Fantastic Family Living

These North Texas cities reign as best in U.S. for families

Plano scores again as the country's second-best place to raise a family, according to WalletHub.

Photo courtesy of Texas Health Resources

Family friendliness is, for some people, top of the list when they're looking for where to settle down and buy a home. But how exactly do you measure that?

WalletHub recently analyzed the 150 most populated cities in America based on 30 key metrics that indicate whether an area is good or bad for families. Things such as the relative cost of housing, the quality of local school and healthcare systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation were considered.

The results? Six North Texas cities rank among the 30 best for families. In fact, Plano nabbed the No. 2 spot.

It has the highest median family salary (when adjusted for cost of living and the most affordable housing (which we already knew). Its divorce rate and percentage of families living below the poverty line are also some of the lowest around.

As for the other family-friendly North Texas towns, Grand Prairie came in 10th overall, followed by Arlington (13), Fort Worth (16), Irving (20) and Garland (28).

Dallas didn't show up until No. 69.

WalletHub says the overall best place for families to live is Overland Park, Kansas. (Overland Park and Plano are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on Livability's list too.) Rounding out the top five are Virginia Beach, Virginia; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The worst? Jackson, Mississippi.

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don't worry, be happy

Plano is all smiles on new 2025 list of happiest U.S. cities

Visit Plano/Facebook

People living in Plano are as happy as can be.

One city in the Dallas-area has been singled out as one of the happiest cities in the U.S.: A new list, the "Happiest Cities in America (2025), just released by personal finance website WalletHub puts Plano in the top 20.

WalletHub annually ranks 182 of the most populous U.S. cities based on 29 metrics, categorized by each city's emotional and physical well-being; income and employment; and community and environment.

Plano ranked as the No. 17 happiest city nationwide, and No. 1 in Texas.

The top three happiest cities on the list are all located in California: Fremont (No. 1), San Jose (No. 2), and Irvine (No. 3), followed by Sioux Falls, South Dakota at No. 4, and Overland Park, Kansas at No. 5.

Plano's reputation as a happy city is well established: It was named the No. 2 happiest city in America in a separate 2024 report by SmartAsset.

Plano's happiness really shines when it comes to its residents' emotional and physical well-being, as the city ranked No. 13 nationwide in that category. Locals can stay happy and healthy when a majority live within a 10-minute walk from one of the city's many well-kept parks.

The Collin County city came in at No. 51 for its "community and environment," and at No. 66 spot for its "income and employment" ranking.

The U.S. Census Bureau says Plano households make a median annual income of $108,649, but research says that money doesn't guarantee happiness: Individuals making more than $75,000 a year aren't likely to be any happier than those who aren't.

Financial stability can lead to more flexibility when it comes to a person's lifestyle choices, but it's not the only factor that contributes to someone's happiness, the report says.

"Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.”

There's so much more to Plano's happiness that can't be defined by a collection of rankings. The city is constantly innovating to bring new dining concepts to residents from diverse cuisines such as a halal gyro chain or a Japanese snack and dessert shop.

The city also had the luxury of being chosen for a new travel route to Austin by popular bus transportation company Vonlane. It's the little things that add up to making locals happy.

Plano was the only Texas city to earn a spot among the top 20 happiest U.S. cities, with Austin appearing in second place statewide but No. 59 nationally.

Unfortunately for Dallas and Fort Worth, neither city made it into the top 100 happiest cities. Dallas ranked No. 124 nationwide, and Fort Worth was one spot behind as No. 125.

Other Dallas-Fort Worth cities that earned spots in the report include:

No. 81 – Irving
No. 101 – Garland
No. 113 – Grand Prairie
No. 128 – Arlington

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