The 10 Best Places To Live In Texas For 2025


The best places to live in Texas for 2025 are University Park, Alamo Heights, and West University Place. Find out where your city or town ranks.

In a land where everything is famously bigger, uncovering the best places to live in Texas requires swallowing your Texas pride.

Take a step back and look at the data to determine which Texas cities are bigger and better.

Unlike other sites that randomly decide Austin has to be the best place to live, we stick to the cold hard facts from sources like the Census, Zillow, and FBI. For this study, we compared factors like crime, incomes, real estate prices, and schools for the 348 places in Texas with over 5,000 people.

So, grab your Tex-Mex and a margarita as we look at the top ten best places to live in Texas.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary


You might have come here expecting to see Dallas and Houston as one of the best places in Texas. Even though those cities offer up a ton to residents, it’s better to live outside the cities and commute.

University Park is the perfect example — it’s a small suburb outside of Houston with everything you could ever want without the constant hustle and bustle.

For more reading, check out:

The 10 Best Places To Live In Texas For 2025

Best Places To Live In Texas Map

University Park, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Drumguy8800 at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Stat University Park Texas
Population 25,104 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 1
Median Home Value $1,766,700 $260,400
Median Income $250,001 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.9% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0118 0.0257

More on University Park: Data

University Park is a Dallas suburb of 25,104 people that has a lot going for it. With a median age of 33, University Park is the youngest city to make this list, so you know it’s a vibrant place with fresh ideas. It’s also the 2nd most densely-populated city in Texas, which adds to the dynamism here. And with Dallas right there, you can be in America’s largest urban art district in under 15 minutes.

In general, residents of University Park don’t have money problems, because they’re the 2nd best-paid workers in Texas, pulling in around $250,001/year. Moneyed individuals don’t often go in for crime, and that holds true in University Park, where violent crime is the 7th lowest in Texas and the total crime rateis 50% lower than the national average.

Add to that top-notch schools and an excellent housing market, and you’ve got a recipe for the best place to call home in Texas.

Alamo Heights, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Nightryder84 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Alamo Heights Texas
Population 7,443 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 5
Median Home Value $766,000 $260,400
Median Income $182,819 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 1.5% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0239 0.0257

More on Alamo Heights: Data

We’re heading back down to the greater San Antonio area to arrive at our 2nd best city in Texas, Alamo Heights. Alamo Heights is a city of 7,443 people almost completely surrounded by the bigger city, which helps give it the title of 9th most densely populated city in Texas. Those who like to be in the center of the action will find plenty to love in Alamo Heights. It’s also a great jumping off point for getting to Natural Bridge Caverns, Texas’ largest underground attraction and a serene, but strangely eerie, spot to spend the day.

Alamo Heights has a diverse population, high-quality public schools, and hot markets for both jobs and housing. It’s also the place with the 2nd highest rate of insured residents in Texas, with 98.8% of people being covered.

West University Place, TX

Source: Public domain
Stat West University Place Texas
Population 14,907 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 2
Median Home Value $1,406,600 $260,400
Median Income $250,001 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 6.0% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0119 0.0257

More on West University Place: Data

Kicking off our list of best places to live in Texas is West University Place, an affluent suburb of Houston. As the most densely-populated city in Texas, West University Place is sure to have enough activity even for your most social of social butterflies. I mean, in just fifteen minutes you can be at an Astros game or Houston’s world-class Museum of Natural Science, depending on your inclination.

Over half of the population in West University Place has a master’s degree or higher, so you know that folks here aren’t dummies. All those fancy diplomas really pay off for residents, because at $250,001/year, West University Place has the 2nd highest median income in Texas. And since people with good jobs usually also have health insurance, West University place also has the 4th highest rate of insured residents in the state.

Nobody gets left out of the good times in West University Place, as evidenced by the city’s ranking as the place with the 10th lowest poverty level in Texas. Seeing as poverty and crime usually go hand in hand, it’s no surprise that West University Place also boasts the 34th lowest rate of violent crime in Texas.

