Flower Mound.
13. Flower Mound, Texas
• Population: 73,289
• Median home value: $344,300 (top 25%)
• Poverty rate: 4.7% (bottom 10%)
• Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 61.3% (top 10%)
The typical household in Flower Mound, Texas earns about $131,500 annually, the sixth most of any city. After adjusting for the area’s low cost of living, the median income in Flower Mound is the highest of any U.S. city. Just as a large share of area residents are wealthy, very few face serious financial hardship. Fewer than 5% of the city’s population lives in poverty — less than a third of the statewide poverty rate.
Largely financially secure, Flower Mound residents are also generally safe from the threat of violent crime. There were fewer than 50 violent crimes for every 100,000 Flower Mound residents in 2016. In comparison, there were 434 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Texas and 386 per 100,000 people in the United States.
A third Texas city cracked the top 50 as well: The Houston suburb of Atascocita:
21. Atascocita, Texas
• Population: 72,763
• Median home value: $182,000
• Poverty rate: 4.2% (bottom 10%)
• Pct. with at least a bachelor’s degree: 39.6% (top 25%)
At only 4.2%, the poverty rate in Atascocita, Texas is one of the lowest of any U.S. city. Adults with a college education are less likely than those with lower educational attainment to live in poverty, and 39.6% of adult city residents have a four-year college degree, a far greater share than the 31.3% of American adults.
Well-educated and financially secure, Atascocita’s population also lives in an affordable city. The typical area home costs only 1.9 times the median household income in the area. Nationwide, the median home value is 3.6 times the median household income.
24/7 Wall Street’s most livable cities span the country — from the Deep South to New England and from the Mid-Atlantic to the Pacific Northwest.
Carmel, Indiana earned the top spot with a population that is “healthy, wealthy, and well educated,” as well as a low cost of living.
The full list of 50 can be seen below. To see 24/7 Wall Street’s summaries for each city, go here.
50. New Rochelle, New York
49. Layton, Utah
48. Appleton, Wisconsin
47. Orem, Utah
46. South Jordan, Utah
45. Springdale, Arkansas
44. Nashua, New Hampshire
43. Bend, Oregon
42. Kirkland, Washington
41. Franklin, Tennessee
40. Clifton, New Jersey
39. Palm Coast, Florida
38. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
37. Beaverton, Oregon
36. Waukesha, Wisconsin
35. Edmond, Oklahoma
34. Danbury, Connecticut
33. Lawrence, Kansas
32. Enterprise, Nevada
31. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
30. Weston, Florida
29. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
28. Eagan, Minnesota
27. Metairie, Louisiana
26. Charlotte, North Carolina
25. Meridian, Idaho
24. Maple Grove, Minnesota
23. Olathe, Kansas
22. The Villages, Florida
21. Atascocita, Texas
20. Woodbury, Minnesota
19. Lee’s Summit, Missouri
18. Waldorf, Maryland
17. Hoover, Alabama
16. Frisco, Texas
15. Arlington, Virginia
14. Rochester Hills, Michigan
13. Flower Mound, Texas
12. Gilbert, Arizona
11. Mission Viejo, California
10. Raleigh, North Carolina
9. Columbia, Maryland
8. O’Fallon, Missouri
7. Naperville, Illinois
6. Dale City, Virginia
5. Highlands Ranch, Colorado
4. Johns Creek, Georgia
3. Arvada, Colorado
2. Centennial, Colorado
1. Carmel, Indiana
