We're No. 1
This Austin suburb ranks among America's very best cities for families
Apartment List has compiled its annual ranking of the country’s most family-friendly cities, and Texans should be proud. Very proud, as the Lone Star State grabs four spots in the top 10. Cedar Park, just outside Austin, makes its debut on the list at No. 6.
So what makes a city desirable for families? Apartment List used four weighted factors to compile an overall letter grade: safety, housing affordability, education quality, and childhood friendliness. Safety data was pulled from FBI statistics and ranked each city by the number of crimes per 100,000 residents. Housing affordability was measured by the city's lowest percentage of median gross income spent on rent.
High school graduation rates determined education quality, and to draw a conclusion about child friendliness the site deemed cities with higher populations of children under 18 as more family friendly.
The results: Dallas-Fort Worth suburb Flower Mound lands the No. 1 spot overall, with neighbor Frisco coming in second. The Houston suburb of Pearland finds itself at No. 10.
All told, Texas boasts 13 spots in the top 50, with Allen (No. 11), Plano (No. 19), Missouri City (No. 23), Round Rock (No. 26), Lewisville (No. 36), McKinney (No. 38), and Irving (No. 42) making a strong showing.
No. 90 El Paso, which is awarded an A- grade, takes the top spot when you whittle the list down to just the nation's 25 biggest cities.