While many cities in Dallas-Fort Worth have a lot to offer when it comes to entertaining children, Plano can now claim superiority over all of them. Livability.com's 2014 list of the top 10 best cities for kids includes just one North Texas address, and it's in Plano.
Coming in at No. 5, the survey calls Plano "one giant playground." It's hardly an exaggeration, considering the city boasts 83 public parks that offer myriad options, including tons of soccer fields. Plano also offers unique options like indoor surfing and the annual Plano Balloon Festival.
Plano ranks just behind cities like Boise, Idaho; Downers Grove, Illinois; Overland Park, Kansas; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. With little crime, affordable homes and well over half of the city's restaurants offering menus for kids, it's a wonder Plano didn't rank higher on the list.
Livability judged the cities on six factors, including the percentage of households with school-age children, environment, crime rate, school ranking, cost of living and restaurants with kids' menus. One factor could be that Plano had by far the highest population of any city on the list, meaning its percentage of homes with kids would naturally be lower.
But with major corporations like Toyota moving their headquarters there, making it one of best places to find a job, Plano should hang onto its high ranking for years to come.
The survey ranked cities on six factors, including percentage of households with school-age children.