Colleyville, TX

Source: Wikipedia User IDidThisThing | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Colleyville Texas
Population 25,906 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 3
Median Home Value $718,900 $260,400
Median Income $203,566 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.8% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0056 0.0257

More on Colleyville: Data

Another Dallas-Fort worth suburb, Colleyville is a city of 25,906 with across the board strong statistics. Noted for its consistently high-ranking public schools, you’d better believe kids who grow up in Colleyville get off on the right foot. Evidently, the importance of education transcends age, because about 30% of Colleyville’s residents kept earning degrees after earning their bachelor’s.

That work ethic really pays off for Colleyville’s residents, who earn the 9th highest pay in Texas, around $203,566/year. And since smart people with good jobs don’t have much reason to go around committing crimes, Colleyville also has the 12th lowest crime rate in the state, about 75% lower than the national average.

As for escaping the hustle and bustle of the big cities, not many cities on this list can boast having a 46-acre natural refuge, complete with nine ponds and countless fishing spots. Colleyville can, though.

Coppell, TX

Source: Wikipedia User nthomas76207 | CC BY 2.0
Stat Coppell Texas
Population 42,029 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 4
Median Home Value $525,300 $260,400
Median Income $139,227 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 2.0% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0107 0.0257

More on Coppell: Data

A bedroom community of the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, Coppell is a city of 42,029 that ranks as the 5th best place to live in Texas. Coppell is a place where the economy works for everyone, as evidenced by the super-low rates of unemployment (2.0%) and poverty (4.0%). It also has one of the premier educational systems in the state, with GreatSchools giving Coppell’s schools an average score of 8/10 (with plenty of 10/10s available, depending on your district).

All these things are great indicators of Coppell’s high quality, but we haven’t come to the city’s best feature: being only ten minutes away from the Legoland Discovery Center. At 40, Coppell has a lower median age than most places listed here, so we think residents’ Lego appreciation is proportionally higher.

Trophy Club, TX

Source: Town of Trophy Club
Stat Trophy Club Texas
Population 13,454 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 7
Median Home Value $617,000 $260,400
Median Income $193,026 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.9% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0042 0.0257

More on Trophy Club: Data

An affluent suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Trophy Club comes in as the 6th best place to live in Texas for 2025. As the town with the 5th lowest rate of crime in the state, Trophy Club is one of the safest places to live in Texas.

Trophy Club is also younger than most places on this list, with a median age of 42. The young folks are doing quite well for themselves, because the median household income in Trophy Club is $193,026/year. Combined with home prices of around $617,000, Trophy Club actually has the lowest overall cost of living among the cities featured here. And having the 22nd lowest rate of poverty in Texas means that everyone in Trophy Club gets in on the good times.

Don’t worry about a dearth of activity here, because in just 30 minutes you can find yourself at Fort Worth’s Sundance Square, where the nightlife is popping.

Bellaire, TX

Source: Public domain
Stat Bellaire Texas
Population 17,116 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 6
Median Home Value $978,300 $260,400
Median Income $236,311 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0232 0.0257

More on Bellaire: Data

Bellaire is a city of 17,116 surrounded by Houston and West University Place. We named Bellaire one of the best cities for families in Texas, and a lot of those same factors land it on this list. For instance, an 8.5/10 GreatSchools average rating for local public schools and awesome kid friendly amenities around like the Children’s Museum Houston.

If you’ve always wanted to get in on a book club, you’ve got a good shot in Bellaire, because around 50% of its residents have a master’s, PhD, or professional degree. You also won’t have to worry much about the vicissitudes of Wall Street or Washington here, because Bellaire has the 20th lowest poverty levels and 3rd highest rate of residents with health insurance in Texas.

Keller, TX

Source: Wikipedia User 1958publius | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Keller Texas
Population 45,598 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 10
Median Home Value $557,700 $260,400
Median Income $172,654 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0086 0.0257

More on Keller: Data

We’re going to stick around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to wrap up our list of best places in Texas with Keller, a suburb of 45,598. There’s no one statistic that earns Keller a spot on this list. Is the school system way above average? Yes. Is the crime rate among the lowest in the state? You betcha. Are poverty and unemployment rates hovering around 3%? You’d better believe it.

