10 Best Places To Live In Texas: Southern Lifestyle Opportunities

Whether you’re already a resident or considering relocating there, Texas offers a wealth of excellent places to put down roots. Texas is the second-largest state in the U.S. in terms of both size and population, meaning there’s something for everyone in the Lone Star State. With 14 national parks and 116 state parks and recreation areas, nature lovers can find plenty to explore. Texas is also home to 13 major professional sports teams for sports lovers. Add in the large number of historical sites and a the diverse arts and culture scene, and Texas has something to offer all its residents.

Let’s take a look at 10 of the best places to live in Texas, categorized both by data analysis and sheer popularity.

Top 5 Best Cities To Live In Texas

As you’re deciding where to live, consider adding Texas to your list! The large size of the state means it has a variety of climates to choose from. It also runs the gamut from rural outposts to huge, bustling cities. There’s a place for everyone and every lifestyle in Texas.  

As we look at the top cities and places to live in Texas, keep in mind the factors we used to calculate our rankings. To find the best places to live, we ranked the cities by data found in these 10 areas:

• Crime rates
• Unemployment rates
• Google search volume
• Median rent
• Well-being index
• Median monthly income
• Housing costs
• Median days on market for homes
• Median home list price
• Freddie Mac primary mortgage market survey interest rates

The Methodology section at the end of this article has a more in-depth explanation on how we calculated our rankings.

1. Flower Mound

• Population: 77,243
• Median household income: $139,703
• Median home sold price: $483,460
• Median monthly rental price: $1,787

Flower Mound is a town northeast of Fort Worth and northwest of Dallas, just a few miles from the world-class Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Its claim to fame is that it has the lowest property and crime rates of all the cities ranked on this list!

Flower Mound offers many benefits to its residents. It contains nearly 1,000 acres of parklands made up of 57 parks and 35 playgrounds and more than 60 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Furry friends can exercise at the Hound Mound Dog Park. Flower Mound borders Grapevine Lake, allowing easy access to the lake for boating, swimming, fishing and other water recreation activities. You can also easily access Lewisville Lake to the north.

Community is a huge focus in Flower Mound. In 2008, the town opened its community activity center, which includes a pool, daycare and gym. There are year-round events to promote fellowship and friendship, including an arts festival, an Independence Day festival, a 5K run and a veterans’ relay. Flower Mound’s municipal offerings include recreation programming for all ages, with special attention paid to seniors, who can participate in the Seniors in Motion events and programs.

Residents can also take part in many educational experiences. There’s a variety of highly rated public, private and charter schools, plus campuses of North Central Texas College and Midwestern State University to choose from in Flower Mound.

Learn more about housing trends with the Flower Mound Market Report and Flower Mound, Texas, home listings.

2. Midland

• Population: 131,325
• Median household income: $83,616
• Median home sold price: $250,000
• Median monthly rental price: $1,256

Midland is located in west Texas, the midway point between El Paso and Fort Worth, and has its own metropolitan area. Of all the cities on our list, Midland holds the lowest unemployment rate at just 3.3%. It’s nicknamed the Tall City, due to the number of tall buildings downtown.

Midland is home a variety of museums, including the George W. Bush Childhood Home, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum (a nod to the main industry of the area) and the Museum of the Southwest, featuring art, science and culture of the region.

Midland’s 40 parks make up the more than 1,100 acres of recreation space. There are hiking and biking trails, a dog park and an excellent community center. There are community pools and splash pads for the hot weather too.

In addition to thriving k-12 schools, Midland is also home to Midland College and a campus of Texas Tech. Programs at Midland College also include free lectures and performances twice yearly for the public.

The Midland Market Report and Midland, Texas, home listings showcase housing trends and availability in Midland.

3. Frisco

• Population: 210,719
• Median household income: $128,761
• Median home sold price: $519,956
• Median monthly rental price: $1,508

Frisco is located about 25 miles north of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. It’s ranked #1 on our list for the wellbeing of its residents, making it a very attractive place to consider home.

