Texas · best for young professionals · #28 of 50 states

Best Cities for Young Professionals in Texas

Texas ranks #28 of 50 for young professionals, with a young professionals score of 53.0. The Woodlands is its best city for young professionals at 67.2.

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#1 city in TX for young professionals

The Woodlands67.2

Young Professionals score out of 100

Texas, all states: #28 of 50
Population: 121,002

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Unemployment

4.2%

BLS LAUS

Median income

$79,721

Census ACS

Pop. growth

+1.25%

Census estimates

Cost of living

97.1

BEA RPP · 100 = avg

Livability

24/100

Dining, arts, nightlife

Texas for Young Professionals: The Full Picture

Texas ranks #28 out of 50 for young professionals, landing in the middle of the pack. The state's economy scores 43/100, though with 4.2% unemployment and a median household income of $79,721. Population growth of 1.25% signals that people — and employers — are actively choosing Texas.

For young professionals, the equation comes down to earning potential versus cost of living. With a cost-of-living index of 97.1, expenses are near the national norm — what you earn is roughly what you keep. Growth metrics are moderate, so career advancement may depend more on specific industries than broad market expansion.

Beyond the paycheck, livability matters. Texas's livability score of 24/100 is modest, which may matter to young professionals who value nightlife, dining, and cultural events. Transportation is car-dependent in most areas (score: 44/100), which is worth factoring into housing location decisions.

All 74 Cities Ranked for Young Professionals

# City	Grade	Young Professionals score	Overall	Economy	Growth	Walkability	Population
1The Woodlands	A	67.2	63.6	92	—	41	121,002
2Leander	A	67.0	65.2	84	82	30	74,067
3McKinney	A	66.8	65.3	75	79	38	210,600
4Round Rock	A	66.8	64.9	67	85	44	127,786
5Mansfield	A	66.1	63.4	73	88	36	77,510
6Frisco	A	64.8	66.6	87	50	37	219,304
7New Braunfels	B+	64.7	60.0	62	94	36	104,643
8Georgetown	A	64.3	63.4	61	91	30	85,999
9Flower Mound	A+	63.4	67.4	89	38	39	78,389
10Cedar Park	A	63.3	66.3	79	48	37	78,301
11Kyle	B+	62.9	60.7	65	95	28	56,823
12League City	B+	62.4	62.2	74	56	39	116,215
13Richardson	B+	62.0	62.7	65	47	63	118,731
14Pflugerville	B+	61.8	62.3	73	57	34	65,971
15Wylie	B+	61.6	62.6	74	57	36	60,334
16Allen	A	61.2	63.3	78	39	43	110,265
17Lewisville	B+	61.1	61.0	61	65	54	131,080
18Plano	A	61.0	62.9	70	41	55	290,594
19Sugar Land	A	60.7	63.0	79	30	41	110,016
20Midland	B	59.7	56.9	64	68	42	136,640
21Little Elm	B	59.4	56.7	72	72	32	54,820
22Conroe	B	59.4	56.2	53	84	34	102,360
23Carrollton	B+	59.2	62.7	67	34	56	133,740
24Austin	B	58.9	58.1	65	48	57	979,539
25Denton	B	57.9	57.3	53	60	54	152,866
26Grapevine	B+	57.0	60.6	72	31	40	51,139
27Pearland	B+	57.0	59.5	72	34	40	127,514
28Atascocita	B	57.0	57.0	72	—	37	99,354
29Irving	B	56.7	57.3	57	36	62	256,492
30Burleson	B	56.1	58.7	63	50	36	52,918
31Rowlett	B+	56.0	59.4	69	37	38	65,463
32Fort Worth	C+	55.9	54.2	55	60	51	963,194
33Odessa	C+	55.5	52.8	54	64	37	115,322
34North Richland Hills	B	55.2	57.4	64	34	44	70,780
35Amarillo	C+	55.0	52.5	54	52	55	201,885
36Euless	B	54.9	55.8	57	43	38	60,421
37Abilene	C	54.4	52.0	50	54	37	128,053
38San Angelo	C+	54.2	54.9	53	47	36	99,674
39Temple	C+	54.1	52.5	49	63	37	89,602
40McAllen	C+	53.6	52.6	43	52	40	145,385
41Bryan	C+	53.4	54.7	49	52	36	87,939
42Tyler	C+	53.3	53.8	49	51	40	109,215
43Grand Prairie	C+	53.2	54.0	55	50	34	201,883
44Garland	C+	53.1	54.5	54	36	58	246,844
45San Antonio	C	53.1	49.8	49	51	56	1,479,835
46El Paso	C	53.0	52.3	45	38	59	680,130
47San Marcos	C	52.8	51.4	45	66	39	70,897
48College Station	C+	52.7	54.5	43	44	35	124,570
49Texas City	C	52.6	52.3	43	69	32	55,364
50Wichita Falls	C+	52.2	52.6	47	41	35	102,581
51Lubbock	C	52.1	50.2	50	54	40	264,814
52Missouri City	C+	51.7	54.4	56	30	39	76,558
53Dallas	C	51.4	50.7	51	40	61	1,307,930
54Edinburg	C	51.4	49.8	40	54	33	104,550
55Victoria	C	51.3	50.5	48	45	40	65,625
56Mission	C	50.2	50.7	37	42	34	87,038
57Arlington	C	50.0	51.2	53	38	36	397,742
58Laredo	C	50.0	50.3	44	42	38	257,619
59DeSoto	C	49.8	52.0	49	35	49	56,211
60Waco	C	49.8	50.2	43	48	35	143,570
61Corpus Christi	D	49.1	45.6	48	41	56	317,419
62Longview	C	49.0	51.1	45	37	38	82,923
63Houston	D	48.9	44.3	45	44	62	2,328,253
64Galveston	D	48.6	48.2	43	42	44	53,424
65Mesquite	C	48.3	49.2	50	43	37	149,299
66Harlingen	D	48.1	47.6	37	39	34	72,087
67Spring	D	47.5	46.8	47	—	31	68,580
68Killeen	D	46.1	46.1	39	46	33	158,159
69Pasadena	D	45.6	46.9	41	32	40	149,433
70Pharr	D	43.9	45.1	28	29	38	80,333
71Baytown	D	43.4	43.5	29	40	37	85,205
72Beaumont	F	42.2	38.0	38	37	35	113,279
73Brownsville	D	41.9	42.7	20	31	33	189,177
74Port Arthur	F	35.3	36.6	16	24	35	55,828

City young professionals 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.

Compare: States with Similar Young Professionals Rankings

Also See: Texas for Other Lifestyles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Texas a good state for young professionals?

Texas ranks #28 out of 50 for young professionals with a persona-weighted score of 53.0/100. Its strongest relevant category is Affordability (74/100) and its weakest is Livability (24/100).

What is the best city for young professionals in Texas?

The Woodlands ranks #1 in Texas for young professionals with a score of 67.2/100, followed by Leander and McKinney.

What factors are most important for young professionals in Texas?

Rankings weighted toward job market strength, economic growth, affordable living, transportation, and vibrant community life — the factors that attract ambitious young professionals.