Several Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs have been crowned the best places to live in the U.S. for 2026, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The annual list of Best Places to Live in the U.S. is designed to help readers make the most informed decisions when choosing where to settle down, using data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau for Economic Analysis, as well as state and local sources.
For the 2026-2027 rankings, U.S. News featured 250 U.S. cities and ranked them across four livability indexes — quality of life, value, desirability, and job market — weighted by importance based on survey results of approximately 500 Americans. The rankings were also broken down state-by-state, as well as the best big, medium, and small cities overall.
Texas had a "strong showing" in the overall top 10 thanks to its "high affordability scores," a release said.
"As prices of everyday goods continue to rise, consumers are considering affordability as a top priority when choosing a place to live," said U.S. News consumer lending analyst Erika Giovanetti. "While U.S. News’ consumer survey indicated that quality of life and affordability were close in importance, cost-of-living concerns resulted in many Americans putting what they can afford above their aspirations."
Perennial favorite Flower Mound topped the list of the best places to live in Texas, and it soared into the No. 3 spot overall in the nation after ranking 14th last year. Flourishing Flo' Mo' also topped the list of the best small cities to live for 2026-2027.
Flower Mound's median household income is far higher than the national average. Residents make $167,151 per year, while the average American household income is only $83,181.
Additionally, the $553,334 median home value in Flower Mound is also far greater than the $359,870 national average.
Dallas neighbor Frisco ranked No. 9 overall in the U.S., and it claimed the No. 3 spot in the ranking of the best medium-sized cities to live. Frisco and Flower Mound also boast great job markets for potential new movers or current residents that want to start or change their career.
Dallas proper, however, remains outside of the top 250 and is the 452nd best place to live in the U.S., and it's the 65th best place to live in Texas.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth's booming prosperity earned it No. 3 in the ranking of the best big cities to live in the U.S., surpassing Austin, which got knocked down into No. 5 this year. Fort Worth offers a lower cost of living than similarly sized metro areas, the report found, and the city's $321,437 median home value is over $38,000 more affordable than the national average.
Other cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that ranked among the top 100 include:
- No. 17 – McKinney
- No. 23 – Allen
- No. 25 – Mansfield
- No. 33 – Carrollton
- No. 43 – North Richland Hills
- No. 51 – Wylie
- No. 63 – Plano
- No. 83 – Rowlett
