The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, in part, because it brings out a spirit of kindness toward others. But one North Texas city shows its heart all year long: Plano comes in at No. 17 in a new WalletHub study of the most caring cities in America.

Plano was ranked among 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across 38 metrics in three main categories: caring for the local community, caring for the vulnerable, and caring in the workforce. Factors that determined Plano's top-20 rank include the share of residents' income donated to charity; the number of volunteering hours per capita; the share of sheltered homeless people; the number of residents who work in community and social services per capita; and more.

Plano performed the best in the caring for the community (No. 7) and caring for the vulnerable (No. 11) categories, but has some work to do when it comes to caring in the workforce, where the city ranked No. 71.

The key to being a caring city, according to WalletHub analyst Cassandra Hype, is to develop a partnership between the city's government and its residents.

"The government can implement high-level measures like sheltering the homeless, reducing crime and protecting workers," Happe said. "Residents show that they care for their neighbors by donating time and money, being environmentally friendly and taking jobs that help others."

A few ways North Texans can show their kind side no matter the time of year include volunteering at food pantries, schools, or local libraries; donating to food pantries and charitable organizations; and doing favors for neighbors.

Participating in toy or clothing drives, such as the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program or Collin County's Toys for Tots, during the holidays is another way to show mindfulness to families and children in need in our own hometowns.

Plano was the highest ranked Texas city, with Austin (No. 46) and Irving (No. 48) barely skirting into the top 50. Other North Texas cities that earned spots in the report include Garland (No. 54), Fort Worth (No. 63), Arlington (No. 69), and Dallas (No. 83).

The top 10 most caring U.S. cities, according to WalletHub, are:

• No. 1 – Madison, Wisconsin
• No. 2 – Boston, Massachusetts
• No. 3 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
• No. 4 – New York, New York
• No. 5 – San Diego, California
• No. 6 – Chesapeake, Virginia
• No. 7 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
• No. 8 – Fremont, California
• No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
• No. 10 – Scottsdale, Arizona