Not only are the Stetsons bigger and better in Texas, but so are the state’s best places for families. Just how much bigger and better? Well, HomeSnacks has consulted the latest Census for Texas places with at least 10,000 residents. This left us with 230 Texas cities; and let’s just say, we have a pretty big list below of some pretty great places that any family would be lucky to set up shop.
And because we know that parents and guardians are also concerned with factors like whether there are other kiddos for their kiddos to play with, whether a place is safe, how the schools are performing, and how close the place is to a major city, we looked at that data too. Not surprising, Texas’ best places for families have a lot to be proud of across the board.
Yes, our research led us to a lot of fun, family Texas facts. One, the percentage of households in each place that have children is at least 30 percent or more relative to population. Two, Texas currently has over 300 blue ribbon schools and two of our top ten places, Mansfield and Wylie, are leading the charge. And three, many of the state’s best places for families are also some of Texas’ safest cities. And, folks, the word is out: Texas is currently one of the fastest growing states in America.
So, want to know where the neighborhoods are safe, the schools are gold star, and where there are a bunch of families with kids? Keep reading, you’re about to find out.
$250,001 median income · 50.0% households with kids
Located in
Tarrant County, Texas
Southlake is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County with minor areas extending into Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. Southlake is a suburb in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. Southlake is known for public schools, Southlake Town Square, its wealth, Gateway Church and Carroll High School’s 8-time state champion Football and Men’s Swim & Dive team.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$170,894 median income · 57.5% households with kids
Located in
Denton County, Texas
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$138,763 median income · 57.5% households with kids
Located in
Collin County, Texas
Melissa is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,695 at the 2010 census, up from 1,350 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$69,772 median income · 31.1% households with kids
Located in
Randall County, Texas
Canyon is a city in, and the county seat of, Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,303 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Amarillo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Canyon is the home of West Texas A&M University and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, and the world-famous outdoor musical drama Texas.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$218,328 median income · 36.6% households with kids
Located in
Tarrant County, Texas
Colleyville is a city and suburb of Fort Worth located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Located roughly 3.5 miles from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the population was 22,807 at the 2010 census. Emerging from a number of small, rural settlements along the Cotton Belt Route, Colleyville was originally known as Bransford when Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley settled there in 1880. He was a prominent area physician and a veteran of the Union Army. In 1914 when Walter G. Couch opened a grocery store near Dr. Colley’s home the community was renamed Colleyville in his honor.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$131,808 median income · 40.2% households with kids
Located in
Dallas County, Texas
Sachse is a city in Collin and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is part of the DFW Metroplex. A northeastern suburb of Dallas, the city population was 20,329, as of the 2010 census. Sachse is located right off Texas State Highway 78 and is approximately 1 mile north of the President George Bush Turnpike and Firewheel Town Center.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$195,281 median income · 60.1% households with kids
Located in
Denton County, Texas
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$175,699 median income · 52.4% households with kids
Located in
Collin County, Texas
Murphy is a city in suburban Collin County, Texas, United States. The 2010 census reported the population as 17,708, compared to 3,099 in 2000. Murphy is located northeast of Dallas and has a history that goes back to the late 1800s.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$244,015 median income · 40.6% households with kids
Located in
Harris County, Texas
Bellaire is a city in southwest Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 16,855 and is surrounded by the cities of Houston and West University Place.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$174,950 median income · 39.3% households with kids
Located in
Tarrant County, Texas
Keller is a suburban city in Tarrant County, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Keller advertises itself as “successfully balancing big-city comforts with small-town charm.” According to the 2010 census, the city’s population is 39,627, making Keller the 74th most populated city in Texas.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Texas’s statewide median.
Texas statewide median: $78,476
Texas statewide median: $300,957
On the map
Where Texas’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Texas anyways?