Folks in Keller earn the 15th highest salaries in Texas, with a median household income of $172,654. Of all the places on this list, the cost of living in Keller is second-lowest only to Trophy Club. As an extra attraction, having the top-notch Keller Farmer’s Market and Keller Pointe athletics center right in your neighborhood means it’s easy to eat healthy and stay active here. That’s the kind of quality that pays dividends down the road.

Flower Mound, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Runfellow | CC BY 3.0
Stat Flower Mound Texas
Population 77,886 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 13
Median Home Value $514,100 $260,400
Median Income $157,737 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.2% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0076 0.0257

More on Flower Mound: Data

Flower Mound is another northern suburb in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area located on Grapevine Lake. Flower Mound ranks as the 9th best place to call home in the Lone Star State.

People who live here say Flower Mound is a beautiful town with a heart of gold. They say people are always friendly, no matter if you’re a friend or a stranger. And, maybe everyone is in a good mood because they never have to sit in traffic. The only drawback is you’d have to drive into Dallas or Fort Worth for work, and those places are not as charming.

Home prices in Flower Mound are the 9th most expensive in Texas, at around $514,100. But, you get what you pay for. It’s super safe here and the schools are the best in the state when you measure performance and the budget they have. And about 3 in 4 people in Flower Mound have a college degree, so lots of people are smart.

Southlake, TX

Source: Wikipedia User NETarrantMan | CC BY 3.0
Stat Southlake Texas
Population 31,044 29,640,343
Rank Last Year 9
Median Home Value $957,500 $260,400
Median Income $250,001 $76,292
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 5.1%
Crime Per Capita 0.0114 0.0257

More on Southlake: Data

Next up #10: Southlake – a Dallas/Fort Worth suburb located about 25 miles north of the city centers near DFW airport. There’s plenty to do if you live in Southlake. There are restaurants like Taverna Rossa and TruFire and shopping nearby. And there’s Summit Park on Main Street.

Homes here will cost you a pretty penny – with the median price being 250,001, but that’s a bargain compared to some other places on this list. People here are making a cool 250,001 a year and the poverty and unemployment rates are both under 4%.

The public schools are fantastic – with 96% of high school students reading at the correct level and a 94% graduation rate.

Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Texas

Best Places To Live In Texas Size Requirement

Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in Texas, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit Austin, with a population of 967,862, against places with a population of 18?

We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.

So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:

  • Cities — Populations over 5,000
  • Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
  • Small Towns — Populations below 1,000

This filter left 348 cities, 580 towns, and 518 small towns.

We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in Texas have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Texas

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in Texas across a number of criteria from one to 348, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Texas.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Population Density (Higher is better)
  • Unemployment Rate
  • Commute Time
  • Crime
  • Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking Texas’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Texas. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with University Park at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Summary: The Best Places In Texas

If you’re looking at areas in Texas with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The best places to live in Texas are University Park, Alamo Heights, West University Place, Colleyville, Coppell, Trophy Club, Bellaire, Keller, Flower Mound, and Southlake.

University Park made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Texas for 2025.

If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in Texas according to the data:

  1. Port Arthur (Pop. 55,779)
  2. Hutchins (Pop. 5,713)
  3. Robstown (Pop. 10,222)

For more Texas reading, check out:

