TEXAS — Two Texas cities have made it onto Bankrate’s annual assessment of best places to live in America. As of 2023, Round Rock is the No. 1 place to live, and Arlington comes in at No. 6.
Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan credited the first place ranking to the city's residents.
In 2022, Austin, Texas, was the second-fastest-growing city in America, as many people flocked over to see what it had to offer. However, its cost of living has led some to give Austin’s neighboring cities a chance. And just 15 miles north is Round Rock, albeit still littered with pricey homes. The suburban area’s cost of living is much lower than the national average, according to Bankrate.
So, although Texas’ housing market is generally high, people can save a lot more money on other expenses while living in Round Rock. Bankrate stated that it’s even more likely that when buying a home there, there will be a future payoff.
The publication had this to say about Round Rock:
"Round Rock isn’t simply a suburb, it’s a tech hub: Dell Technologies is headquartered here, and companies like Switch and Emerson also call it home. Plus, 80% of Round Rock residents live within a 10-minute walk of a public park."
"The city’s cost of living comes in significantly lower than the national average, proving that not everything is bigger in Texas. Buying a home here now is likely to pay off in the future, too: Round Rock’s population is projected to grow by nearly 75,000 people by 2040 — quite the jump from the 119,000 people who lived here in 2020."
As for Arlington, a town within the Dallas-Fort Worth area, its sixth place ranking comes from the fact that the city has a fair sense of affordability intact. Even though the town sits halfway in between two larger cities and is home to the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys, most people can still live comfortably. “This is also one of the most diverse destinations on our list, offering opportunities to meet new people from new backgrounds and expand your outlook,” according to Bankrate.
A recent study from WalletHub listed Arlington as No. 5 among most diverse large cities.
Here’s the list of the top 10 cities to live in America:
- Round Rock, TX
- Sarasota, FL
- Tacoma, WA
- Bridgeport, CT
- Raleigh, NC
- Arlington, TX
- Fort Myers, FL
- Oakland, CA
- Alexandria, VA
- Port St. Lucie, FL
Bankrate used five categories to assess which cities are deserving of this ranking. The categories are: well-being, job markets, affordability, migration and diversity.
More information on how the data was collected can be found here.