family paradise
Austin declared one of America's 25 best cities for raising a family
Families have lots of outdoor recreational activities to explore in Austin.
Austin is already known as one of the best places to live, but now the city is earning new recognition as one of the best places to raise a family in 2026, according to a May WalletHub report.
To determine the best places for families to live, WalletHub's analysts compared 182 U.S. cities using 45 metrics relevant to "family fun," health and safety, education and childcare, affordability, and socioeconomics.
Austin ranked No. 22 nationally in 2026, but has consistently appeared as the No. 2 best Texas city to raise a family. Austin surprisingly came in at No. 7 nationally for its affordability for families, which considered the city's cost of living, housing affordability, and "wallet wellness" (financial security).
This year, Austin has ranked high in other studies tracking new home construction rates and improving affordability, whether that's part of a boom in the U.S. South or circumstances unique to Austin. It seems that what went up meteorically when Austin's growth exploded is now starting to come down in a balancing market.
This is how Austin ranked in the four other main categories:
- No. 31 – Socioeconomics
- No. 38 – Education and childcare
- No. 76 – Family fun
- No. 108 – Health and safety
Living in a kid-friendly city isn't the only thing to consider when looking for the right place to start a family, UTHealth Houston professor Jeff Temple, Ph.D. said in the report. Access to high-performing schools, safe neighborhoods, good health care, and economic opportunities also plays a part for prospective families.
"Children don’t develop in a vacuum — instead, everything around them plays a role in shaping them — within their families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities," Temple said. "Just as importantly, communities that foster connection and support tend to help families thrive. Chronic stressors like violence, instability, long commutes, and lack of resources have been shown to negatively affect both parents and children over time."
Six other Texas cities earned spots among the top 100 best places to raise a family this year: Plano (No. 4), Amarillo (No. 74), Grand Prairie (No. 85), Fort Worth (No. 87), Laredo (No. 91), and Irving (No. 96).
The top 10 best places to raise a family are:
- No. 1 – Fremont, California
- No. 2 – Overland Park, Kansas
- No. 3 – Irvine, California
- No. 4 – Plano, Texas
- No. 5 – Columbia, Maryland
- No. 6 – Bismark, North Dakota
- No. 7 – South Burlington, Vermont
- No. 8 – Charleston, South Carolina
- No. 9 – Seattle, Washington
- No. 10 – Boise, Idaho