Best Places To Live In Texas Table

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income Rent Crime Per Capita
1 University Park 25,104 3.9% $1,766,700 $250,001 $2,940 0.0118
2 Alamo Heights 7,443 1.5% $766,000 $182,819 $1,426 0.0239
3 West University Place 14,907 6.0% $1,406,600 $250,001 $3,000 0.0119
4 Colleyville 25,906 3.8% $718,900 $203,566 $3,194 0.0056
5 Coppell 42,029 2.0% $525,300 $139,227 $1,851 0.0107
6 Trophy Club 13,454 3.9% $617,000 $193,026 $1,821 0.0042
7 Bellaire 17,116 3.0% $978,300 $236,311 $2,705 0.0232
8 Keller 45,598 3.0% $557,700 $172,654 $1,985 0.0086
9 Flower Mound 77,886 3.2% $514,100 $157,737 $2,221 0.0076
10 Southlake 31,044 3.0% $957,500 $250,001 $3,501 0.0114
11 Corinth 22,868 1.9% $351,200 $118,949 $1,826 0.0097
12 Highland Park 8,774 5.0% $1,887,300 $250,001 $2,216 0.0237
13 Terrell Hills 5,050 4.2% $762,200 $217,800 $1,154 0.0172
14 Murphy 21,001 4.0% $508,500 $165,109 $2,640 0.0065
15 Allen 107,684 4.3% $429,900 $129,130 $1,877 0.0100
16 Lakeway 19,130 3.3% $695,400 $164,978 $3,123 0.0116
17 Parker 5,776 1.5% $852,000 $216,179 $0 0.0033
18 McKinney 202,314 3.5% $439,500 $120,273 $1,841 0.0106
19 Cedar Park 77,474 4.0% $474,800 $123,972 $1,753 0.0161
20 Frisco 210,238 4.2% $595,400 $146,158 $1,902 0.0157
21 Friendswood 40,827 4.9% $399,500 $125,052 $1,698 0.0067
22 Sugar Land 109,735 4.5% $406,600 $137,511 $1,939 0.0135
23 Heath 10,218 3.3% $681,500 $216,160 $1,854 0.0060
24 Leander 67,880 3.2% $470,700 $140,180 $1,865 0.0112
25 Sachse 29,075 5.2% $366,100 $130,839 $1,807 0.0096
26 Fulshear 26,986 4.4% $546,200 $178,398 $1,889 0.0041
27 Hickory Creek 5,161 1.0% $510,100 $144,434 $2,133 0.0159
28 Plano 287,339 4.1% $440,600 $108,649 $1,792 0.0185
29 Hewitt 16,244 5.9% $252,200 $83,798 $1,389 0.0148
30 Melissa 17,497 3.7% $430,300 $137,875 $2,341 0.0051
31 Pearland 125,983 3.1% $330,900 $112,470 $1,759 0.0180
32 Iowa Park 6,574 2.0% $121,800 $64,340 $945 0.0055
33 Bee Cave 8,861 2.3% $699,100 $113,157 $1,807 0.0287
34 Mansfield 75,398 3.6% $380,000 $116,590 $1,798 0.0165
35 Wolfforth 6,189 6.1% $245,000 $92,143 $1,430 0.0066
36 Canyon 15,398 1.9% $218,300 $68,233 $975 0.0090
37 Fair Oaks Ranch 10,630 5.7% $612,700 $168,309 $0 0.0097
38 Fairview 10,570 2.6% $544,800 $107,308 $1,875 0.0108
39 Round Rock 124,288 3.6% $383,700 $97,187 $1,713 0.0240
40 Boerne 19,509 2.7% $437,100 $86,838 $1,577 0.0150
41 Carrollton 132,741 3.2% $353,600 $99,115 $1,674 0.0169
42 Celina 27,141 2.9% $458,000 $155,875 $2,064 0.0111
43 Rockwall 49,605 3.9% $382,400 $114,926 $1,832 0.0162
44 Seabrook 13,617 3.4% $332,000 $109,489 $1,445 0.0123
45 Hutto 32,188 4.2% $315,800 $115,149 $2,202 0.0121
46 Wylie 58,991 3.9% $350,100 $113,661 $1,985 0.0086
47 Prosper 34,567 4.9% $694,600 $187,603 $2,152 0.0140
48 Helotes 9,372 5.9% $382,400 $129,884 $2,518 0.0150
49 Cibolo 33,829 6.7% $324,600 $125,230 $2,008 0.0114