To give you the places in Texas that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Texas, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Texas, that meant a total of 230 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Texas.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In Texas
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southlake | 31,137 | $250,001 | $1,301,365 | 50.0% |
| 2 | Celina | 34,268 | $170,894 | $546,742 | 57.5% |
| 3 | Melissa | 20,136 | $138,763 | $434,769 | 57.5% |
| 4 | Canyon | 15,723 | $69,772 | $295,887 | 31.1% |
| 5 | Colleyville | 26,012 | $218,328 | $913,049 | 36.6% |
| 6 | Sachse | 30,491 | $131,808 | $433,037 | 40.2% |
| 7 | Prosper | 37,869 | $195,281 | $784,350 | 60.1% |
| 8 | Murphy | 21,188 | $175,699 | $571,960 | 52.4% |
| 9 | Bellaire | 17,206 | $244,015 | $1,164,142 | 40.6% |
| 10 | Keller | 45,976 | $174,950 | $652,144 | 39.3% |
| 11 | Wylie | 60,334 | $119,522 | $421,548 | 48.7% |
| 12 | Coppell | 42,154 | $146,235 | $619,492 | 40.3% |
| 13 | Midlothian | 39,356 | $126,641 | $450,602 | 45.6% |
| 14 | Mansfield | 77,510 | $121,126 | $444,293 | 43.5% |
| 15 | Trophy Club | 13,733 | $201,054 | $701,041 | 42.5% |
| 16 | Allen | 110,265 | $130,901 | $493,532 | 41.7% |
| 17 | Little Elm | 54,820 | $119,219 | $403,397 | 50.1% |
| 18 | Heath | 10,777 | $220,828 | $708,331 | 40.1% |
| 19 | Lakeway | 19,307 | $190,060 | $741,100 | 34.0% |
| 20 | Flower Mound | 78,389 | $161,235 | $609,719 | 39.1% |
| 21 | Cedar Park | 78,301 | $129,545 | $471,699 | 41.4% |
| 22 | Frisco | 219,304 | $150,212 | $656,758 | 46.9% |
| 23 | Fate | 22,884 | $132,752 | $361,762 | 55.5% |
| 24 | Boerne | 20,518 | $84,541 | $554,313 | 39.7% |
| 25 | Fulshear | 34,868 | $187,035 | $505,480 | 63.4% |
| 26 | Roanoke | 10,286 | $97,295 | $428,021 | 42.0% |
| 27 | West University Place | 14,982 | $250,001 | $1,560,991 | 43.8% |
| 28 | Friendswood | 41,030 | $126,508 | $457,135 | 34.4% |
| 29 | Buda | 15,859 | $123,766 | $354,685 | 43.3% |
| 30 | University Park | 25,155 | $250,001 | $2,420,171 | 49.6% |
| 31 | Crowley | 19,532 | $95,030 | $314,947 | 46.6% |
| 32 | Leander | 74,067 | $139,048 | $425,972 | 45.4% |
| 33 | Schertz | 44,050 | $99,948 | $314,686 | 37.0% |
| 34 | McKinney | 210,600 | $124,215 | $481,963 | 41.7% |
| 35 | Rockwall | 51,168 | $115,580 | $480,553 | 37.5% |
| 36 | Hutto | 35,483 | $118,834 | $338,960 | 48.6% |
| 37 | Kerrville | 24,755 | $62,102 | $351,636 | 22.7% |
| 38 | Portland | 20,543 | $83,865 | $267,661 | 32.4% |
| 39 | Iowa Colony | 12,891 | $144,092 | $339,032 | 45.8% |
| 40 | Princeton | 25,229 | $105,200 | $294,071 | 52.2% |
| 41 | Fredericksburg | 11,419 | $64,534 | $517,758 | 26.2% |
| 42 | Corinth | 23,385 | $120,580 | $410,565 | 36.3% |
| 43 | Benbrook | 24,557 | $86,292 | $316,645 | 31.2% |
| 44 | Dickinson | 21,753 | $91,779 | $267,231 | 41.7% |
| 45 | Fair Oaks Ranch | 10,728 | $174,327 | $697,347 | 33.5% |
| 46 | Cibolo | 35,109 | $122,365 | $335,092 | 44.2% |
| 47 | Watauga | 23,233 | $91,171 | $277,103 | 34.5% |
| 48 | Carrollton | 133,740 | $101,396 | $406,040 | 29.2% |
| 49 | Denison | 25,778 | $67,365 | $227,793 | 32.3% |
