Family news

North Dallas suburb lauded as 5th best U.S. city for working parents

Frisco ranked No. 5 nationwide.

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Frisco already has a reputation as a great place for families and a top spot for remote workers, so it's no surprise that the city has clocked in as one of the best places in the country for working parents, too.

Frisco has been ranked the 5th best U.S. city for working parents in a new study from Coworking Cafe.

The report analyzed career opportunities, childcare affordability, public school quality, and health and environmental factors across 100 U.S. cities. The highest-ranking cities are considered places where "working parents can truly thrive by combining strong job markets; top-tier schools; and healthier, more balanced lifestyles."

Frisco ranks at an impressive No. 5 nationally, keeping company more densely populated cities such as Washington, D.C. (No. 1), Arlington, Virginia (No. 2), Seattle, Washington (No. 3), and Miami, Florida (No. 4) in the top five.

Frisco is in a league of its own for its extraordinary "flexibility and space," the report says. It also helps that this North Dallas neighbor is the No.1 U.S. city for remote workers. Frisco has one of the highest rates of residents who work remotely, at 34 percent, the report found.

CoworkingCafe suggests Frisco parents that work from home may have better opportunity to balance their professional careers with their home lives, though that might not be true for all remote workers for one obvious reason: the cost of childcare.

Childcare costs the city add up to about $10,239 per year, which represents 7 percent of a Frisco household's median annual income. Frisco's childcare costs are much more affordable when compared to larger American cities. According to the report, Frisco parents pay less than half of what parents would typically pay for childcare in cities like San Francisco, Miami, or New York City.

"And, although childcare runs higher in this area than it does in Miami, Frisco makes up for it with nearly 10 acres of green space per 1,000 residents, leaving plenty of room for kids to run, play and grow," the study said. "Combine that with a high median household income and a reputation for safety, and Frisco manages to offer families both breathing room and economic opportunity without pulling them away from career paths."

Earlier in 2025, Frisco also claimed the No. 5 spot nationally in MoveBuddha's report of America's most desirable suburbs, and it was also dubbed the No. 1 most affordable, fastest-growing U.S. city by personal finance website GoBankingRates.

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, Plano ranked as the 12th best U.S. city for working parents, followed by Irving (No. 53), Dallas (No. 58), Fort Worth (No. 67), Arlington (No. 72), and Garland (No. 77).

The top 10 best American cities for working parents are:

No. 1 – Washington, D.C.
No. 2 – Arlington, Virginia
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Miami, Florida
No. 5 – Frisco, Texas
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
No. 8 – Jersey City, New Jersey
No. 9 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 10 – Richmond, Virginia

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family values

Dallas sees Texas' biggest one-year jump in cost of raising kids

Courtesy of SmartAsset/iStock

Raising a child in Dallas will cost parents over $23,000 this year.

Raising a child is not an easy or inexpensive feat, and a new study has determined Dallas parents are saddled with the second-highest costs for childrearing in Texas, with expenses jumping higher than any other metro statewide since 2025.

SmartAsset's latest report, "Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2026 Study," calculated year-over-year changes in the annual cost of raising a child (factoring in childcare, additional housing costs, food, transportation, medical costs and other necessities) in the 48 largest U.S. metro areas. MIT's Living Wage Calculator was used to compare the living costs of a household with two working adults and one child to that of a childless household with two working adults.

Childrearing costs in Dallas-Fort Worth have grown 4.5 percent since last year, totaling $23,340 for a family of three in 2026. That's over $1,000 more than what it took to raise a child in 2025, and it's $1,414 higher than what it took in 2024.

This is how SmartAsset broke down the cost for raising a child in Dallas:

Cost of childcare: $10,736
Cost of food: $1,826
Other expenses: $10,778

Though Dallas has the second-steepest costs for raising a child in Texas, the metro is actually much more affordable than most other places in the U.S.: DFW ranked 39th in SmartAsset's national list of cities with the highest childrearing costs in 2026, making it the 10th most affordable U.S. metro for raising a family.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont in California topped the list with the highest childrearing costs in the U.S., at $43,171. The cost for raising a child in this California metro soared nearly 11 percent higher since last year.

Memphis, Tennessee ranked dead last as the most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child in 2026. Families will spend less than $20,000 to raise a child in Memphis, only 3.24 percent more than what was needed in 2025.

Raising a child in other Texas metros
It may come as no surprise that Austin is the most expensive place to raise a child in Texas, and it appeared as the 31st most expensive U.S. metro for families. Parents will spend nearly $25,000 to raise a child in the state's capital city, which is $703 higher than it was a year ago.

Meanwhile, San Antonio-New Braunfels is the most affordable metro in the Lone Star State for raising a family, and it's the third-most affordable place for raising a child nationwide. San Antonio parents will spend $21,393, or $448 more than last year, on their childrearing costs.

Houston also ranked among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child, landing in 7th place nationally, with childrearing costs adding up to $22,605 in 2026. That's only $737 more than last year.

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Memphis, Tennessee ($19,922)
No. 2 – Nashville, Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee ($21,216)
No. 3 – San Antonio-New Braunfels ($21,393)
No. 4 – Birmingham, Alabama ($21,684)
No. 5 – Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, Virginia ($22,314)
No. 6 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia ($22,470)
No. 7 – Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands ($22,605)
No. 8 – Richmond, Virginia ($22,658)
No. 9 – Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky ($23,270)
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($23,340)

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family values

Dallas sees Texas' biggest one-year jump in cost of raising kids