You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Texas. Best suburbs in Texas. Best counties in Texas.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Lone Star State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Texas based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Texas ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$250,001 median income · 2.1% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$240,114 median income · 2.4% unemployment
$138,378 median income · 0.0% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$245,208 median income · 2.9% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$158,250 median income · 2.2% unemployment
$164,583 median income · 2.6% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$162,885 median income · 5.4% unemployment
$250,001 median income · 5.5% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$176,500 median income · 10.0% unemployment
$223,750 median income · 6.2% unemployment
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
Texas statewide median: 5.3%
On the map
Where Texas’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Texas
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Texas possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 548 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 548, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Texas. Top of that list — Bunker Hill Village.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Texas.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Texas
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bunker Hill Village | 3,829 | $250,001 | $2,120,913 | 2.1% |
| 2 | Rollingwood | 1,316 | $240,114 | $2,311,469 | 2.4% |
| 3 | Hollywood Park | 3,143 | $138,378 | $522,446 | 0.0% |
| 4 | Spring Valley Village | 4,290 | $245,208 | $1,226,630 | 2.9% |
| 5 | The Hills | 2,516 | $158,250 | $817,368 | 2.2% |
| 6 | Shavano Park | 3,670 | $164,583 | $920,424 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Southside Place | 1,706 | $162,885 | $1,801,821 | 5.4% |
| 8 | Hunters Creek Village | 4,390 | $250,001 | $2,120,913 | 5.5% |
| 9 | Olmos Park | 2,115 | $176,500 | $936,775 | 10.0% |
| 10 | Hedwig Village | 2,291 | $223,750 | $1,805,639 | 6.2% |
| 11 | Lakeside City | 1,234 | $113,636 | $284,520 | 1.1% |
| 12 | Taylor Lake Village | 3,721 | $165,875 | $375,350 | 0.6% |
| 13 | Hilshire Village | 1,220 | $250,001 | $1,152,398 | 6.0% |
| 14 | Piney Point Village | 3,097 | $250,001 | $2,120,913 | 8.5% |
| 15 | Tiki Island | 1,210 | $129,063 | $688,179 | 1.6% |
| 16 | Barton Creek | 3,440 | $203,947 | $2,120,913 | 2.3% |
| 17 | West Lake Hills | 3,285 | $198,125 | $2,028,011 | 3.4% |
| 18 | Double Oak | 3,071 | $172,321 | $845,919 | 2.6% |
| 19 | Salado | 2,225 | $107,679 | $487,034 | 2.0% |
| 20 | Ransom Canyon | 1,041 | $113,950 | $371,838 | 2.5% |
| 21 | Castle Hills | 3,943 | $95,391 | $459,173 | 2.4% |
| 22 | Weston Lakes | 4,217 | $145,394 | $714,323 | 0.0% |
| 23 | Cross Mountain | 3,752 | $205,164 | $615,807 | 2.7% |
| 24 | Red Lick | 1,333 | $136,250 | $340,194 | 0.3% |
| 25 | Lake Kiowa | 2,476 | $125,956 | $531,147 | 0.0% |
| 26 | El Lago | 2,997 | $95,625 | $307,257 | 3.5% |
| 27 | Hideaway | 3,301 | $109,712 | $343,596 | 0.8% |
| 28 | Shoreacres | 1,580 | $130,815 | $293,643 | 2.2% |
| 29 | Shiner | 2,154 | $99,299 | $309,046 | 3.3% |
| 30 | Manchaca | 2,171 | $155,313 | $608,490 | 2.9% |
| 31 | Briarcliff | 2,735 | $140,938 | $584,099 | 1.8% |
| 32 | Westlake | 1,670 | $250,001 | $3,113,826 | 1.9% |
| 33 | Lindsay | 1,142 | $115,417 | $352,470 | 0.5% |
| 34 | Lorena | 1,497 | $88,250 | $340,895 | 1.8% |
| 35 | Panhandle | 2,505 | $85,870 | $205,011 | 0.2% |
| 36 | Shady Shores | 2,922 | $159,375 | $522,063 | 3.4% |
| 37 | Meadowlakes | 1,861 | $79,050 | $418,905 | 4.6% |
| 38 | Dalworthington Gardens | 2,180 | $138,594 | $549,787 | 4.1% |
