all smiles in plano

Dallas neighbor shines as the 2nd happiest city in the U.S., report finds

Who wouldn't want to live in a happy place like Plano?

Photo courtesy of City of Plano

Happy news for Texans living in Plano – they're living in one of the happiest cities in the nation.

A recent SmartAsset study ranked Plano the No. 2 happiest city in the U.S., based on an analysis of 90 large cities for their residents' quality of life, well being, and personal finances.

The study found 52.5 percent of all Plano households make a six-figure salary or more, and only 12.1 percent of residents are burdened by their housing costs. Plano's poverty rate is less than five percent, so maybe it's not all that difficult to live comfortably in Dallas-Fort Worth, after all.

Plano has a marriage rate of 56 percent, and its residents have a life expectancy of 82.2 years old. Nearly 90 percent of residents have health insurance, and an individual has about four "mentally unhealthy" days per month on average, which is one of the lowest figures out of all 90 cities in the study.

Plano residents have proven that they get happier with each passing year, as the city moved up four spots from its former No. 6 rank in SmartAsset's 2022 report.

There's much that has improved: Besides the numerous new restaurants and popular eateries expanding into the area, Plano was also recently named one of the best cities in the U.S. for professionals in the technology industry.

While money can't necessarily buy happiness, SmartAsset suggests that having a higher quality of life can influence a person's financial decisions, therefore leading to a greater probability of beneficial outcomes. Of course, that's assuming high financial literacy and strong money management skills.

"Depending where you live, certain quality of life factors, including metrics like life expectancy, infrastructure and the rate of marriage, can ultimately impact your happiness," the report's author wrote.

Elsewhere across North Texas, Fort Worth ranked No. 38, with only 35.7 percent of households in the city earning a six-figure minimum salary, far less than Plano. Fort Worth residents have an average life expectancy of 78.9 years, and a marriage rate of 47.3 percent.

Arlington came in at No. 47, while Irving ranked No. 64. Dallas (No. 80) fell towards the bottom of the ranking as the 10th "unhappiest" city in the U.S.

Other Texas cities on the list, that notably aren't as happy as Plano, include Austin (No. 65), San Antonio (No. 70), Corpus Christi (No. 77), Houston (No. 81), El Paso (No. 83), and Laredo (No. 89).

The top 10 happiest cities in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Arlington, Virginia
No. 2 – Plano, Texas
No. 3 – Fremont, California
No. 4 – San Jose, California
No. 5 – Seattle, Washington
No. 6 – Boise City, Idaho
No. 7 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 8 – Chesapeake, Virginia
No. 9 – San Francisco, California
No. 10 – Anchorage, Alaska

The report ranked the 90 most populous U.S. cities based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2022 and from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps for 2023. Data that factored into each city's ranking included a city's household income, poverty level, life expectancy, health insurance rates, marriage rates, overcrowding rates, and more.

The full report and its methodology can be found on smartasset.com.

dallas plano smartasset reports rankings

population explosion

7 booming Dallas neighbors see biggest population growth in U.S.

City of Denton, TX - City Hall/Facebook

Denton had the biggest population growth rate in Dallas-Fort Worth from 2022 to 2023.

Denton, Mansfield, McKinney, and more North Texas cities are among the fastest-growing places in the country, according to a new population growth study by SmartAsset.

The report, "These Cities Saw the Largest Growth in Population – 2024 Study," examined U.S. Census population estimates for 2023, 2022, and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for 610 U.S. cities with populations of at least 65,000 residents in 2023 (where the most recent data was available).

Silver Spring, Maryland had the No. 1 biggest population boom nationwide from 2022 to 2023, SmartAsset found. The Washington, D.C. suburb grew 12.86 percent year-over-year, bringing the city's total population from 75,313 to 84,996 residents in 2023.

Denton took the lead over all other Dallas-Fort Worth cities with the 16th-largest one-year population growth rate in the U.S., at 5.32 percent. Denton gained over 8,000 residents from 2022 to 2023, bringing the city's total population to 158,361 in 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those who already live in Denton, who may know their hometown was ranked one of the safest suburbs in America.

Mansfield trailed close behind with a 4.16 percent increase in population during that same period, which landed it the No. 26 spot in the one-year population change analysis. The city gained 3,189 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 79,775 residents in 2023.

McKinney appeared farther down the list as No. 49 with just a 2.89 percent one-year growth rate from 2022 to 2023, and a total population of 213,504 residents.

Only four other Dallas-Fort Worth cities appeared in the top 100 fastest growing cities in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023:

No. 61 – Frisco (2.48 percent increase)
No. 72 – Rowlett (2.48 percent)
No. 73 – Lewisville (2.17 percent)
No. 99 – Flower Mound (1.73 percent)

The report suggested major population shifts in communities like Denton or Mansfield can result in "a variety of interwoven economic and social impacts."

"The magnitude of the population change can affect demand for businesses and services, which in turn may impact costs – or even the availability of such amenities," the report's author wrote. "Similarly, the relative age of the population can determine the strength or weakness of the local job market, as well as have an impact on local culture, economic trajectory, tax base and more."

Fast-growing cities elsewhere in Texas
Texas cities dominated the top 10 list of cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023.

New Braunfels, a San Antonio suburb, ranked No. 2 nationally with an 12.49 percent one-year population boom, and a 29.68 percent growth rate from 2018 to 2023. The city gained 12,318 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 110,961 residents in 2023.

Just two spots behind New Braunfels is the North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 4), which grew 11.34 percent to 96,317 residents in 2023. According to the report's five-year population change analysis, Georgetown ranked seventh with a 29.85 percent growth rate.

The Houston suburbs of Atascocita and Conroe ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Atascocita's total population grew to 119,502 residents in 2023, which represented a 11.03 percent growth rate from 2022, and a whopping 38.56 percent population increase since 2018. Conroe's 6.73 percent one-year population increase paled in comparison, but the city grew 23.49 percent during the five-year period from 2018 to 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023 are:

No. 1 – Silver Spring, Maryland
No. 2 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – Glen Burnie, Maryland
No. 4 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Atascocita, Texas
No. 6 – Pine Hills, Florida
No. 7 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 8 – Lehi, Utah
No. 9 – Conroe, Texas
No. 10 – Dale City, Virginia

population growth reports smartasset dallas fort worth denton suburbs mansfield