outer city livin'
Bustling Austin neighbor named No. 4 best Texas city to move to in 2024
Move over, Austin: Cedar Park was just named the No. 4 best Texas city to move to in 2024.
The city came out among the top five in a new population analysis by USA Today Homefront, published February 19, that examined 52 Texas cities across 19 key indicators, including school quality, affordability, entertainment, and more.
Highlights of the city include a low crime rate, low unemployment rate (3 percent), and a high median income level ($114,735) thanks to major employers like the Cedar Park Regional Medical Center.
But there's more to life than employment, as Austinites all know well. Entertainment is another major factor, which the report says Cedar Park excels at.
"[Cedar Park] is full of microbreweries and also home to two minor league NBA and NHL teams, the Austin Spurs and the Texas Stars," the report said.
Cedar Park residents have an average life expectancy of 81.6-years-old, according to the report. The average rent in the city is $1,743 per month, while the report says the average home is valued at about $485,588.
So it's no wonder that major brands like Nebraska Furniture Mart are eager to move to the city.
Round Rock landed just outside the top 10 into No. 12, with a similar unemployment rate (2.9 percent) and life expectancy to Cedar Park. However, the average rent is $71 higher than Cedar Park's, while the city's median income is much lower, at $81,804. Houses in Round Rock have a typical home value of $433,055, the report found.
Round Rock also ranked No. 12 in Fortune Magazine's 2023 list of the best places to live in 2023.
Austin came in at No. 25 on USA Today's list, though its life expectancy (81.4-years-old), unemployment rate (2.9 percent), and typical rent prices ($1,742) echo Cedar Park and Round Rock. However, the report says the city's median income is $89,415, while the typical home value is predictably higher than its suburbs, at $530,990.
The top 10 best cities to move to in 2024, according to USA Today, are:
- No. 1 – Tyler
- No. 2 – Laredo
- No. 3 – New Braunfels
- No. 4 – Cedar Park
- No. 5 – Temple
- No. 6 – McAllen
- No. 7 – Longview
- No. 8 – Abilene
- No. 9 – El Paso
- No. 10 – Victoria