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
"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
