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Dallas-Fort Worth ranks among top 25 most livable U.S. metros in 2026

Dallas-Fort Worth is the most livable metro in Texas for 2026.

Americans looking for the right place to live with a good balance between location, community, and quality of life can find that right here in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to a national study from RentCafe.

The North Texas region stood out as the No. 1 most livable metro area in Texas, and the 24th most livable U.S. metro for 2026.

RentCafe's report analyzed 149 U.S. metro areas across 17 key indicators, including cost of living, income growth rates, "social association" rates, a food index, and others.

The top three most livable American metros are Washington, D.C. (No. 1); Portland, Maine (No. 2); and Kansas City, Missouri (No. 3).

Here's how Dallas-Fort Worth performed in the study's three main rankings compared to the rest of the U.S.:

No. 28 – Socioeconomics
No. 38 – Quality of life
No. 52 – Location and community

According to the findings, more than a third (34.4 percent) of Dallas-Fort Worth's 8.25 million residents are renters, and less than a tenth (9.7 percent) of residents are living in poverty. The city has an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, and less than half (45.7 percent) of DFW workers report having a "long commute."

The cost of living in Dallas-Fort Worth is 2 percent lower than the national average, the report said, and residents' income has grown 6 percent over the last five years, though the report doesn't elaborate on what those income figures are.

Based on a survey from CountyHealthRankings.com, RentCafe says Dallas residents experience about three "physically unhealthy" days on average, and an average of five "mentally unhealthy" days. Only 17.4 percent of DFW residents are reportedly "physically inactive" and 10.6 percent report they are uninsured.

Overall, 10 more Texas metros earned spots in the report, but they surprisingly all landed outside the top 100 most livable U.S. metros.

Those other Texas metro areas are:

No. 117 – Killeen
No. 125 – Corpus Christi
No. 127 – Houston
No. 130 – Austin
No. 134 – Beaumont
No. 138 – El Paso
No. 145 – Lubbock
No. 147 – San Antonio
No. 148 – Brownsville
No. 149 – McAllen

rentcafe most livable metros dallas fort worth

Moving north

$1.5 billion development with working farm takes root in booming Anna

Facebook/Anna

Anna is a fast-growing city north of Dallas.

The fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Anna, once a small farming community, is poised for even more population growth with the addition of a $1.5 billion master-planned community.

Real estate investment firm Tellus Group broke ground Wednesday, March 25, on the more than 970-acre project, called Sherley Farms. Tellus is marketing the development, located in Collin County, as a wellness-focused, master-planned community with about 3,000 homes and an actively managed organic farm.

First-phase homebuilders are Bloomfield Homes, DRB Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, Homebound, Olivia Clarke Homes, and Perry Homes. The initial model homes will be finished in the spring of 2027.

The Sherley Farms site is five minutes from U.S. Highway 75 and near downtown Anna, which ranked fifth among U.S. cities for population growth from 2023 to 2024. As of July 1, 2024, Anna’s population stood at 31,986, up 14.6 percent from the same date in 2023 and up 183 percent from 2016. Anna’s population is projected to hit 100,000 by 2050.

One standout aspect of the project will be a 65-acre organic farm that supplies fresh produce. Tellus says the “working” farm will serve as an “agricultural anchor and gathering place.”

“Sherley Farms reflects our belief that the future of community development is rooted in wellness, connection, and a deep respect for the land,” says Craig Martin, founding partner and CEO of Tellus Group.

Facebook/Sherley Farms

Anna started as a farming community in 1883. But in recent years, it has transformed into a rapidly growing suburb with more than 7,700 households as of 2024.

Aside from homes, the first phase of Sherley Farms will include an amenity center with a resort-style pool and a portion of the planned green space.

“Sherley Farms is a meaningful investment in Anna’s future, expanding our tax base, attracting new residents, and driving long-term economic growth,” says Kevin Toten, Anna’s mayor pro tem. “This project will generate new economic activity, support local businesses, and strengthen Anna’s position as a destination for high-quality development in North Texas.”

In addition to Sherley Farms, Tellus is developing the Mosaic master-planned community in Celina, the Mirabella gated community in Prosper, and the Meraki master-planned community in Forney. Tellus was the principal developer of the $3 billion Windsong Ranch master-planned community in Prosper.

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