Three Towns In Texas Make Money Magazine's 50 'Best Places To Live' List
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) -- Money Magazine is out with its annual list of the 50 Best Places To Live In The United States for 2021 & 2022. Three Texas cities have made it into the top 50 this year.
Locations in Texas Flower Mound (#4), Frisco (#19) and Round Rock (#25) were all featured in the ranking. The top city on the list was Chanhassen, Minnesota. Chanhassen is where musician Prince had his home and recording studio.
According to Money, they ranked places based on combined affordability, economic growth and quality of life. "From superb suburbs to quaint small towns, our 35th annual list highlights the places where job growth is rising, home prices are affordable, and the quality of life shines."
According to the report, the fourth ranked city, Flower Mound comes in second place for the highest projected job growth over the next five years just after Round Rock, TX. "Locals say Flower Mound still has a small-town feel, but it's growing quickly. The city saw the highest job growth of any place on our list over the last five years," according to Mallika Mitra of Money Magazine.
Mitra said Flower Mound's graduation rate is 100% and Midwestern State University recently opened a satellite campus there dedicated to online learning.
"Located on the shores of [Grapevine Lake], it also offers a wealth of recreational activities, from camping and boating to hiking and horse riding. Flower Mound's biggest party of the year is on the Fourth of July, when residents enjoy live music, fireworks and food trucks," wrote Mitra.
Checking in at #19, Frisco -- according to Amy Yale -- has a lot to offer and was the fastest growing city in the United States from 2010 to 2019. "The area has gained nearly 110,000 new residents since 2009 alone, and by 2030, its population could jump from its current 210,000 to as high as 323,000, according to the city's projections," wrote Yale.
Yale said the city has become a major sports hub being dubbed "Sports City USA." The Frisco RoughRiders minor league baseball team plays at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Frisco is also the home of the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility and headquarters, The Star. Soccer team FC Dallas plays at Toyota Stadium.
"The PGA is even moving its headquarters to Frisco — along with two championship golf courses, a full-on conference center and a resort-style hotel. The development is slated to wrap up by summer 2022 and will play host to the Senior PGA Championship the following year," wrote Yale.
Yale said that from 2015 to 2020, jobs in the area jumped 21% and that opportunities are expected to rise another 19% by 2025. "Retail is [Frisco's] largest industry, boasting more than 11,000 workers citywide."
Ranked at #25, Round Rock, Texas -- located near Austin -- features "population of nearly 125,000 people and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.," Julia Glum writes for Money Magazine.
"Savings on taxes may be, in part, why: Not only does Texas not charge corporate or personal income tax, but Round Rock itself also boasts low property taxes and tax breaks for businesses," said Glum.
Computer manufacturer Dell has it's headquarters located in Round Rock. "Round Rock has eight International Baccalaureate (IB) schools as well as regional campuses for colleges like Texas State University," wrote Glum.
Money Magazine said they considered locations with populations ranging from 25,000 up to 500,000.
"This range allowed us to surface places large enough to have amenities like grocery stores and a nearby hospital, but kept the focus on somewhat lesser known spots around the United States. The largest place on our list this year has over 457,476 residents and the smallest has 25,260," said the magazine's Real Estate Editor, Samantha Sharf.
Sharf also said they removed locations from eligibility that had a crime risk of more than 1.5x the national average; the median income level was lower than its state's median; the population was declining and where there was effectively no ethnic diversity.
