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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

crazy for crandall

2 Dallas-area ZIP codes among top U.S. places to move in December 2025

Photo by Erin Hervey on Unsplash

Dallas' 75251 ZIP code was the 10th-most-moved-to ZIP code in December 2025.

Dallas-Fort Worth solidified its place as the top U.S. destination for movers in 2025, and now two local ZIP codes are emerging among the top-10 most in-demand places people are moving to in 2026: 75114 in Crandall, and 75251 in North Dallas.

The two ZIPs appeared in MovingPlace's new analysis of the U.S. ZIP codes that attracted the most movers based on December 2025 migration data. In all, the report said 696,230 moves took place across the country in the final month of 2025.

Crandall's 75114 ZIP code ranked as the No. 2 hottest American ZIP code with 12.4 moves per 1,000 residents occurring in December. Crandall fell second nationally to 34987 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, whose move ratio was 16.2 moves per capita.

Crandall is located about 27 miles southeast of Dallas in nearby Kaufman County, where its 7,664 residents make a median household income of $88,829 per year, according to MovingPlace.

The report said Crandall is a "more affordable alternative" to other Dallas-area suburbs, as its median housing prices stand at just under $266,500.

"Its high ranking reflects a significant influx of residents attracted to new housing developments and the area’s increasing accessibility," the report's author wrote.

Kaufman County is also home Forney, another fast-growing Dallas suburb. Forney has expanded so quickly that H-E-B is moving in to meet residents' grocery needs, and the new store is expected to open at the end of January. If that's any indication of Kaufman County's growth, Crandall may soon be next to get its own H-E-B.

Dallas' own 75251 ZIP code ranked 10th on the list with 9.6 moves per capita that took place in December. This ZIP is bordered by I-635 to the north, U.S. Hwy 75 to the east, Forest Lane to the south, and Park Central Drive to the west. This area boasts 3,529 residents, and might be attracting many newcomers because it contains many apartment complexes, a retirement community, and an assisted living facility. The area is also near multiple hotels and Medical City Dallas Hospital.

"This urban ZIP code, known for its mix of corporate offices and residential high-rises, continues to be a primary destination for those relocating to the Dallas-Fort Worth area," the report said.

Dallasites residing in 75251 ZIP code make a median household income of $84,791 annually. Rather than giving the specific housing prices for this ZIP, MovingPlace said Dallas' citywide median home price is $458,000.

The only other Texas ZIP that had the most moves in December 2025 was 78701 in Austin, which ranked No. 7 nationwide.

The top 10 ZIP codes that had the highest moves per capita in December 2025 are:

No. 1 – 34987 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida
No. 2 – 75114 in Crandall, Texas
No. 3 – 87001 in Algodones, New Mexico
No. 4 – 80019 in Aurora, Colorado
No. 5 – 37228 in Nashville, Tennessee
No. 6 – 85387 in Surprise, Arizona
No. 7 – 78701 in Austin, Texas
No. 8 – 28445 in Holly Ridge, North Carolina
No. 9 – 33576 in San Antonio, Florida
No. 10 – 75251 in Dallas, Texas

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