SUPREME SUBURBS

2 Dallas suburbs unlock new rankings among best cities to live in America

Two Dallas 'burbs, Plano and Richardson, made it on Niche's report for best cities to buy a house and raise a family.

Photo courtesy of City of Plano

Homebuyers and families searching for their next place to call home should take a look at Plano and Richardson, which were just named among the top 15 Best Cities to Live in America by Niche.

Plano ranked No. 11 and Richardson, No. 12 in the 2023 report.

Niche is an online platform that connects families to schools or colleges; their 2023 report’s data was collected through resident reviews in combination with information from the Census and the FBI. This latest release is their ninth annual report, with rankings determined after a study of 228 American cities and nearly 18,000 towns and neighborhoods.

Plano and Richardson are no strangers to this prestigious list. Last year, Plano came in at No. 9, and Richardson, at No. 12. Richardson also came in at No. 12 in the 2021 list, while Plano was No. 7 that year.

Breaking down the 2023 report:

Plano (No. 11 overall) ranked in the top 10 in two categories in the report. It was named the No. 8 best American city to buy a house, and ranked No. 10 on the list of best cities to raise a family. Niche gave the city an A+ rating for its public school selection, diversity, and family-friendliness, and an A rank for its jobs, nightlife, and health and fitness.

Richardson (No. 12 overall) ranked No. 13 for best cities to raise a family. Richardson earned an A+ for its diversity, and an A grade for its family-friendliness, public schools, nightlife, and health and fitness. In the list of best cities to buy a house, it ranked No. 19.

Only one Texas town beat them out: Houston's northern neighbor The Woodlands, which made it at the top of the list in several categories. It was named theNo. 1 best city to buy a house in America, and No. 2 in the ranking of best cities to raise a family. The city has an A+ ranking for its family-friendliness, public schools, and job market, and an A- rating for its diversity, housing availability, and outdoor activities.

In the overall best American city to live in category, The Woodlands ranked No. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts (No. 1) and Arlington, Virginia (No. 2) took the top two spots in the ranking.

Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman says in a press release that the company is proud to be “a trusted resource for families, homebuyers” and many other professionals.

“For almost ten years now, our Best Places to Live rankings have helped people find a new neighborhood to call home based on what matters most to them, whether that’s affordable housing, easy access to amenities or excellent local schools,” says Skurman. “Families wondering about an area’s school district can also use our comprehensive school profiles and rankings to get a feel for their child’s potential school.”

The full report and its methodology can be found on Niche's website.

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Turkey Day news

Dallas eats up top-5 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of Razzoo's

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Dallas is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Dallas ranked No. 5 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a huge leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 17, and remains the highest-ranking Texas city.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The category that Dallas ranked the highest in was the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 2), and the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 9), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 82). Other categories that determined Dallas' overall ranking were affordability (No. 60), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 26).

Dallas restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day feasts, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from brunch to dinner.

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Dallas will be fully decked for the December holidays. Dallasites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. Dallas-Fort Worth goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Across North Texas, three Dallas-area cities also made big improvements from their 2023 rankings. Irving moved up 10 spots to claim No. 19 this year, and Garland jumped up 21 spots on the list as No. 34. Arlington made the biggest improvement in the region, moving from No. 78 last year to No. 55 this year.

Meanwhile, Plano and Fort Worth slipped in the rankings, falling into No. 44 and No. 45 in 2024, respectively. Plano previously ranked No. 38 in 2023, and Fort Worth was No. 36.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

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