Frisco is home to many sports venues and opportunities, making it a great place to take part in community and professional athletic activities. The athletic center has pools, a fitness center and a water park. May is Bike Month in Frisco, and the Frosty 5K takes place in December.

Frisco is also known for its cultural offerings. There’s an art gallery, a concert series and a public art program. Frisco has several museums to visit, including the Frisco Heritage Museum, the Museum of the American Railroad and the Frisco Discovery Center, which also houses the National Videogame Museum.

Frisco has plenty of green space too, with over 50 parks, including inclusive, accessible parks for residents of all abilities. There are also nine fishing ponds and a network of trails for exploring on foot and on bikes. There are also three splash pads, a skate park and the Ruff Range dog park.

Check out market trends and available housing in the Frisco Market Report and Frisco, Texas, home listings.

4. League City

• Population: 115,595
• Median household income: $108,979
• Median home sold price: $364,938
• Median monthly rental price: $1,387

League City is located in the Houston metropolitan area and is next to Trinity Bay and Galveston Bay, both of which empty into the nearby Gulf of Mexico. This location means that League City is home to many resorts and offers plenty of water recreation opportunities.

The 12 local parks offer playgrounds, kayak launches, athletic fields and fishing ponds. The Ghirardi Family Watersmart Park is dedicated to water conservation, and the Dudney Clear Creek Nature Preserve is home to a preserved wetlands habitat over 148 acres. League City is also part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding trail, offering residents plenty of opportunities for birdwatching.

Community events offered include the Clear Creek Paddle Race, the Fishing Extravaganza, a Walk for Wellness, Eco Fest, Harvest Festival and Nutcracker in the Park.

Learn more about housing from the League City Market Report and League City, Texas, home listings.

5. Mansfield

• Population: 74,368
• Median household income: $102,388
• Median home sold price: $369,019
• Median monthly rental price: $1,447

Mansfield is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, to the south of both cities. It’s home to over 1,100 acres of parklands spread out over a dozen parks, athletic fields and trails. The Oliver Nature Center contains a variety of ecoregions, wildflowers and wildlife in its 80 acres.

Mansfield also houses the Mansfield Historical Museum and Heritage Center and the Play Street Museum for kids. The Farr Best Theatre is a historical venue for concerts and other live music events.

Community is important in Mansfield, and community events take place year-round. These include the Music Alley Music and Arts Festival, a Juneteenth celebration and the Barks and Rec 5k.

The Mansfield Market Report and Mansfield, Texas, home listings can give you more info on the local housing market in Mansfield.

5 Other Popular Areas To Live In Texas

Because Texas is so vast, you’re certain to find the right place for you. Now that we’ve seen the top ranked cities based on our ranking system, let’s take a look at five of the best places to live based on sheer popularity.

1. Austin

• Population: 964,177
• Median household income: $75,752
• Median home sold price: $605,545
• Median monthly rental price: $1,346

Austin is the capital of Texas and was listed as one of the best places to live in 2022! Austin is a hub for many industries, most notably the high tech, pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences and defense industries, giving it a thriving job market.

Austin’s cultural events are unparalleled. The city is known for its live music scene and houses more than 250 live music venues. It’s also home to the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival for film, music and other media, and to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Other notable cultural events include Eeyore’s Birthday Party, Austin Pride, a reggae festival, a craft beer brewers’ festival, and Carnaval Brasileiro.

Austin’s diverse population leads to a diverse food culture as well. It’s a renowned area for Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine. Austin also has the second-highest number of food trucks per capita in the U.S.

There are many museums and galleries in the area, including the Texas Memorial Museum, the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, and the Blanton Museum of Art. Quirkier museums include the Museum of the Weird and the Cathedral of Junk.