50 Saginaw 24,467 3.9% $270,300 $98,003 $1,700 0.0141
51 Aledo 5,432 1.5% $409,300 $152,083 $2,604 0.0358
52 Grapevine 50,875 4.1% $470,400 $111,438 $1,806 0.0266
53 Richardson 118,269 4.8% $405,600 $96,257 $1,825 0.0216
54 The Colony 44,916 3.8% $355,100 $111,090 $1,884 0.0270
55 Buda 15,487 4.1% $410,100 $111,179 $1,785 0.0227
56 Willow Park 5,447 2.2% $339,100 $113,736 $2,514 0.0143
57 Alpine 6,003 3.1% $207,700 $54,503 $901 0.0007
58 Nolanville 6,372 1.5% $179,800 $85,657 $1,132 0.0108
59 Lumberton 13,803 3.4% $271,500 $104,551 $982 0.0084
60 Nassau Bay 5,211 1.3% $339,400 $78,057 $1,323 0.0215
61 North Richland Hills 70,338 2.9% $324,800 $93,434 $1,609 0.0248
62 Portland 20,369 2.8% $226,900 $81,944 $1,492 0.0163
63 Pflugerville 65,162 5.2% $354,900 $112,656 $1,856 0.0183
64 Van Alstyne 5,378 0.8% $297,400 $93,373 $1,141 0.0076
65 Rowlett 64,139 3.8% $342,400 $113,600 $1,964 0.0165
66 Fate 20,757 6.2% $361,100 $129,500 $2,528 0.0060
67 Fredericksburg 11,254 4.6% $442,800 $57,474 $1,364 0.0101
68 Bedford 49,191 4.8% $322,300 $81,393 $1,429 0.0220
69 Woodway 9,483 3.2% $336,100 $115,729 $1,748 0.0380
70 Roanoke 9,947 4.0% $454,500 $100,986 $1,814 0.0249
71 New Braunfels 98,700 3.7% $315,100 $88,257 $1,536 0.0157
72 Nederland 18,475 3.5% $196,600 $75,502 $1,421 0.0142
73 Robinson 12,668 5.8% $269,000 $95,579 $1,392 0.0085
74 Deer Park 33,823 5.0% $238,900 $95,233 $1,299 0.0164
75 Kennedale 8,954 2.4% $356,300 $117,853 $1,215 0.0095
76 Live Oak 15,875 4.2% $227,800 $78,092 $1,450 0.0475
77 Lake Dallas 7,761 2.8% $245,100 $74,241 $1,507 0.0063
78 Harker Heights 33,595 4.7% $269,000 $82,685 $1,114 0.0142
79 Lavon 5,624 2.7% $386,600 $132,778 $1,780 0.0192
80 Port Neches 13,627 5.8% $231,000 $84,335 $1,116 0.0110
81 Iowa Colony 11,028 5.8% $356,300 $126,167 $2,188 0.0063
82 Fort Stockton 8,340 1.0% $176,600 $69,688 $977 0.0049
83 Sanger 9,302 2.5% $284,500 $88,987 $1,304 0.0103
84 Georgetown 78,803 5.2% $398,600 $91,857 $1,671 0.0148
85 Burnet 6,630 1.6% $245,900 $88,000 $1,012 0.0081
86 Kerrville 24,532 2.1% $272,700 $59,431 $1,075 0.0094
87 Burleson 50,981 3.8% $282,900 $94,162 $1,665 0.0157
88 Schertz 43,128 5.7% $292,100 $96,633 $1,593 0.0114
89 Midlothian 37,256 3.5% $369,400 $122,643 $1,867 0.0126
90 Lewisville 128,313 3.7% $350,200 $85,002 $1,572 0.0212
91 White Oak 6,208 4.5% $219,200 $95,193 $1,134 0.0093
92 Little Elm 51,426 6.3% $390,300 $116,036 $1,900 0.0085
93 Benbrook 24,430 3.8% $278,200 $82,148 $1,457 0.0237
94 Addison 17,128 2.8% $466,000 $82,858 $1,717 0.0777
95 Bulverde 6,164 1.6% $380,100 $108,413 $1,451 0.0219
96 Kyle 52,439 2.4% $302,200 $89,645 $1,661 0.0147
97 Forney 28,222 5.2% $323,500 $103,360 $1,665 0.0124
98 Euless 60,373 5.0% $294,500 $80,987 $1,606 0.0227
99 Northlake 7,138 6.2% $482,700 $119,803 $1,671 0.0158
100 Sunnyvale 8,069 6.6% $540,500 $157,500 $1,216 0.0125

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.