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Best places to live in Texas (2026)

The top 50 of 77 ranked places in Texas, by all-round score. 13 other places without FBI crime data are on the places list.

Ranked by an all-round score: the average of all 14 quality scores (housing costs, taxes, jobs, healthcare, education, family life, safety, natural disasters, climate and more), weighted equally. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out, since their safety is unknown. Scores are out of 100.

  1. 1Flower Mound, TXSuburb · 3-bed $436k · very safe72
  2. 2Keller, TXSuburb · 3-bed $479k · very safe72
  3. 3Irving, TXBig city · 3-bed $309k · safe70
  4. 4Coppell, TXSuburb · 3-bed $455k · very safe70
  5. 5Plano, TXSuburb · 3-bed $403k · very safe70
  6. 6Bedford, TXSuburb · 3-bed $354k · safe69
  7. 7Cedar Park, TXSuburb · 3-bed $371k · very safe69
  8. 8Pearland, TXSuburb · 3-bed $326k · very safe68
  9. 9Pflugerville, TXSuburb · 3-bed $326k · very safe68
  10. 10Round Rock, TXSuburb · 3-bed $335k · very safe68
  11. 11Euless, TXSuburb · 3-bed $329k · very safe68
  12. 12Richardson, TXSuburb · 3-bed $383k · very safe68
  13. 13Wylie, TXSuburb · 3-bed $340k · very safe67
  14. 14Garland, TXSuburb · 3-bed $274k · safe67
  15. 15Lewisville, TXSuburb · 3-bed $349k · very safe67
  16. 16The Colony, TXSuburb · 3-bed $336k · very safe67
  17. 17Leander, TXSuburb · 3-bed $339k · very safe66
  18. 18Rockwall, TXSuburb · 3-bed $380k · very safe66
  19. 19Frisco, TXSuburb · 3-bed $447k · very safe66
  20. 20League City, TXSuburb · 3-bed $311k · very safe66
  21. 21Missouri City, TXSuburb · 3-bed $248k · very safe66
  22. 22Friendswood, TXSuburb · 3-bed $283k · very safe66
  23. 23Allen, TXSuburb · 3-bed $385k · very safe65
  24. 24McKinney, TXMid-size city · 3-bed $391k · very safe65
  25. 25North Richland Hills, TXSuburb · 3-bed $328k · very safe64
  26. 26Burleson, TXSuburb · 3-bed $296k · very safe64
  27. 27Schertz, TXSuburb · 3-bed $278k · very safe63
  28. 28Georgetown, TXSuburb · 3-bed $366k · very safe63
  29. 29Denton, TXCollege town · 3-bed $309k · very safe63
  30. 30Grand Prairie, TXSuburb · 3-bed $288k · very safe61
  31. 31Mesquite, TXSuburb · 3-bed $245k · moderate crime61
  32. 32Mansfield, TXSuburb · 3-bed $349k · very safe61
  33. 33Pasadena, TXSuburb · 3-bed $211k · moderate crime60
  34. 34Kyle, TXSmall city · 3-bed $273k · very safe60
  35. 35Arlington, TXBig city · 3-bed $287k · moderate crime59
  36. 36DeSoto, TXSuburb · 3-bed $323k · safe59
  37. 37Haltom City, TXSuburb · 3-bed $233k · safe59
  38. 38Lancaster, TXSuburb · 3-bed $257k · safe58
  39. 39Cedar Hill, TXSuburb · 3-bed $280k · very safe58
  40. 40Austin, TXBig city · 3-bed $450k · moderate crime58
  41. 41New Braunfels, TXSuburb · 3-bed $300k · very safe57
  42. 42Fort Worth, TXBig city · 3-bed $261k · safe57
  43. 43Dallas, TXMajor city · 3-bed $284k · higher crime54
  44. 44Galveston, TXBeach town · 3-bed $394k · moderate crime54
  45. 45Houston, TXMajor city · 3-bed $243k · higher crime52
  46. 46San Antonio, TXMajor city · 3-bed $224k · higher crime50
  47. 47Killeen, TXMid-size city · 3-bed $195k · safe50
  48. 48Baytown, TXSuburb · 3-bed $222k · moderate crime49
  49. 49Texas City, TXSmall city · 3-bed $226k · safe49
  50. 50El Paso, TXBig city · 3-bed $230k · safe48

Cheapest places to live in Texas

Ranked by the typical value of a 3-bedroom home (Zillow), lowest first.

  1. 1Port Arthur, TXSmall city · rent $1,450/mo · cost of living 90$162k
  2. 2Pharr, TXSmall city · rent $1,380/mo · cost of living 86$162k
  3. 3Wichita Falls, TXMid-size city · rent $1,550/mo · cost of living 90$179k
  4. 4Weslaco, TXSmall city · rent $1,380/mo · cost of living 86$180k
  5. 5Beaumont, TXMid-size city · rent $1,450/mo · cost of living 90$192k

Safest places to live in Texas

Ranked by violent crimes per resident in FBI 2019 data, lowest first. Places missing from the FBI table are left out.

  1. 1Keller, TXSuburb · violent crime 0.1× the US rate52 per 100k
  2. 2Flower Mound, TXSuburb · violent crime 0.1× the US rate54 per 100k
  3. 3Coppell, TXSuburb · violent crime 0.2× the US rate59 per 100k
  4. 4Friendswood, TXSuburb · violent crime 0.2× the US rate64 per 100k
  5. 5Wylie, TXSuburb · violent crime 0.2× the US rate70 per 100k

Safest places from natural disasters in Texas

Ranked by our natural disaster score: FEMA's expected deaths, injuries and home damage from 18 hazards, plus federally declared disasters in the county since 2000.

  1. 1El Paso, TX4 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, hail92
  2. 2Odessa, TX3 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, hail87
  3. 3San Angelo, TX6 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, hail87
  4. 4Midland, TX4 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, tornadoes85
  5. 5Laredo, TX7 declared disasters since 2000 · mainly flooding, cold waves84

Best places to live for families in Texas

Ranked by a family score: the average of our Kids & family, Safety, Education and Affordable housing scores. Places missing from the FBI crime table are left out.

  1. 1Pearland, TXSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $326k88
  2. 2Missouri City, TXSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $248k86
  3. 3Flower Mound, TXSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $436k85
  4. 4Coppell, TXSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $455k85
  5. 5Keller, TXSuburb · kids excellent · safety excellent · 3-bed $479k84

Best places to live · Cheapest places to live · Safest places to live · Safest places from natural disasters · Best places to live for families

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Data: US Census, Zillow, HUD, BEA, FBI 2019, FEMA, NOAA, NASA, CMS, NCES and others. How scores work.