hidden gems in DFW
2 Fort Worth suburbs make list of America's most livable small cities
![Mansfield Music Alley Music & Arts Festival](https://fortworth.culturemap.com/media-library/mansfield-music-alley-music-arts-festival.jpg?id=31358592&width=2000&height=1500&quality=65&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Some Fort Worth suburbs stick out from the rest thanks to their happy (or affluent) residents, and now Mansfield is getting time in the spotlight.
The tiny but mighty city 20 miles southeast of Fort Worth was one of six Texas cities to earn a top-100 ranking in SmartAsset's 2024 "Most Livable Small Cities" report.
The report compared 281 U.S. cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000 residents across eight metrics, such as a resident's housing costs as a percentage of household income, the city's average commute times, and the proportions of entertainment, food service, and healthcare establishments.
Mansfield came in at a respectable No. 69.
According to Mansfield's website, the city's population adds up to more than 73,000, and the majority of residents (96.1 percent) live above the poverty level. The median income for a Mansfield household comes out to more than $112,000 a year, and annual housing costs only represent 19.8 percent of that household's income.
The city's noticeable growth has not gone unnoticed, drawing the attention of beloved Texas supermarket H-E-B, which opened its first Mansfield location at the end of June. But nothing can take away the city's small-town feel and hospitality.
"With a quality of life considered to be one of the best in the Metroplex, Mansfield offers more than 900 acres of parkland, a historic downtown area, recreational opportunities for young and old, superior rated schools, quality housing and a growing business community," the city's website says.
Mansfield also hosts two of the biggest blowout events every year: The Music Alley Music & Arts Festival, and the long-running Fourth of July celebration.
Here's how SmartAsset breaks down Mansfield's ranking in two other metrics in the study:
- 1.4 percent – Proportion of arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses as a percentage of all businesses
- 26.7 minutes – Worker's average commute time
Elsewhere around Dallas-Fort Worth, Flower Mound ranked as the 29th most livable small city nationwide, and No. 1 in Texas.
Flower Mound has a population of over 81,000 residents whose average household income comes out to $189,356, the town's website says. SmartAsset calculated that the annual housing costs of a Flower Mound only take up 18.2 percent of that household's income. Additionally, the study found only 3.9 percent of the town's population lives below the poverty level.
(Fun fact: Flower Mound routinely makes WalletHub's annual list of cities whose residents have the jolliest holiday budgets.)
"With more than 40 percent of residents between the ages of 25 and 54 and more than 64 percent of residents 25 and older earning a bachelor's degree or higher, this community is young and highly educated, making it an ideal workforce," the town's website says.
Flower Mound is known for its outdoorsy offerings in places like Stone Creek Park.
Facebook/Flower Mound Parks and Recreation
Here's how Flower Mound performed in two other metrics in the study:
- 1.7 percent – Proportion of arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses as a percentage of all businesses
- 26.3 minutes – Worker's average commute time
"Flower Mound has nearly 1,000 acres of parkland, including more than 75 miles of hike, bike, and equestrian trails, numerous athletic fields, 57 parks, and 37 unique playgrounds," the website says. "[Flower Mound is] centrally located between Grapevine Lake and Lake Lewisville, providing access to miles of beautiful shoreline for outdoor activities."
The top 10 most livable small cities in the U.S. are:
- No. 1 – Troy, Michigan
- No. 2 – Rochester Hills, Michigan
- No. 3 – Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- No. 4 – Franklin, Tennessee
- No. 5 – Redmond, Washington
- No. 6 – Appleton, Wisconsin
- No. 7 – Apex, North Carolina
- No. 8 – Plymouth, Minnesota
- No. 9 – Livonia, Michigan
- No. 10 – Oshkosh, Wisconsin