outer city livin'
Hinky study by USA Today says newcomers to Texas should bypass big cities
Moving to a small city like Abilene is more preferable than moving to Dallas, USA Today found.
Everything's bigger in Texas, but when it comes to the best cities to put down roots, USA Today says to go small, not big. According to a recent population analysis by USA Today Homefront, people moving to Texas would be wise to bypass metropolitan hubs such as Austin, Dallas, and Houston, and head to small towns like Tyler or Laredo instead.
The analysis ranked 52 cities in Texas on factors such as affordability and quality of life.
The No. 1 city on their list: Tyler, 96 miles east of Dallas. Laredo came in at No. 2, followed by New Braunfels, Cedar Park, and Temple.
"The top five cities may be a little unexpected, but low unemployment rates (3.5 percent or less), great medical care and safety are just some of the reasons they rise to the top," the report said.
Meanwhile, they ranked larger cities like Houston and Fort Worth lower due to factors such as crime and living costs.
In fact, a number of DFW cities came in at the bottom of their move-to list including:
- #44 - McKinney
- #46 - Denton
- #47 - Dallas
- #48 - Arlington
- #49 - Fort Worth
- #51 - Mesquite
Coming in last at No. 52, for the least appealing city in Texas to move to: Baytown, 30 miles east of Houston.
Factors ruling against these cities included high crime rates, competitive housing markets, and increased cost of living.
No. 1-ranking Tyler earned its crown thanks to its access to healthcare, and the overall lowest risk of damage from severe weather, out of all cities on the list. The report also gave Tyler a stamp of approval in the entertainment sector, specifically its reputation for roses. Who wrote this, an 88-year-old?
"The 14-acre Tyler Municipal Rose Garden, the largest in the nation, has over 38,000 rose bushes and over 600 varieties," the report said. "Once you’re done smelling the roses, there are plenty of other things to see and do: Tyler boasts 3.3 restaurants and 1.2 activities per 1,000 residents."
It also found that Tyler is a more cost-effective place to live: The typical value of a Tyler home is $245,750, with average rent at $1,481 per month. The average Tyler resident's life expectancy is 77.4 years old, and median income is $60,811 a year.
By comparison, the typical home in Dallas was found to be $304,813, with a median income at $65,400 a year, and average rent at $1,685 per month.
The top 10 best cities to move to in 2024, according to the oldsters at USA Today, are:
- No. 1 – Tyler
- No. 2 – Laredo
- No. 3 – New Braunfels
- No. 4 – Cedar Park
- No. 5 – Temple
- No. 6 – McAllen
- No. 7 – Longview
- No. 8 – Abilene
- No. 9 – El Paso
- No. 10 – Victoria
The Preserve in Frisco, soon to be covered with homes.The Preserve