Family Fun

Austin named No. 1 city in the U.S. for young families

Austin is America's top city for young families.

Photo by Jon Shapley

Raising kids is one of life's most rewarding journeys. And if you live in Austin, you're off to a great start, as we've been named the best city for young families.

Personal finance website ValuePenguin determined the family-friendly spots by analyzing 16 key metrics that fit into five categories. Of the 156 cities studied, Austin ranks No. 1.

Austin ranks No. 3 for education/environment, our highest individual score. Contributing factors include a high percentage of kids in the population and high state university rankings.

For working parents, Austin ranks 10th, thanks to a thriving economy and low divorce rates. We rank No. 17 for outdoor activities, as the mild weather and proximity of sports stadiums encourage kids to get outside.

There's no doubt that Austin is a desirable place to live, but we lose major points on affordability. Unsurprisingly, we rank No. 103 in the real estate category because of high cost of living, the income we spend on rent and mortgage payments, and real estate taxes.

Our lowest mark, however, is in the safety and healthcare category. Our No. 121 ranking is due to higher crime rates and lower hospital ratings.

Austin's not the only Texas hot spot for young families. Houston ranks No. 2, followed by Dallas at No. 5 and San Antonio at No. 14.

merry xmas atx!

Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

City of Austin Government - Facebook

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Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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