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Family matters

These DFW suburbs shine among the most family-friendly cities in Texas

Southlake Texas
Southlake seems to have it all. Visit Southlake Texas/Facebook

When it comes to city rankings, Dallas-Fort Worth is used to being on top, and now it's time for the suburbs to shine. In late June, personal finance site WalletHub released a report ranking the best and worst cities for Texas families, and while neither Fort Worth nor Dallas cracked the top 50, smaller communities in the DFW area dominated the top rankings.

Frisco beat them all, coming in at No. 1. Closely following, in order from No. 2-11, are: Allen, Southlake, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Murphy, Keller, Plano, Coppell, McKinney, and Rockwall. Other communities in Tarrant County ranked high on the list, including Mansfield (20), Grapevine (27), Burleson (32), North Richland Hills (37), and Bedford (44). Weatherford came in at No. 47.

Of major cities in Texas, Fort Worth came in the family-friendliest, at No. 62. Austin ranked No. 66; El Paso, No. 83; and San Antonio, No. 98. Dallas (109) and Houston (116) didn't fare so well.

The rankings were formulated by comparing data in the 117 largest Texas cities using four key categories:

  • Family life and fun
  • Education, health, and safety
  • Affordability
  • Socioeconomic environment

Within each category, metrics ranging from high school graduation rates to density of pediatricians were scored on a scale of 0-100, then weighted according to importance.

DFW cities consistently scored high marks in the family life and fun category and earned accolades for education, health, and safety. Relatively low cost of living in the suburbs, plus proximity to entertainment options, helped North Texas towns shine.

The report also has a few helpful tidbits for families looking to buy a home. Throughout Texas, cities peppering Interstate 35 North received higher marks than the neighbors to the south.

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