Hometown Glory

North Texas cities impress among best places to retire

We’d all like to believe a worry-free retirement is in our futures, but the reality is most Americans are radically unprepared financially for their golden years. But good news for North Texans: According to a new survey from WalletHub, Grand Prairie and Plano are among the 10 most retirement-friendly cities in the nation.

Plano, which ranked No. 9, is no stranger to these kinds of lists. The northern suburb gets accolades all the time for its family-friendliness, real estate offerings and sexiness. So kudos to Grand Prairie, a city that doesn’t see much time in the spotlight, for not only besting Plano, but also for landing dangerously close to the top at No. 2.

To determine the best and worst places to retire, WalletHub’s number crunchers looked at data in five categories — affordability, jobs, activities, quality of life and healthcare — in the largest 150 cities in the United States. Key metrics included cost of living, percentage of people aged 65 and older working, recreation opportunities such as golf, environmental quality, and number of physicians and healthcare facilities.

Both cities scored extremely well in the healthcare category; Plano earned the top spot, and Grand Prairie was close behind at No. 2. Data within the healthcare category included number of physicians, dentists, nurses, and healthcare and homecare facilities per capita, as well as public hospital rankings, emotional health, and death rate for people aged 65 and up.

Looking beyond the top 10, Irving earned an overall ranking of 12, followed by Garland at 14 — and those two took the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively, in healthcare.

It’s safe to say North Texas is doing something right, healthcare-wise. And job-wise, turns out: Plano ranked No. 1 for percentage of people over 65 working, and Irving took the No. 5 spot in that particular category.

As for the rest of the best, Florida ruled the rankings, nabbing five of the top slots: Tampa (No. 1), Orlando (No. 3), St. Petersburg (No. 4), Port St. Lucie (No. 7) and Cape Coral (No. 8). Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 5); Overland Park, Kansas (No. 6); and Peoria, Arizona (No. 10) rounded out the top 10.

Often praised for its family-friendliness, Plano is also a good place to retire, according to a new survey.

City of Plano Facebook

Often praised for its family-friendliness, Plano is also a good place to retire, according to a new survey.

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

Topgolf Facebook

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub