More than a dozen of the suburbs that make up the DFW Metroplex are among the best small cities to live in, according to a new WalletHub study. And two perennial favorites lead the way.

In total, 15 Dallas-Fort Worth neighbors — with Allen and Flower Mound at the top of the pack — have been rated among the best small cities in America for 2026.

WalletHub's annual survey compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics categorized into five key dimensions: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Cities were then grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile represents the very best.

Nineteen small U.S. cities were rated in the 99th percentile, with the top three spots occupied by Lexington, Massachusetts; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Carmel, Indiana. No Texas city earned this rating.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, Allen leads the way as the best small city for 2026, and is rated in the 96th percentile nationally for the third consecutive year. Flower Mound follows close behind in the 91st percentile.

The two Dallas neighbors also rank among the 100 most affordable places to live, WalletHub found, so it's no surprise that both cities appear at the top of the list. Allen was recently declared one of the 10 best housing markets nationwide, and Flower Mound flourished as the No. 3 best U.S. city to live in 2026, according to a separate livability ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

"Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could drastically cut down your cost of living," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "While small cities may lack some advantages of big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these shortcomings in other areas."

Cost-saving benefits aside, Lupo also said the best small cities have "strong job markets, high-quality education, good health care, safe living conditions, and plenty of local flair to help [residents] achieve a high quality of life."

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, Rockwall has taken a surprising tumble down the list over the last two years. The city, which previously ranked in the 97th percentile in 2024, now ranks in the 86th percentile for 2026. The Colony joins Rockwall in the 86th percentile this year.

Additional DFW cities that appeared among the top 50th percentile of the best small American cities are:

• Little Elm — 87th percentile
• Colleyville — 85th percentile
• Southlake — 82nd percentile
• Sachse — 77th percentile
• Coppell — 76th percentile
• Mansfield — 74th percentile
• Keller — 72nd percentile
• Burleson — 63rd percentile
• Grapevine 61st percentile
• Cleburne — 56th percentile (tied)
• Wylie — 56th percentile (tied)