Residents and visitors can take advantage of the more than 29,000 acres of green spaces in Austin for outdoor activities. Austin has three lakes and more than 50 swimming pools. Zilker Park is 350 acres and includes a sculpture garden, botanical garden, a miniature railway and the Austin Nature and Science Center. It’s also the starting point of the Barton Creek Greenbelt, a 7.25-mile green space that traverses the city.

Austin cares for its youngest residents too, with an excellent school system that offers all kinds of programming for all student needs. There are many sports and activities programs offered by the Parks and Recreation department too. Sports fans of all ages can find many opportunities for municipal, collegiate and professional sports in Austin.

Check out our Austin Market Report and Austin, Texas, home listings for more information on the thriving housing market.

2. Houston

• Population: 2.288,250
• Median household income: $53,600
• Median home sold price: $350,925
• Median monthly rental price: $1,086

If you’re looking for big city living, Houston might be the place for you! It’s the most populous city in Texas and has the fourth largest population in the U.S. It’s also the largest city in the U.S. by total area.

Located by the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is a port area and has a strong job base in the energy, manufacturing, transportation and aeronautics fields. Perhaps most famously, Houston is home to NASA’s Johnson Space center.

Houston is the most racially and ethnically diverse city in Texas, and there’s a wide range of arts and cultural events for residents to take part in, in the areas of music, art, theater, dance, film, literature and kids’ activities, plus seasonal festivals such as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Bayou City Arts festival and the Houston Auto Show. There are seven cultural districts, including the arts, museum and theater districts. Cuisine is widely represented with a diverse food and restaurant scene. Houston has been rated as one of the best cities for food and drinks.

Sports fans can take advantage of the proximity to major league sports teams and collegiate sports too. For residents, Houston offers a huge wealth of municipal sports programs for all ages and abilities.

For green spaces, Houston can’t be beat. It has 56,405 acres of parks and green spaces, the most in total area out of the top 10 most populous U.S. cities. There are over 337 parks. The parks and rec department oversees an additional 19,600 acres of green spaces. There are also 14 municipal pools to cool off in on hot summer days.

Learn more about all the housing trends in the Houston Market Report and Houston, Texas, home listings.

3. Dallas

• Population: 1,288,457
• Median household income: $54,747
• Median home sold price: $427,238
• Median monthly rental price: $1,111

Dallas landed on our list of best places to raise a family in the U.S., so it might be the perfect place for you to plant your roots. It’s the third-largest city in Texas, and the larger of the two cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. It’s one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the country, as well as having one of the largest LGBTQIA+ populations.

Dallas has many jobs in many sectors, including energy and oil, financial services, defense, tech, telecommunications and transportation.

Cultural events around the city include the State Fair of Texas, many Cinco de Mayo celebrations and Pride month. Many more events are held year-round for residents to take part in. Houston’s food scene is also diverse, and it’s known for barbecue, Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican cuisine.

The Dallas arts district is one of the largest in the country and offers many opportunities for arts and culture in venues such as the Dallas Museum of Art, the symphony, sculpture center and the African American museum.

Dallas is home to five major league sports teams and several minor league ones, and the city offers many sports and outdoor recreation programs for its residents. The city also maintains 406 parks over 21,000 acres, including 17 lakes!

See our Dallas Market Report and Dallas, Texas, home listings for more housing information.

4. Fort Worth

• Population: 935,508
• Median household income: $64,567
• Median home sold price: $299,923
• Median monthly rental price: $1,115

Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in Texas and the other half of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

The city calls itself the “City of Cowboys and Culture” and leans heavily into its frontier heritage. One of the main attractions in Fort Worth is the Stockyards historical district, home to many shops, entertainment venues and restaurants. Fort Worth is also the only major U.S. city that hosts a daily cattle drive. There are weekly rodeos and plenty of festivals that celebrate this heritage, including the Cowtown Marathon!

Fort Worth has a robust museum and arts scene, with more than 15 museums and many art galleries, theaters and music venues to visit.

