hidden gem in DFW

Dallas suburb blossoms as America's 29th most livable small city

Flower Mound is known for its outdoorsy offerings in places like Stone Creek Park.

Facebook/Flower Mound Parks and Recreation

Some Dallas suburbs stick out from the rest thanks to their happy (or affluent) residents, and now Flower Mound is getting time in the spotlight, thanks to its new ranking of No. 29 most livable small city in the country.

The tiny but mighty North Texas neighbor was the only Texas city to earn a top-50 ranking in SmartAsset's 2024 "Most Livable Small Cities" report. It compared 281 U.S. cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000 residents across eight metrics, such as a resident's housing costs as a percentage of household income, the city's average commute times, and the proportions of entertainment, food service, and healthcare establishments.

According to Flower Mound's website, the town has a population of over 81,000 residents, whose average household income comes out to $189,356. SmartAsset calculated that a Flower Mound household's annual housing costs only take up 18.2 percent of that household's income. Additionally, the study found only 3.9 percent of the town's population lives below the poverty level.

(Fun fact: Flower Mound routinely makes WalletHub's annual list of cities whose residents have the jolliest holiday budgets.)

"With more than 40 percent of residents between the ages of 25 and 54 and more than 64 percent of residents 25 and older earning a bachelor's degree or higher, this community is young and highly educated, making it an ideal workforce," the town's website says.

Here's how Flower Mound performed in two other metrics in the study:

1.7 percent – Arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses as a percentage of all businesses
26.3 minutes – Worker's average commute time

But income and housing aren't the only things that make Flower Mound the most livable small city in Texas. Residents benefit from its central location between Dallas and Fort Worth, as well as its proximity to the DFW International Airport. However, the town prides itself on its spacious park system, playgrounds, and other recreational activities.

"Flower Mound has nearly 1,000 acres of parkland, including more than 75 miles of hike, bike, and equestrian trails, numerous athletic fields, 57 parks, and 37 unique playgrounds," the website says. "[Flower Mound is] centrally located between Grapevine Lake and Lake Lewisville, providing access to miles of beautiful shoreline for outdoor activities."

Events like the Mansfield Music Alley Music & Arts Festival make it an appealing small city to live in. Photo courtesy of Mansfield Music Alley Music & Arts Festival

The only other North Texas city that earned a spot among the top 100 most livable small cities was Mansfield (No. 69), located 34 miles southwest from Dallas, or just 42 miles directly south from Flower Mound.

"Small cities may offer cost benefits for residents looking to stretch their income while enjoying a comfortable – and more spacious – lifestyle," the report's author wrote. "While livability is a subjective concept that may take on different definitions for different people, some elements of a community can come close to being universally beneficial."

The top 10 most livable small cities in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Troy, Michigan
No. 2 – Rochester Hills, Michigan
No. 3 – Eau Claire, Wisconsin
No. 4 – Franklin, Tennessee
No. 5 – Redmond, Washington
No. 6 – Appleton, Wisconsin
No. 7 – Apex, North Carolina
No. 8 – Plymouth, Minnesota
No. 9 – Livonia, Michigan
No. 10 – Oshkosh, Wisconsin

The report examined data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 1-year American Community Survey and the 2021 County Business Patterns Survey to determine its rankings.

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

dallas fort worth flower mound smartasset reports rankings suburbs

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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