Taking the temperature

This Dallas neighbor weighs in as the healthiest county in Texas, says U.S. News

The typical life expectancy in Collin County is 82.7 years, compared with 77.5 years nationwide.

Photo courtesy of City of Plano

For babies and baby boomers alike, Collin County stands out as the healthiest county in Texas, according to a new study by U.S. News & World Report.

Collin County lands at No. 50 on U.S. News’ list of the 500 healthiest counties in the U.S., making it the healthiest county in Texas. U.S. News assessed 2,735 of the 3,143 counties across the U.S. but ranked only 500 of them.

For the study, U.S. News examined 89 metrics across 10 categories tied to health:

Community health
Health, income, education, and social equity
Education
Economy
Housing
Food and nutrition
Environment
Public safety
Community vitality
Infrastructure

Collin County earned its highest score in the economy category (95) and its lowest score in the housing category (50). Data published by U.S. News highlights Collin County’s health status. For instance:

The typical life expectancy is 82.7 years, compared with 77.5 years nationwide and 79.2 years statewide.
The smoking rate is 12.4 percent, compared with 20 percent nationwide and 15.5 percent statewide.
Cancer and heart disease are less prevalent than in the U.S. or Texas.
12.5 percent of residents under 65 lack health insurance, compared with 11 percent nationwide and 20.7 percent statewide.

Collin County — home to more than 1.1 million people — also appeared at No. 1 in a report released in May by University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute that ranks the healthiness of the state’s 254 counties. This report relied on criteria similar to those used by U.S. News.

“Where we live, learn, work, and play matters to our health. And Collin County appears to be in great shape,” the Collin County government website boasts.

Two other counties in Dallas-Fort Worth made the top 500 in the U.S. News study.

Rockwall County wound up at No. 70. Its highest score was in the economy category (87), and its lowest score was in the housing category (54).

Further down the list was No. 180 Denton County. Its highest score was in the economy category (88), and its lowest score was in the housing category (43).

Other Texas counties that fared well in the U.S. News study are:

No. 91 Kendall County (San Antonio). Its highest score was in the economy category (79); its lowest score was in the housing category (53).
No. 121 Williamson County (Austin). Its highest score was in the economy category (93); its lowest score was in the housing category (52).
No. 291 Fort Bend County (Houston). No. 291. Its highest score was in the economy category (90); its lowest score was in the environment category (25).
No. 295 Travis County (Austin). Its highest score was in the infrastructure category (92); its lowest score was in the equity category (41).
No. 453 Comal County (San Antonio). Its highest score was in the economy category (75); its lowest score was in the environment category (43).

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love on a budget

Texas makes top 10 for most affordable date nights in the U.S.

Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen

Going on a date doesn't have to be expensive.

Finding love on a budget has never been easier in Texas, which was just ranked one of the top 10 states with the most affordable date costs in the country.

Texans spend about $81 on average for a typical date night, which is the 10th cheapest cost out of all 50 states, according to a new study from dating advice platform Muse.

The report compared statewide costs for a date based on the average price of a restaurant meal for two and the average price of a soft drink, domestic beer, and a bottle of wine. Muse additionally extrapolated total costs across "basic," "standard," and "premium" dinner date tiers. Pricing data was provided from consumer pricing database Numbeo on February 2, 2026.

Texas' typical dinner date cost is nearly $11 lower than the $91.75 national average.

This is how the analysis broke down the average price of a dinner date in Texas:

Mid-range restaurant meal for two: $66.67
Soft drink: $2.47
Domestic beer: $6
Bottle of wine: $13.41

Based on these figures, Muse determined that the cost of a "basic" date in Texas – defined as "a three-course meal for two and two soft drinks" – adds up to $71.61. Texans spend an average $78.17 for a "standard" date, meaning the same three-course meal but sub in two domestic beers instead of soft drinks. "Premium" dates for couples, who splurge on a bottle of wine with their meal, will rack up a $93.49 bill at the end of the night, the data says.

North Texans have extra bragging rights considering Dallas was crowned the No. 1 most affordable city for dining out in 2025, and the city is conveniently home to one of the most romantic restaurants in America.

States with the most and least expensive date costs
West Virginia topped the list with the most affordable date nights in the U.S., with the typical date costing $60.22, far lower than the national average. Hawaii, on the other hand, is the most expensive state for dinner date in the nation. The average cost for a date in the Aloha state will set couples back by $144.24.

"People often assume it’s the drinks that make date nights expensive, but it’s really the meal that changes everything," a Muse spokesperson said. "Depending on where you live, the same dinner for two could cost twice as much, and that adds up fast when you're planning something special for Valentine’s Day. No matter the price tag, what matters most is the time spent together, but knowing where your dollar stretches further never hurts."

Celebrating love doesn't have to revolve around going out for dinner. There are many ways to surprise your sweetheart that don't involve going out to eat, like listening to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, watching an Avant Chamber Ballet show, or going on a romantic retreat elsewhere around Texas.

The top 10 most affordable states for a dinner date with their average costs are:

No. 1 – West Virginia ($60.22)
No. 2 – North Dakota ($65.67)
No. 3 – Minnesota ($68.33)
No. 4 – Alabama ($69.74)
No. 5 – Mississippi ($74.37)
No. 6 – Illinois ($74.97)
No. 7 – Kansas ($75.14)
No. 8 – Georgia ($76)
No. 9 – Wyoming ($78.50)
No. 10 – Texas ($81.09)

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