| 39 | Garden Ridge | 4,332 | $177,353 | $691,682 | 1.4% |
| 40 | Haslet | 3,280 | $169,046 | $389,006 | 0.5% |
| 41 | Shallowater | 2,955 | $89,107 | $294,556 | 3.4% |
| 42 | Serenada | 1,444 | $154,653 | $509,125 | 2.6% |
| 43 | Krugerville | 1,577 | $117,917 | $401,713 | 4.0% |
| 44 | Bayou Vista | 1,754 | $120,455 | $363,645 | 4.5% |
| 45 | Horseshoe Bay | 4,854 | $96,794 | $717,791 | 2.9% |
| 46 | Talty | 2,881 | $154,732 | $512,518 | 1.3% |
| 47 | South Padre Island | 2,891 | $70,472 | $442,250 | 5.6% |
| 48 | Bellville | 4,221 | $59,583 | $431,032 | 0.5% |
| 49 | Meadows Place | 4,689 | $90,057 | $293,211 | 6.7% |
| 50 | Beach City | 3,309 | $148,574 | $557,114 | 3.2% |
| 51 | Copper Canyon | 2,514 | $155,625 | $1,073,390 | 5.8% |
| 52 | Abernathy | 3,278 | $87,531 | $176,270 | 1.0% |
| 53 | Oak Ridge North | 3,034 | $109,167 | $342,929 | 4.3% |
| 54 | Hallsville | 4,628 | $85,313 | $294,108 | 2.8% |
| 55 | Point Venture | 1,598 | $110,500 | $415,326 | 4.5% |
| 56 | Oak Leaf | 1,827 | $131,806 | $446,423 | 5.5% |
| 57 | Crawford | 1,020 | $88,458 | $503,636 | 2.8% |
| 58 | Palmhurst | 2,601 | $98,125 | $287,959 | 4.0% |
| 59 | Claude | 1,163 | $77,813 | $223,561 | 0.9% |
| 60 | Port Aransas | 3,268 | $88,947 | $565,465 | 0.0% |
| 61 | Bartonville | 2,112 | $149,071 | $1,403,732 | 0.9% |
| 62 | Gruver | 1,280 | $72,857 | $186,923 | 0.7% |
| 63 | Muenster | 1,329 | $88,333 | $329,482 | 0.4% |
| 64 | Panorama Village | 2,525 | $77,411 | $289,413 | 2.8% |
| 65 | Hudson Oaks | 2,586 | $124,545 | $537,214 | 4.4% |
| 66 | Central Gardens | 3,976 | $83,750 | $229,801 | 5.4% |
| 67 | Annetta | 3,264 | $177,500 | $526,385 | 5.1% |
| 68 | DeCordova | 3,152 | $106,106 | $361,297 | 5.2% |
| 69 | Paloma Creek | 3,016 | $91,534 | $367,766 | 3.3% |
| 70 | Hudson Bend | 4,127 | $95,703 | $719,413 | 3.3% |
| 71 | Westworth Village | 2,643 | $86,429 | $342,847 | 2.9% |
| 72 | La Grange | 4,452 | $53,547 | $391,616 | 2.4% |
| 73 | Potosi | 4,322 | $121,543 | $375,614 | 3.3% |
| 74 | McLendon-Chisholm | 4,511 | $204,773 | $667,451 | 2.3% |
| 75 | Sweeny | 3,591 | $73,457 | $238,762 | 2.3% |
| 76 | Palm Valley | 2,155 | $99,438 | $250,804 | 4.2% |
| 77 | Inez | 2,031 | $82,838 | $353,692 | 2.0% |
| 78 | Jonestown | 2,535 | $128,224 | $488,557 | 1.9% |
| 79 | Lakeside town (Tarrant County) | 1,401 | $112,321 | $367,342 | 2.0% |
| 80 | Riesel | 1,453 | $98,063 | $257,877 | 0.0% |
| 81 | China Grove | 1,215 | $103,162 | $376,217 | 2.1% |
| 82 | Morgan’s Point Resort | 4,750 | $79,450 | $259,918 | 1.2% |
| 83 | Bullard | 4,346 | $118,860 | $370,888 | 4.7% |
| 84 | Pantego | 2,337 | $71,293 | $348,641 | 4.2% |
| 85 | Poth | 1,532 | $72,404 | $271,826 | 2.2% |
| 86 | Clear Lake Shores | 1,140 | $111,818 | $391,093 | 7.3% |
| 87 | Randolph AFB | 1,240 | $113,250 | $0 | 3.6% |
| 88 | Canyon Creek | 1,646 | $92,109 | $278,582 | 0.0% |
| 89 | Ovilla | 4,375 | $131,434 | $495,093 | 6.2% |
| 90 | St. Hedwig | 2,313 | $147,390 | $289,683 | 2.1% |
| 91 | Flatonia | 1,830 | $61,010 | $453,638 | 0.0% |
| 92 | Grandview | 2,176 | $77,000 | $401,399 | 0.5% |
| 93 | Rancho Viejo | 2,849 | $90,714 | $295,691 | 3.7% |
| 94 | Castroville | 3,092 | $78,460 | $425,945 | 2.2% |
| 95 | Hackberry | 2,979 | $109,769 | $441,786 | 4.9% |
| 96 | Goldthwaite | 1,843 | $54,808 | $361,874 | 4.4% |
| 97 | West | 2,576 | $61,875 | $297,658 | 2.4% |
| 98 | San Leanna | 1,047 | $64,087 | $532,285 | 7.5% |
| 99 | Whitesboro | 4,173 | $70,134 | $350,830 | 2.2% |
| 100 | Richwood | 4,791 | $88,380 | $267,630 | 8.4% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 548 Texas towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Texas are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Texas are Bunker Hill Village, Rollingwood, Hollywood Park, Spring Valley Village, The Hills, Shavano Park, Southside Place, Hunters Creek Village, Olmos Park, and Hedwig Village.