| 50 | Forney | 31,532 | $104,112 | $311,401 | 50.7% |
| 51 | Anna | 24,330 | $105,593 | $349,537 | 50.6% |
| 52 | Pearland | 127,514 | $118,842 | $382,157 | 40.7% |
| 53 | Sugar Land | 110,016 | $136,217 | $447,176 | 37.1% |
| 54 | Pflugerville | 65,971 | $117,799 | $377,293 | 40.8% |
| 55 | Terrell | 20,366 | $65,842 | $281,526 | 43.5% |
| 56 | Richardson | 118,731 | $98,111 | $440,400 | 27.9% |
| 57 | Azle | 14,126 | $68,514 | $330,263 | 36.9% |
| 58 | The Colony | 45,454 | $114,511 | $406,282 | 28.3% |
| 59 | Plano | 290,594 | $112,253 | $498,989 | 32.2% |
| 60 | Gainesville | 17,883 | $58,809 | $250,182 | 37.4% |
| 61 | Rowlett | 65,463 | $112,081 | $371,473 | 33.6% |
| 62 | Manvel | 14,758 | $118,808 | $443,743 | 48.2% |
| 63 | Angleton | 19,972 | $86,712 | $249,418 | 34.5% |
| 64 | Red Oak | 17,077 | $104,561 | $344,822 | 46.3% |
| 65 | Grapevine | 51,139 | $111,376 | $552,148 | 27.0% |
| 66 | Burleson | 52,918 | $93,928 | $338,945 | 41.6% |
| 67 | Lumberton | 13,963 | $107,623 | $278,475 | 30.9% |
| 68 | Elgin | 11,563 | $91,114 | $275,342 | 31.9% |
| 69 | Georgetown | 85,999 | $95,062 | $426,799 | 25.6% |
| 70 | Harker Heights | 34,128 | $81,190 | $298,771 | 45.3% |
| 71 | Waxahachie | 45,347 | $85,723 | $370,257 | 36.3% |
| 72 | Saginaw | 24,970 | $97,276 | $299,871 | 34.9% |
| 73 | Denton | 152,866 | $76,019 | $354,135 | 26.3% |
| 74 | Conroe | 102,360 | $76,206 | $313,986 | 33.8% |
| 75 | Santa Fe | 12,901 | $99,190 | $330,156 | 35.0% |
| 76 | Deer Park | 33,967 | $100,382 | $280,749 | 33.9% |
| 77 | Stephenville | 21,682 | $53,015 | $321,540 | 27.0% |
| 78 | Fairview | 10,783 | $109,347 | $660,166 | 25.2% |
| 79 | Weatherford | 35,788 | $81,516 | $394,881 | 31.0% |
| 80 | Cedar Hill | 48,879 | $101,909 | $314,931 | 36.9% |
| 81 | Lewisville | 131,080 | $89,233 | $393,896 | 32.4% |
| 82 | Farmers Branch | 36,645 | $91,186 | $377,734 | 26.1% |
| 83 | New Braunfels | 104,643 | $86,021 | $350,104 | 32.1% |
| 84 | Athens | 13,200 | $67,984 | $254,164 | 31.6% |
| 85 | Bonham | 10,697 | $57,681 | $226,435 | 42.3% |
| 86 | Laredo | 257,619 | $63,915 | $220,331 | 48.4% |
| 87 | Converse | 29,607 | $94,222 | $245,937 | 39.6% |
| 88 | Hewitt | 16,432 | $83,511 | $297,538 | 36.2% |
| 89 | Bedford | 49,085 | $83,971 | $374,676 | 26.1% |
| 90 | Euless | 60,421 | $82,167 | $357,017 | 32.3% |
| 91 | Lancaster | 40,820 | $68,302 | $272,337 | 41.0% |
| 92 | Kilgore | 13,470 | $66,295 | $211,755 | 38.2% |
| 93 | Midland | 136,640 | $89,585 | $328,325 | 40.3% |
| 94 | Levelland | 12,466 | $58,000 | $145,131 | 39.2% |
| 95 | Irving | 256,492 | $81,830 | $341,503 | 36.1% |
| 96 | Seagoville | 19,352 | $66,743 | $272,216 | 48.7% |
| 97 | Forest Hill | 14,062 | $68,457 | $226,976 | 39.9% |
| 98 | Belton | 24,356 | $59,130 | $314,941 | 30.4% |
| 99 | Nederland | 18,381 | $77,570 | $214,465 | 32.7% |
| 100 | Round Rock | 127,786 | $99,287 | $407,077 | 35.5% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 230 Texas cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Texas ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Texas are Southlake, Celina, Melissa, Canyon, Colleyville, Sachse, Prosper, Murphy, Bellaire, and Keller.
