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Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Texas a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes... if you know where to locate the best places to live in Texas.
Lucky for you, we're here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Lone Star State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn't our first rodeo -- we've been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Texas, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 253 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Lone Star State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Texas For 2021
Borden County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Texas. And you might want to avoid Zapata County if you can -- at least according to the data.
So if you're thinking of making the move Texas, we've got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Texas and the cheapest places to live in Texas.
The Best Counties To Live In Texas For 2021
1. Borden County
Biggest Place: Gail
Population: 613
Median Income: $72,188 (24th best)
Median Home Price: $153,300.0 (50th best)
Unemployment Rate: 253.2% (30th best)
More on Borden County: Data
2. Rockwall County
Biggest Place: Dallas
Population: 97,175
Median Income: $100,920 (best)
Median Home Price: $266,200.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 386.0% (75th best)
More on Rockwall County: Photos | Data
3. Randall County
Biggest Place: Amarillo
Population: 134,026
Median Income: $68,261 (30th best)
Median Home Price: $167,800.0 (40th best)
Unemployment Rate: 345.1% (57th best)
More on Randall County: Photos | Data
4. Kendall County
Biggest Place: Boerne
Population: 43,769
Median Income: $84,747 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $348,500.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 395.7% (80th best)
More on Kendall County: Photos | Data
5. Comal County
Biggest Place: San Antonio
Population: 141,642
Median Income: $79,936 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $282,300.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 341.8% (54th best)
More on Comal County: Photos | Data
6. Armstrong County
Biggest Place: Claude
Population: 1,973
Median Income: $72,500 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $139,700.0 (69th best)
Unemployment Rate: 100.3% (9th best)
More on Armstrong County: Data
7. Roberts County
Biggest Place: Miami
Population: 805
Median Income: $68,750 (28th best)
Median Home Price: $133,000.0 (77th best)
Unemployment Rate: 192.3% (19th best)
More on Roberts County: Data
8. Carson County
Biggest Place: Panhandle
Population: 6,009
Median Income: $74,872 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $114,300.0 (107th best)
Unemployment Rate: 226.7% (22nd best)
More on Carson County: Photos | Data
9. Williamson County
Biggest Place: Austin
Population: 547,604
Median Income: $87,337 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $262,300.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 478.0% (117th best)
More on Williamson County: Photos | Data
10. Archer County
Biggest Place: Archer City
Population: 8,716
Median Income: $63,835 (4best)
Median Home Price: $146,200.0 (59th best)
Unemployment Rate: 282.5% (36th best)
More on Archer County: Data
How do you determine which Texas county is the best?
To give you the best county in Texas, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what's a "best county" and what isn't. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you'd make at a bar using facts, don't take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Texas across each of the criteria from one to 253, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the "Best County To Live In Texas".
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Lone Star State.
Read on to see why Borden County is the best county, while Zapata County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Texas.
There You Have It - The Best Counties In Texas To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Texas can vary from one part of the state to the next -- who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that's why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here's a look at the worst counties in Texas according to the data:
- Zapata County
- Culberson County
- Dimmit County
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Texas
- Safest Places In Texas
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas
- Richest Cities In Texas
Dallas isn’t in Rockwall County but in Dallas County. I know since I live in Dallas.
Where is Young County on the list?