Residents of Fort Worth can take advantage of 263 parks on more than 11,000 acres, including three top-notch inclusive playgrounds for people with all abilities. Two unique parks center around water – the Fort Worth Water Gardens is an urban park with three pools, and Heritage Park Plaza is a modernist-style park with pools. The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the top-rated zoos in the country, with over 5,000 animals.

Get more housing info and trends with the Fort Worth Market Report and Fort Worth, Texas, home listings.

5. San Antonio

• Population: 1,451,853
• Median household income: $53,420
• Median home sold price: $279,908
• Median monthly rental price: $1,025

San Antonio has the second-largest population in Texas, and seventh in the U.S. It’s one of the most affordable big cities in America too. It’s home to a large concentration of military bases and a thriving job market in health care, tech, military, and oil and gas.

Cultural events in San Antonio include Fiesta San Antonio, the contemporary arts festival Luminaria and the San Antonio Film Festival. The biggest tourist attraction in Texas is located in San Antonio – the Alamo. Museums abound as well, including Texas’s first museum of modern art. Residents can also visit three amusement parks, including one designed for children with diverse needs.

The city boasts a professional sports team, the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. Sports venues are located all around the city for municipal sports activities. For more outdoor recreation, there’s an 84-mile greenway that forms a ring around the city and provides excellent walking, biking and hiking. San Antonio maintains more than 200 parks and public spaces.

Our San Antonio Market Report and San Antonio, Texas, home listings can give you more information on the San Antonio housing market.

What Is It Like To Live In Texas?

There are many benefits of living in Texas, including lower state taxes and housing prices. Texas has a rich history and diverse culture to experience. It also has a varied balance of urban and rural life to suit your desired lifestyle if you’re looking at buying a home in Texas. Keep in mind that the summers can get hot and many areas require a car to get around. Overall, though, Texas has something to offer everyone.

The Bottom Line: Choose The Best Place To Live In Texas For You

Texas offers a wide variety of places to live, whether you want a thriving city or a quiet community. If Texas is the right place for you, start the online approval process today with Rocket Mortgage®!

Our Methodology For The Best Cities In Texas

Rocket Homes collected and analyzed the most recent data on 12 key local and countywide metrics to give us insight into the top cities best for living. The 70 most populated cities analyzed are home to 52.86% of U.S. residents living in the Lone Star State. To ensure readers can learn more about the cities and view homes for sale in the area, cities with Rocket Homes listings and market reports were chosen for this study. 

The metrics used in this study include the violent crime rate, property crime rate, unemployment rate, Google search volume, median rent, well-being index, median monthly income, median monthly housing costs, median days on market for homes, median home list price and Freddie Mac primary mortgage market survey interest rates. Some of these metrics were then used to calculate housing cost to income ratio and home affordability index. These metrics were chosen based on public data availability and topical relevancy. Metrics from the U.S. Census are based on 2020 ACS 5-year estimates. In one case, county-level data was used because data is not recorded at the local level. 

The housing cost to income ratio was calculated by taking the median monthly housing costs divided by the median monthly income to get the average percentage of income spent on housing costs in a household. The home affordability index was calculated using median listing price for homes in that city, interest rate from Freddie Mac primary mortgage market survey, and median yearly income. To interpret the indices, a value equal to or greater than 1 means that the average person has enough income to qualify for a mortgage in that area. The calculation assumes a down-payment of 20% of the home price and a qualifying ratio of 25%. 

Each metric had data collected on it for the metropolitan statistical area, and that area was ranked for each metric from best (1) to worst. Once all the metro areas were ranked from best to worst for each metric, weights were then applied to each metric depending on their individual importance when it comes to choosing the best cities to live in Texas. Cities with violent crime rates greater than or equal to 55 and property crime rates greater than or equal to 65 were removed from the ranking. The final scores are sorted to produce the final rankings. If multiple cities ranked within the same county, only the top one or two cities were chosen to be represented in order to showcase the diversity of the state and offer readers a wider representation of the state.