Family-friendly DFW

4 Dallas-Fort Worth cities among least expensive to raise a family, says report

Plano consistently ranks high as a family-friendly city.

Facebook/TheShopsAtWillowBend

It can be costly to raise a family, especially these days, but parents living near Dallas can welcome some good news: four Dallas suburbs rank as some of the least expensive cities to raise a family.

A recent report from Harmony Healthcare IT, a data management firm that works with health data, put Plano as No. 3 on a list of least expensive cities in the U.S. to raise a family. Irving, Garland, and Fort Worth are also in the top 10 most economical cities, ranked No. 4, 6, and 10, respectively.

No other Texas cities made it onto the list of most or least expensive.

The cheapest city to raise a family is Gilbert, Arizona, and the most expensive is San Diego, California, according to the report.

To determine the most and least family-friendly cities, Harmony Healthcare IT evaluated the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. They compared a variety of data including the cost of living, education, childcare, crime, healthcare and housing.

What helped Plano score a top-three ranking?

The Plano Chamber of Commerce touts Plano as “the best city to live in Texas,” thanks to an exceptional academic environment, diverse population, residential neighborhoods, and outstanding city amenities, according to the chamber website. Its diverse population “comes together to create a connected community with a distinctive friendly nature and independent spirit,” the chamber website states.

The Plano ISD plays a vital role in Plano’s economic success and lures both families and companies to the city, according to the Plano Chamber of Commerce. With enrollment of 52,629 students, PISD boasts one of the highest performances on college entrance exams in the nation.

This is not Plano’s first accolade for its family-friendliness. In October 2022, StorageCafe.com ranked the city as the No. 1 most family-friendly city in the U.S. In June 2022, WalletHub ranked Plano as the fourth best place in the country to raise a family.

Fortune did not include Plano in its September 2022 list of the 25 best cities for families. Instead, the magazine ranked Dallas suburb Wylie at No. 2 and Houston suburb Sugar Land at No. 17.

Elsewhere in North Texas ...

The Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce describes Irving, the No. 4 least expensive city to raise a family, as a “great place to live, work, play and raise a family.” It boasts a wide variety of housing, from contemporary affordability to high-end luxury. The chamber also notes the city’s 190 acres of parks and greenbelts, 17 miles of canal waterways, 10 miles of riverside hiking and biking trails and four libraries.

Garland, ranked No. 6, has the 10th largest school district in Texas and remains dedicated to quality teaching and interaction for every individual student, according to the Garland Chamber of Commerce. One of Garland ISD’s most popular advantages is that parents are able to choose the campus they wish to have their child attend.

No. 10-ranked Fort Worth is known for warm greetings and hospitality, inviting neighborhoods, and a vibrant and rich culture. While offering a “small-town feel,” the city offers “big-city perks,” touts the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

To view Harmony Healthcare IT’s full report, click here.

reports families

Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

Facebook

Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."