With more and more people coming to live in the Lone Star State, the question of the best cities in Texas to raise a family is becoming more common by the day. That question is one with many answers (and the number is growing), since Texas is becoming ever more family-friendly, and many places have high ratings in all the relevant categories. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Texas has plenty of places that are family friendly
What Defines the Best Cities in Texas to Raise a Family?
When deciding on moving with kids, you have to think about much more than just housing, job opportunities, and nightlife before changing the address. Forget about all advantages of moving alone, this is a completely different thing and it is more challenging if you don’t know how to cope with stress when moving. Before hiring moving services, you should pick the best time of the year to move and make a shortlist of preferred towns and real estate. Then check up data on residents, diversity, the number of families living there, number and quality of schools, the safety of your neighborhood, and what amenities it provides for the youngest. Playgrounds and parks are always in demand for folks with kids, just as much as kindergartens and educational institutions.
Credit Score Is Important for Families Looking for a New Home
If you moved long-distance before, you undoubtedly know a few house hunting tips. For example, if the house looks great but comes at a less than bargain price, there must be a reason for it. But what may be critical for snatching the house or apartment you want is your credit score. Many landlords, especially if you’re moving to a smaller community, will require a spotless record before granting you the lease.
Texas' residents mostly own their home, and make a decent income per year on average
Dallas, TX, and Its Suburbs
When you were deciding where to move, you picked the perfect location. Dallas and its surroundings are perfect for raising children due to the quality of schools and the number of parks and other amenities. In the city itself, some of the most kid-friendly areas are diverse and vibrant Oak Lawn and outdoor heaven of Lakewood. Both are near large bodies of water (Turtle Creek and White Rock Lake, respectively), with lots of green spaces, and excellent opportunities for education. Lakewood Elementary is recognized as one of the Texan finest, and an entire community is built around it.
Still, moving to a big city also means a higher crime rate, so many families, instead of moving to Dallas itself, opt for some of its suburbs.
Plano
Unlike in metropolises, moving to the suburbs means life in a lower gear and tighter communities. One of the finest examples of that is Plano, the birthplace of fallen-from-grace cyclist Lance Armstrong and a favorite place for many families and millennials. When you look at the data, it isn’t difficult to see why. The housing market is vibrant and diverse, and job opportunities are many and prospective since Plano is the base of operations for many Fortune 1000 corporations.
Next, the school district is excellent – nine public elementary and high schools received a perfect ten from GreatSchools. It also houses campuses of Collin College, Southern Methodist University, and Dallas Baptist University, as well as several public libraries.
When you are done unpacking after the move you will see that Plano has many green spaces, recreation centers with indoor and outdoor pools, golf courses, and a couple of theaters. Parks are hotspots of activities, from zip-lining to swinging Tarzan-style. That’s why this is a great place if you and your partner are planning to move in together and start a family soon.
Prosper Lives Up to Its Name
Charmingly called “Small Town with Big Heart,” Prosper is continually highly ranked on the lists of kid-friendly places, thanks to the low crime rate, lots of opportunities for suitable employment, and overall things to do. Elementaries and secondaries are very highly ranked, and Prosper High School has not only classrooms but also a medical tech lab, a greenhouse, radio studio, and an excellent kitchen.
Median household income stands around 141,000 USD, and it can be earned in some of the big companies in town.
Main events in town are Fourth of July, Christmas festival, and Prosper Founders Fest. The latter celebrates Prosper and its folk and incorporates long-distance race, art, and music shows, and (it’s Texans after all) a barbecue contest.
If You’re Looking for the Best Cities in Texas to Raise a Family, Consider Southlake
Another affluent Dallas’ suburb, Southlake is widely known for its school system. According to niche.com, 99 percent of children there graduated from high school, while 90 percent went on and got at least an associate degree.
With an affluent neighborhood (median household earnings at 208,000 USD, and no state income tax) and low crime rate comes the more substantial cost of housing. Median home value stands at almost 628,000 USD, and rent is 1,435 dollars. Still, 93% of the population live in their own house, and only 2 percent of families are considered poor.
Of all best places to live, Dallas' suburbs are great because of population, schools and opportunities for a great time.
Texan Capital – Austin and Suburbs
If you wish to live in one of the fastest-growing places in the US, then moving to Austin is the perfect solution. Living there can be great for your career (or love, if you’re moving for a relationship), but also for children. For that, you don’t have to look much further than Austin’s neighborhood, Cherrywood.
Cherrywood is a mix of high-rising buildings and more traditional houses, about three miles from the city center, with streets lined with towering trees. Residents are mostly students, young professionals, and people with kids. It has numerous beautiful parks, so if you are moving with a dog they will enjoy living here. Patterson and Willowbrook Reach are among them, with sports courts, and it is a site of some of the best restaurants in Austin. Still, the local favorite is Cherrywood Coffeehouse, famous for its charm, yoga classes, almost twenty types of beer, and an excellent menu.
But the greatest thing about Cherrywood is that it has all the perks of the suburb while being close to all downtown hotspots.
