a walk in the park
Big spender Austin fields No. 3 ranking on new list of best cities for parks
There's much to explore around Austin's vast park system.
Austin's park system is king of the jungle gym. The 2024 ParkScore report, which rates park systems in 100 of the largest American cities, puts Austin at No. 3 in Texas and No. 44 nationwide.
The report by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land evaluates park systems on five metrics: park access, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.
Austin's latest ranking is down slightly from its former rank as No. 39 in 2022. For several years, the city has maintained its place atop the charts in Texas.
According to Parkscore, Austin stands out because:
- The median size of a park in Austin is 6.7 acres, compared to the national ParkScore average of 5.4 acres.
- Austin spends more on its park system than any other Texas city, at $198 per resident, totaling over $196 million per year.
Less impressive, but not bad: 69 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, whereas the national average is 76 percent.
"Parks play a crucial role in neighborhoods, allowing us all to be more connected, healthier, and more resilient," says Trust for Public Land Texas leader Molly Morgan in a press release. "In a world where your zip code is the most important social determinant of your health, having safe, close-to-home access to the outdoors can make a huge difference in the communities we serve."
Elsewhere in Texas
The superior park system in Plano performed the best in Texas, earning No. 1 statewide and No. 16 nationally. The median size of a park in Plano is 13.8 acres, which is more than double the national average park size. A whopping 82 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, which is 2 percent higher than in 2023. Plano spends $181 per resident on its vast park system annually.
Parks in Dallas made improvements in 2024, moving up five spots to claim No. 38 nationwide and No. 2 in Texas. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson praised his city in a press release, stating that Dallas is currently in "a golden era of parks."
"We are working diligently to build the greatest park system of any big city in Texas, and I am thrilled to see our partners at the Trust for Public Land recognize the remarkable progress we are making to that end," Johnson said. "Parks are critical for any city to thrive, and Dallas voters signaled their support for parks just a few weeks ago by approving a historic $345 million investment in our park system in the bond election.”
Here's how Dallas' parks fared in the report:
- The city's median park size is nearly 8 acres, compared to the national ParkScore average of 5.4 acres.
- 74 percent of Dallas residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, only two percent less than the national average.
- Dallas spends $140 per resident on its park system, compared to the national average of $124 per resident.
The opening of the Big Cedar Wilderness area also helped improve residents' park access around Dallas, especially near downtown.
Arlington's park system made the greatest gains in 2024, skyrocketing 27 spots to claim No. 47 in the nation and No. 4 in Texas. The median size of a park in the city is 12.6 acres, with 70 percent of residents within walking distance of a park. Arlington spends about $112 per resident on its parks, the report says.
San Antonio rounded out the top five parks in Texas, and earned No. 53 in the national ranking. According to ParkScore, the median size of a park in San Antonio spans 10.2 acres, and 52 percent of San Antonio residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The city spends $129 on average per resident on its park system, which comes out to more than $186.87 million yearly.
