Lists! Lists! Lists!
Austin suburb rocks top spot on Money's Best Places to Live 2019
Round Rock has already been named one of the "coolest" suburbs in America this year, and the accolades keep rolling in. On September 16, Money magazine released its annual Best Places to Live 2019, and Austin's northern neighbor claimed a top spot on the list.
Coming in at No. 2 out of 100, Round Rock is applauded for its high household median income ($82,229), high home ownership rate (61 percent), and booming job market (3.1 percent unemployment rate).
In highlighting the growing entrepreneurial community, Money of course calls out Dell — the computer giant is headquartered in the city — but also local businesses like Round Rock Honey and Bluebonnet Beer Company. “The business community bends over backwards to help you and to make sure that you’re successful,” Round Rock Honey co-founder Konrad Bouffard tells the magazine.
Money also points to Round Rock Independent School District's high graduation rate and the city's safety ranking as other benefits for residents.
To determine the best places to live, Money first looked at cities with populations of 50,000 or greater. If a city had more than 300,000 residents, the magazine then broke it down into neighborhoods. (For example, Austin's Hyde Park neighborhood took the No. 51 spot on this year's list.) According to Money's methodology report, this left 1,796 potential places.
Working with Witlytic, a data and optimization firm, the magazine then examined each area's economic health, cost of living, ethnic and economic diversity, public education, income, health and safety, ease of living, and amenities. Once those number were crunched, reporters got to work researching, reporting, and "searching for the kinds of intangible factors that aren’t revealed by statistics."
In total, Texas had four spots on the list, the maximum allowed for each state. Round Rock was the big winner at No. 2, followed by Wylie at No. 26, Austin's Hyde Park (No. 51), and San Marcos (No. 76).
Money debuted its Best Places to Live list 30 years ago as a way to help consumers better decide where to live.
"The average American will move nearly a dozen times during his or her lifetime. Our Best Places to Live franchise gives individuals and families the guidance they need to make informed decisions about where they will have the best living experience across the country," says Shaina Mishkin, writer at money.com, in a press release.
Topping the list this year is Clarksville, Tennessee, located about 45 miles northwest of Nashville. Rounding out the rest of the top 10 is Fishers, Indiana (No. 3); Chicago's Fulton River District (No. 4); Charlotte, North Carolina's Country Club Heights (No. 5); Draper, Utah (No. 6); Bentonville, Arkansas (No. 7); Madison, Wisconsin (No. 8); Meridian, Idaho (No. 9); and Winter Garden, Florida (No. 10).
