Three North Texas cities — Southlake, Allen, and Flower Mound — were ranked among the top in WalletHub’s “2022’s Best Small Cities in America.”
The study ranked cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 in five comprehensive areas: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety.
Southlake came in at number 35 on the list, finishing in the top 3% of the cities assessed by the study and scoring a total of 67.82. The city, predominantly located in Tarrant County with portions in Denton County, ranked first in the category of lowest housing costs and earned the fifth-highest homeownership rate.
Southlake’s median household income is $223,621. The city of about 31,100 received a score of 20 in affordability, 110 in economic health, 712 in education, 427 in quality of life, and 138 in safety.
Allen scored an A+ on Niche.com, which also stated that it is one of the best places to live in Texas. Its population of 104,040 benefits from highly-rated public schools.
The Collin County city earned an overall score of 67.11, ranking 65 in affordability, 76 in economic health, 238 in education, 693 in quality of life, and 137 in safety.
Flower Mound ranked similarly high, earning an overall score of 66.24, with 4 in affordability, 65 in economic health, 731 in education, 782 in quality of life, and 149 in safety.
The city in Denton and Tarrant Counties comprises a population of 78,854, but according to Niche.com, it has a rural feel. Flower Mound has a median home value of $376,500, and 86% of residents own their own homes.
Americans are increasingly choosing suburban areas over city life, with 46% of Americans saying they would prefer to live in the suburbs, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey.
The number of Americans desiring to live in urban cities decreased from about a quarter of Americans in 2018: only 19% said they prefer urban areas, whereas 35% prefer rural communities.
A total of 20 North Texas cities made WalletHub’s “2022’s Best Small Cities in America” list, including Rockwall, Keller, and Pflugerville. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, earned the top spot.
