One Austin-area suburb has risen to the top on a new list of "the 100 Best Places to Live in 2025." The list — from relocation marketing platform Livability.com — put Round Rock at No. 10 for its appealing size and affordability.
The list was restricted to small and mid-size cities with populations between 75,000-500,000 residents. And it also considered only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less.
They considered factors such as average rent and home prices relative to income to keep their list centered around affordability.
While Round Rock's score does place it among the top 10, and the cities do show in order from highest to lowest score, the site specifies that it did not number its ranking so that users are encouraged to apply their own personal priorities.
Round Rock's LivScore totaled 793 out of 1,000 possible points.
The North Austin suburb is located 18 miles north of downtown, with a population of more than 128,000 residents and a median household income that's well into the six-figure range, at $140,726. Round Rock homeowners have median home values of $463,739, according to the report's findings.
Across the eight main categories, the city ranked the highest for its environment (score of 77), housing and cost of living (77), and economy (74). The report said Round Rock's industrious economy was bolstered by Austin's tech boom in the 1990s.
"While many locals continue to commute into the city for work, opportunities within Round Rock proper have increased recently," the city's profile says. "Round Rock is home to the global headquarters of Dell Technologies, Emerson Automation Solutions and Toppan Photomasks, Inc."
Round Rock has 37 parks that span more than 2,305 acres, and numerous trails.roundrocktexas.gov/
Livability also praises Round Rock's "small town" feel, its safe neighborhoods, high-ranking schools, recreational activities, park system, and more.
"There are over three dozen parks for the city’s 128,111 residents, including a Play for All Abilities Park featuring a sensory pod sandbox and an all-abilities treehouse," the profile says. "Plus, there’s a dog park, a skate park, and an assortment of centers and pavilions available for rent for family get-togethers. Downtown Round Rock is a gathering place for dining, shopping, nightlife and events ranging from Music on Main to Beaujolais Nights."
Seven other Texas cities were also included in the list of best places to live in the U.S.: Flower Mound (875), Sugar Land (854 points), New Braunfels (758 points), Midland (712 points), College Station (711 points), Tyler (676 points), and Abilene (659 points).
The top 10 cities that earned the most points on Livability's list are:
- Flower Mound, Texas
- Carmel, Indiana
- Sugar Land, Texas
- Naperville, Illinois
- Roswell, Georgia
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Troy, Michigan
- Columbia, Maryland
- Olathe, Kansas
- Round Rock, Texas