Texas · best for families · #35 of 50 states

Best Cities for Families in Texas

Texas ranks #35 of 50 for families, with a families score of 57.5. Cedar Park is its best city for families at 66.1.

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#1 city in TX for families

Cedar Park66.1

Families score out of 100

Texas, all states: #35 of 50
Population: 78,301

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Violent crime rate

344.9

per 100K · FBI estimate

HS graduation rate

89.7%

NCES

Median income

$79,721

Census ACS

Infant care

$10,894/yr

Center-based · Child Care Aware

Home value

$299,367

Typical home value

Texas for Families: The Full Picture

Texas ranks #35 out of 50 for families, placing it in the lower third of states. That doesn't mean families can't thrive here — the state scores well in affordability (74/100) — but Texas's overall profile suggests families should weigh the tradeoffs carefully, particularly around outdoor access and livability.

Education is the single most important factor for families choosing where to live, and Texas shows mixed results on this front. The state's high school graduation rate stands at 89.7%, roughly in line with national norms. School quality has been a consistent strength, reflected in an education score of 61/100. Center-based infant care costs $10,894 a year, below the 50-state average, easing the financial burden on young families.

Safety is the other pillar of family-friendly living. Texas sits near the 50-state average for violent crime at 344.9 incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI estimate). With a cost-of-living index of 97.1, household expenses are close to the national norm — neither a major advantage nor a dealbreaker.

All 74 Cities Ranked for Families

# City	Grade	Families score	Overall	Education	Safety	Affordability	Population
1Cedar Park	A	66.1	66.3	44	92	55	78,301
2Flower Mound	A+	65.9	67.4	47	100	45	78,389
3Frisco	A	63.5	66.6	39	95	44	219,304
4Carrollton	B+	63.4	62.7	51	93	59	133,740
5Allen	A	62.9	63.3	36	97	53	110,265
6Round Rock	A	62.8	64.9	44	88	60	127,786
7Richardson	B+	62.3	62.7	50	87	55	118,731
8McKinney	A	61.9	65.3	41	95	53	210,600
9Plano	A	61.9	62.9	44	89	54	290,594
10College Station	C+	61.9	54.5	44	92	74	124,570
11Wylie	B+	61.7	62.6	40	97	53	60,334
12Burleson	B	61.7	58.7	39	92	63	52,918
13Sugar Land	A	61.5	63.0	34	93	57	110,016
14Pflugerville	B+	61.3	62.3	44	83	59	65,971
15Mansfield	A	61.0	63.4	39	91	55	77,510
16Lewisville	B+	60.6	61.0	53	83	60	131,080
17Georgetown	A	60.1	63.4	43	92	59	85,999
18Bryan	C+	59.9	54.7	53	81	79	87,939
19League City	B+	59.8	62.2	34	95	63	116,215
20Leander	A	59.7	65.2	44	—	54	74,067
21Grapevine	B+	59.7	60.6	48	84	53	51,139
22Rowlett	B+	59.6	59.4	46	88	56	65,463
23El Paso	C	59.1	52.3	42	79	83	680,130
24Denton	B	58.9	57.3	50	81	64	152,866
25Pearland	B+	58.7	59.5	34	93	61	127,514
26Irving	B	58.6	57.3	44	77	63	256,492
27Laredo	C	58.6	50.3	43	79	85	257,619
28North Richland Hills	B	58.4	57.4	40	84	60	70,780
29Kyle	B+	58.1	60.7	41	92	64	56,823
30Longview	C	57.8	51.1	49	70	82	82,923
31Tyler	C+	57.6	53.8	43	71	77	109,215
32Euless	B	57.3	55.8	36	84	62	60,421
33Garland	C+	57.3	54.5	46	83	65	246,844
34The Woodlands	A	57.1	63.6	35	—	55	121,002
35McAllen	C+	57.1	52.6	49	89	85	145,385
36Wichita Falls	C+	57.1	52.6	43	68	85	102,581
37San Angelo	C+	57.0	54.9	39	73	80	99,674
38Mission	C	56.8	50.7	47	90	87	87,038
39Temple	C+	56.6	52.5	46	70	78	89,602
40Midland	B	56.5	56.9	30	73	69	136,640
41Waco	C	56.4	50.2	51	68	79	143,570
42New Braunfels	B+	56.2	60.0	36	84	67	104,643
43Missouri City	C+	55.7	54.4	36	90	62	76,558
44Pharr	D	55.5	45.1	49	85	88	80,333
45Austin	B	55.4	58.1	47	58	54	979,539
46Grand Prairie	C+	55.2	54.0	43	84	64	201,883
47Conroe	B	55.1	56.2	40	80	69	102,360
48DeSoto	C	55.0	52.0	47	77	62	56,211
49Edinburg	C	54.9	49.8	48	83	86	104,550
50Fort Worth	C+	54.8	54.2	45	67	65	963,194
51Atascocita	B	54.2	57.0	—	—	63	99,354
52Odessa	C+	54.0	52.8	30	80	76	115,322
53Little Elm	B	53.9	56.7	39	—	55	54,820
54Abilene	C	53.9	52.0	41	66	82	128,053
55Arlington	C	53.8	51.2	45	67	65	397,742
56Texas City	C	53.4	52.3	55	82	74	55,364
57Killeen	D	53.4	46.1	42	63	79	158,159
58Harlingen	D	53.1	47.6	52	76	89	72,087
59San Marcos	C	52.7	51.4	52	66	70	70,897
60Amarillo	C+	52.6	52.5	44	54	81	201,885
61Mesquite	C	51.6	49.2	47	62	67	149,299
62Brownsville	D	51.3	42.7	48	70	89	189,177
63Victoria	C	51.2	50.5	44	70	81	65,625
64Pasadena	D	51.2	46.9	54	66	75	149,433
65Dallas	C	51.1	50.7	53	48	65	1,307,930
66Lubbock	C	50.0	50.2	48	45	80	264,814
67San Antonio	C	49.9	49.8	45	45	75	1,479,835
68Galveston	D	48.9	48.2	52	58	69	53,424
69Baytown	D	47.6	43.5	45	64	75	85,205
70Spring	D	46.7	46.8	44	—	68	68,580
71Port Arthur	F	45.9	36.6	52	60	87	55,828
72Corpus Christi	D	45.3	45.6	43	36	78	317,419
73Houston	D	43.1	44.3	46	23	70	2,328,253
74Beaumont	F	40.5	38.0	33	25	83	113,279

City families scores use each city's own data, with the category weights rescaled over the categories the city has; outdoor access has no city-level measure and is left out. City scores for families also weigh the county's expected yearly building losses from natural hazards (FEMA), lower is better; the share of adults without health insurance (CDC PLACES), lower is better; the share of households with someone under 18 (Census ACS), higher is better.

Compare: States with Similar Families Rankings

Also See: Texas for Other Lifestyles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Texas a good state for families?

Texas ranks #35 out of 50 for families with a persona-weighted score of 57.5/100. Its strongest relevant category is Affordability (74/100) and its weakest is Outdoor Access (5/100).

What is the best city for families in Texas?

Cedar Park ranks #1 in Texas for families with a score of 66.1/100, followed by Flower Mound and Frisco.

What factors are most important for families in Texas?

Rankings weighted toward education quality, public safety, affordable housing, healthcare, and community livability — the factors that matter most to families with children.