retirement news

Dallas neighbor flourishes on U.S. News' list of best places to retire

Flower Mound was the only North Texas city to rank among the top 50 best places to retire in the U.S.

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Nationally recognized publication U.S. News and World Report has included Dallas neighbor Flower Mound on its new list of the best cities to retire in America in 2026.

The annual report, called "250 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2026" initially compared 850 U.S. cities, and narrowed the list down to a final 250 cities (up from 150 previously). Each locale was analyzed across six indexes: Quality of life for individuals reaching retirement age; value (housing affordability and cost of living); health care quality; tax-friendliness for retirees; senior population and migration rates; and the strength of each city's job market.

Midland, Michigan took home the title as the No. 1 best city to retire in 2026.

Flower Mound ranked as the 37th best city to retire nationwide, earning an overall score of 6.1 out of 10.

According to U.S. News, about 13 percent of Flower Mound's population is over the age of 65. The median household income in this suburb adds up to $165,675, which is far higher than the national average median household income of $79,466.

Though Flower Mound has a higher cost of living than many other places in the country, the report maintains that the city "offers a higher value of living compared to similarly sized cities."

"If you want to buy a house in Flower Mound, the median home value is $552,856," the city's profile on U.S. News says. "And if you're a renter, you can expect the median rent here to be $1,833."

For comparison, the report says the national average home value is $370,489.

Two Texas cities made the top 10
Two Houston-area suburbs, The Woodlands and Spring, ranked as the 4th and 5th best places to retire in 2026.

The Woodlands has a population of more than 118,000 residents, and 15 percent of the city's population is over the age of 65. Its high median home values ($474,279) paired with its high median household income ($139,696) makes this an attractive place for seniors, despite an accompanying elevated cost of living.

Spring boasts a population of more than 68,000 residents, of whom 11 percent are seniors. This suburb is located less than 10 miles south of The Woodlands while still being far enough away from Houston (about 25 miles) for seniors to escape big city life for the comfort of a smaller community.

"Retirees are prioritizing quality of life over affordability for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," said U.S. News contributing editor Tim Smart in a press release.

The median home value in Spring is lower than the national average, at $251,247, making it one of the more affordable places to buy a home in the Houston area. Renters can expect to pay a median $1,326 in rent every month, the report added.

Other Texas cities that ranked among the top 50 best places to retire nationwide include Victoria (No. 12), Pearland (No. 17), Conroe (No. 20), League City (No. 25), and San Angelo (No. 28).

The top 10 best U.S. cities to retire in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Midland, Michigan
No. 2 – Weirton, West Virginia
No. 3 – Homosassa Springs, Florida
No. 4 – The Woodlands, Texas
No. 5 – Spring, Texas
No. 6 – Rancho Rio, New Mexico
No. 7 – Spring Hill, Florida
No. 8 – Altoona, Pennsylvania
No. 9 – Palm Coast, Florida
No. 10 – Lynchburg, Virginia

suburbs us news & world report seniors retirement best places to live flower mound

income analysis

This is the family income needed for one parent to stay home in Texas

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

The cost of raising a child has ballooned in major metros like Dallas-Fort Worth, forcing many families to weight the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas, that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support their stay-at-home partner and their child, the report found. If both parents worked in the household, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in North Texas, however, is slightly more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $22,337 to raise a child in Dallas-Fort Worth.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report's author says families will look for ways to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family