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 the No. 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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do better, texas

New report ranks Texas among the 5 worst states for women in 2026

Woman holding a sign at a protest that states, "Women's rights are human rights"

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

Texas is far from the best state for women, according to this study.

The Lone Star State has a lot of work to do to improve its livability for women after being dubbed the fourth worst state for women in 2026.

The ranking comes from WalletHub's annual study that compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on women's economic opportunities, social well-being, health care factors, and overall safety.

The five best states for women this year are Massachusetts (No. 1), District of Columbia (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 4), and Maryland (No. 5).

Texas, on the other hand, ranked No. 48 in 2026, a one-spot drop from 2025's ranking. The three states that performed worse than Texas are Arkansas (No. 49), Oklahoma (No. 50), and Louisiana (No. 51).

Texas came in nearly dead last – 50th – in the report's "economic and social well-being" rank, which analyzed factors such as women's job security, the median earnings for female workers, the share of women living in poverty, high school graduation rates, a "friendliness toward working moms" score, and more.

The state also ranked 44th in the "women's health care and safety" ranking, which assessed the quality of women's hospitals, abortion policies and access, the female uninsured rate, the share of women who were up-to-date on cervical and breast-cancer screenings, suicide rates, the prevalence of rape victimization, the number of women murdered by men, and others.

On a national level, women make up more than half (51 percent) of the country's total population, but women disproportionally account for more than two-thirds of all minimum-wage workers nationwide, WalletHub says. They are also severely underrepresented in Congress; only 26 percent of U.S. Senate seats are held by women, and 29.4 percent in the House of Representatives.

Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics found 91 percent of rape victims are women and 9 percent are men.

"Despite improvements the U.S. has made over the years, women still lag behind men when it comes to economic prospects, executive positions, and political representation," said WalletHub analyst Milvionne Chery Copeland. "On top of tackling these important issues, the best states for women also ensure that they have access to high-quality health care, receive the same educational opportunities as men, and live in safe communities."

The 10 best states for women in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Massachusetts
No. 2 – District of Columbia
No. 3 – Maine
No. 4 – Minnesota
No. 5 – Maryland
No. 6 – Vermont
No. 7 – Connecticut
No. 8 – Hawaii
No. 9 – New York
No. 10 – Oregon

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