Round Rock – Family-Friendly and Affordable
If you decided to start packing for a move to a more kid-friendly area around Austin, you might as well choose Round Rock. Education opportunities there are excellent, and 94 percent of students graduate. Not bad for a town with a population of 130,000. On top of that, it is one of the most affordable towns on our list, and most of the folks own their homes. Also, crime rates are significantly lower than the national average.
And lest we forget, for the past two years, Round Rock hosted US Quidditch Cup. Now, that’s what we call a way to overcome relocation depression.
Leander
The low crime rate, excellent school district, and serene rural feel are your thing? Then head to Leander, a cozy town of 46,000 souls in Austin’s metro area. It is a place of resident-owned homes, lots of parks, and a diverse and multi-ethnic community. Folks there, mostly young professionals, tend to hold a bit more conservative views than those in our previous pick.
The median earnings of a household are 92,500 USD per year (according to specialized web site niche.com), while the median value of a home is 235,900 USD, and rent is 1,500 USD. The graduation rate of Leander’s students stands at 93 percent.
One of the celebrities from Leander is 11,000 years old, a woman named Leanne (or Leanderthal Lady). Her grave is among the oldest ones discovered in North America.
Shady Hollow
We’ll finish our list of Austin’s suburbs with Shady Hollow. Another example of combined modern homes and older houses, Shady Hollow is actually a master-planned community southwest of downtown.
It’s an excellent place for children, with lots of trees, parks, swimming pools, and other entertainment venues, along with high-quality education opportunities.
Barbecues in a backyard are a common thing in Shady Hollow, as is the parade for Independence Day. Folks are open and easy-going, often stopping to chat with their neighbors, so you won’t have to worry about how to make friends in a new state.
Round Rock is a top pick among the Austin's suburbs; you and your kids will like the time you spend there
Georgetown, TX
Central Texan city of Georgetown is the site of the Southwestern University, the oldest Texan college, but also one of the best cities to raise a family in the US. There is steady growth in the value of homes (almost three-quarters of which are owned by the residents), lots of parks, and low crime rates. It shares, however, the downside that comes with living in the Lone Star State – high property tax.
More on the plus side, educational institutions are top-notch, and Georgetown is the first Texan town that entirely went on renewable energy sources. That caused heftier utility bills, but the value of homes remains quite affordable, with average home price at 307,000 USD
Georgetown also has several historic districts and a public library.
You'll like Georgetown, if not just for education opportunities, then for real estate affordability and chance for a good time
Frisco – a Hidden Paradise for Children
One of the hidden gems of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Frisco is what you might call a paradise for children. We are yet to see a youngster untouched by the opportunity to visit the National Video Game Museum with its collection of arcades and rare consoles. Or the possibility to enjoy interactive exhibitions in Sci-Tech Discovery Center. And that’s before we mention parks and playgrounds.
Besides, adjusting to the new state and making friends will be easy because more than a third of the population are teenagers or younger. Parents have no reason to worry, either. Frisco’s is one of the lowest crime rates in the Lone Star State, and job opportunities are many. Unemployment sits at lowly 4.3%, so make sure to try to find a job before moving to another state.
For their leisure, there’s a fishing pond and amphitheater. However, the star of the show is probably the Frisco Heritage Museum, which currently plays host to the Museum of the American Railroad and its collection of memorabilia and antique and vintage cars.
Living in Frisco is great experience for adults and children alike
El Paso – Diverse, Kid-Friendly, Affordable
On the Texan westernmost tip lies our last pick for today – El Paso. It sits on the Rio Grande River, on the US-Mexican border. Therefore, the presence of police and army is much more visible, and army and border agencies are among the biggest employers in the city. Others are educational institutions, from elementary to universities, which rate very highly on all relevant lists. That’s why figuring out how to get a job before you move will be easy.
El Paso is a diverse community and a very kid-friendly one. It is affordable, especially when compared with other larger Texan places, with the median value of homes at around 124,000 USD. Still, the percentage of resident-owned homes is less than in our other picks, albeit close to 60%.
There are lots of parks suitable for children as well as for those who are moving with pets, and opportunities for cultural activities, be it in museums or on festivals, year-in, year-out. You and your kids can enjoy music and art festivals, but also a rodeo and balloon fest.
City of El Paso is among the best places to live; give it some time and you'll love it
Give Texas a Chance, You and Your Kids Will Like It
That concludes our picks. We hope we gave you enough reasons why you should move and that it has nudged you towards the decision to plan your moving budget and seek some moving day tips for creating a household inventory list that will help you avoid common moving mistakes. Call highly recommended and reliable Texas cross country movers who know all packing tips and tricks and relocate, or figure the cheapest way to move out of state to reduce the costs of moving and relocate that way. For instance, you can save up on packing materials for moving by finding free boxes. If you want to transport your vehicle across the country, pick up some tips on how does car shipping works. As you could see, opportunities aren’t lacking for jobs, learning, and leisure. Although they say everything is bigger here, finding a smaller home to move into after you sell or donate unwanted items is not impossible if you’re on a budget. All in all, once a symbol of the Wild West, Lone Star State has gone a long way to become a haven for young professionals and people with children. You may join them and begin a new life.
