Studies Show, Study Here

Texas hot spot hooks No. 1 ranking as best college city in America

Austin is best in the U.S.

UT Austin/Facebook

It might be a bit reductive to call Austin a college town, but that's what makes it so good. It certainly benefits from the creativity and industry of college living, but there's a lot more to do than go to gentrified lunches and cool, underground shows.

Recognizing this special balance, financial website WalletHub has declared Austin the No. 1 college city in the United States for 2023, beating out some obvious contenders like Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

In addition to being the best city overall, Austin also tops the large cities list, and is one of only two Texas locales represented in the top 10 of any category; the other is College Station, No. 6 on the small list.

The most represented state, perhaps not surprisingly, is Florida, with four cities in the overall top 10. The top 10 college cities for 2023, according to WalletHub, are:

1. Austin
2. Ann Arbor, Michigan
3. Orlando, Florida
4. Gainesville, Florida
5. Tampa, Florida
6. Rexburg, Idaho
7. Provo, Utah
8. Scottsdale, Arizona
9. Miami
10. Raleigh, North Carolina

And how did Austin make the grade? WalletHub looked at key metrics across three categories to determine the rankings.

Austin scored best, No. 12, in the “social environment” category, determined by metrics like students per capita; breweries, cafés, and food trucks per capita; and safety issues like vaccination and crime statistics.

Its ranking at No. 21 in the “academic & economic opportunities" category puts it in the 95th percentile, even above Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, famous for their Ivy League prevalence.

And perhaps unsurprising to those who currently reside in Austin, the Capital City ranked worst in "wallet friendliness,” at No. 204 out of 415.

Elsewhere in Texas, El Paso did well on the overall list at No. 36, followed by Houston (No. 64), Dallas (99), Fort Worth (153), and San Antonio (169).

Dallas landed well down the list in every category: wallet friendliness (226), academic & economic opportunities (168), and social environment (147).

Fort Worth fell even farther down the list in the same categories: wallet friendliness (242), academic & economic opportunities (201), and social environment (149).

Notably, cities that tend to fall lower in similar studies ranked relatively well among college towns.

city life education health universities ut austin

Vaping Ban

Dallas ordinance banning vaping in public spaces goes into effect

Photo via Pixlr

Vaping is banned

Vaping is now banned in public spaces in Dallas via a new ordinance which went into effect on December 11, 2025.

The Dallas City Council passed the ordinance — aimed at enhancing air quality and safeguarding the health of residents by prohibiting vaping in places where smoking is already banned — on December 11, 2024. But the public was given a year-long grace period to adjust. It now takes effect, with residents, business owners, and operators required to come into compliance with the new rules.

The ordinance, which was proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), amends the definition of "smoking" in the Dallas City Code to include the use of electronic smoking devices (vaping). This measure effectively bans vaping in all locations currently prohibited for smoking.

The ordinance prohibits vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces, within 15 feet of building entrances, and on park property. Importantly, this amendment does not add any new locations to the list of smoking and vaping restrictions.

The vaping ordinance document is online at https://www.dallasclimateaction.com/.

Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira says in a release thatshe is proud of this effort to keep the air cleaner.

"The largest cities in Texas are now aligned to protect people at work as well as the public from secondary exposure to potentially harmful substances," Cedillo-Pereira says.

In addition, the amendment requires businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and fitness centers, to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and the use of electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

"We're all connected through our environment," says Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability director Angela Hodges Gott. "Keeping our places of business, parks, creeks, and rivers clean is something everyone benefits from. When we reduce vaping and smoking litter, we're protecting the vibrancy of Dallas."

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Studies Show, Study Here

Texas hot spot hooks No. 1 ranking as best college city in America

Vaping Ban

Dallas ordinance banning vaping in public spaces goes into effect

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