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