Did you grow up in the South? If not, it is childhood like no other. Your winters are punctuated by the briefest of snowstorms that close down the school, your summers are spent drinking gallons of sweet tea and lemonade, and everyone seems to be the nicest person on the planet.
If you grew up in the South and moved to other regions as you got older, you may ask yourself why you wanted to leave in the first place. The summer temperatures may be brutal, but everyone appreciates a swim in the local lakes or a trip or two to the beaches.
But those memories often leave more practical aspects of growing up out. You never had to think about where you went to school or whether or not there was a better place to live. Your parents made those decisions for you.
However, your parents are no longer making those decisions and you are suddenly now in their shoes. So what makes a city so great for raising families? How do you determine which cities are the best when there are hundreds of them to choose from?
You’ve obviously got a lot of responsibility on your plate, so we’ve done the legwork for you. And if we are talking about the South, why not begin there, with one of the best states in the South to live: Texas.
Interested to see which cities come up as the best of the best for families?
These are the best cities to raise a family in Texas for 2019:
- Southlake (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Bellaire (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Sachse (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Prosper (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Canyon (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Midlothian (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Mansfield (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Wylie (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Little Elm (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Portland (Photos | Homes For Sale)
We looked at 208 cities in Texas to determine which cities are the best for raising your family. To do that, we looked at “family-friendliness,” essentially all the factors you need to take into account when choosing a place to raise your family.
Can you guess which city came in first place? Yes, you guessed it, Southlake.
Southlake comes up on several of our “best” lists for Texas and with a SnackAbility score of 10/10, it is no shocker that this city is family-friendly.
Want to see how your favorite city or hometown in Texas stacked up? Read on to learn more about our methodology and to see what makes each of our top 10 cities for families so amazing.
Or, check out some more reading about Texas and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Texas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas For 2019
/10
Population: 30,090
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 53
Closest Major City: Irving
Households with kids: 50.0%
More on Southlake: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
The most family friendly city in Texas for 2019 is Southlake.
Not surprising considering they are a year round destination for family fun. Southlake sits at the southeastern end of Grapevine Lake and boasts multiple golf courses, one of the fanciest shopping centers, and gold star schools. In fact, all of Southlake’s schools are TEA exemplary.
How do you make Southlake happen for your family? Get a job at one of their major companies like Sabre Holdings or TD Ameritrade. Trust us, your family will be happy you did considering the household median income for residents 25-34 starts at $162,283/year.
/10
Population: 18,479
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 59
Closest Major City: Houston
Households with kids: 39.3%
More on Bellaire: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Must be something in the Grapevine Lake water because our second most family friendly Texas city hails from the same area.
Bellaire also scored off our charts with an 10/10 snackability rating with an emphasis on jobs, education, and family friendly amenities.
The “City of Homes” is one the wealthiest cities in the state, any family would be lucky to call this family friendly Dallas/Fort Worth-burb home.
And if their second place most family friendly Texas ranking doesn’t seal the deal, check out our Best Cities in Texas, they took third on that list. (It’s worth a google.)
/10
Population: 24,303
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 33
Closest Major City: Garland
Households with kids: 43.7%
More on Sachse: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
When your city is on ‘the map’ because you are located just off the President George Bush Turnpike, you better make sure you bring it. And that’s exactly what our third most family friendly city in Texas for 2019, Sachse, has done.
There not lyin’ when they say everything is bigger and better in Sasche, Texas!
This city in Collin-Dallas County scored off the charts in jobs, affordability, and amenities.
And with over 10 parks at your family’s disposal, that’s a lot of wide open Texas space to let your kids roam.
So pack the truck and get a movin’ so you can get first dibs on Sachse’s best neighborhoods and gold star schools.
/10
Population: 17,107
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 46
Closest Major City: Plano
Households with kids: 55.5%
More on Prosper: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
In Prosper, Texas, all families prosper. This is why this “Small Town with Big Heart” is our fourth most family friendly city in Texas for 2019.
This city in Collin-Denton County is a family friendly Dallas/Fort Worth-burb with tons of great jobs, low crime, and family friendly things to do.
Prosper companies like AmerisourceBergen and Conifer Health Solutions are providing a lot of opportunities for families to earn that cheddar. The median household income for Prosper is close to $136,000/year.
And if you’re stressed about where to send your kids to school, you can stop now. Prosper has multiple blue ribbon elementary schools and golden apple secondary schools.
/10
Population: 14,809
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 50
Closest Major City: Lubbock
Households with kids: 29.4%
More on Canyon: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Oh Texas, Our Texas,’ thank you for giving us our fifth most family friendly city in Texas for 2019: Canyon.
This Randall County city crushed our snackability scale with high marks across the board. It’s like a ginormous Texas playground for big and little cowboys and cowgirls alike.
Known for West Texas A&M, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, and the Palo Duro Canyon State Park, this city’s family household median income is close to $47,000/year. Just think of all of the Canyon family friendly activities you’ll be able to afford with all that dough.
They definitely know what they’re doing in the city that ‘Feels Like Home’.
/10
Population: 22,615
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 35
Closest Major City: Arlington
Households with kids: 43.6%
More on Midlothian: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
They are on a mission in our sixth most family friendly city in Texas for 2019, Midlothian, to make their city safe, affordable, and fun for all families.
We think the “Cement Capital of Texas” is on the right track because they scored one of the highest snackability scores on our list: a whopping 8.5/10!
We believe that for a city to be truly family friendly, it needs to be safe, hip, diverse, and it has to have a ton of family friendly activities. They scored an 8/10 for safety, an 8/10 for diversity, and an 8/10 for amenities.
Midlothian’s, you truly are ‘DFW’s Southern Star’.
/10
Population: 65,033
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 41
Closest Major City: Arlington
Households with kids: 44.0%
More on Mansfield: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Welcome to Mansfield. This city in Tarrant County has one of the highest scores on our list for family amenities and it’s our seventh most affordable city in The Lone Star State for 2019.
Located slightly southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth, and just a hop, skip, and a jump from Joe Pool Lake, Mansfield has something for everyone. Amazing food, 11 parks, a baseball and soccer complex, and hiking and biking trails, dot the city’s landscape.
Mansfield is famous for sticking to tradition. So if you’re looking for a city with quaint, quiet neighborhoods, idyllic community parades and gatherings, and residents who want to keep the city in the hands of its people, Mansfield is your city.
/10
Population: 47,855
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 49
Closest Major City: Garland
Households with kids: 49.7%
More on Wylie: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
You don’t have to worry about running into the ‘Wile Coyote’ in our eighth most family friendly city in Texas for 2019, Wylie, because it’s super safe.
This little Texas gem is one of the fastest growing cities in The 10 Gallon Hat State. Did we mention one of the most affordable too? Wylie has a lot of great employment opportunities to keep it affordable, so it was not a surprise to us that they scored a 9/10 on our snackability scale with an emphasis on jobs. Busy people don’t have time to be naughty, right?
Surrounded by multiple state and county parks and Lavon Lake, this Central Texas community has amazing shopping, art galleries, museums, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from Dallas.
/10
Population: 39,471
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 32
Closest Major City: Plano
Households with kids: 50.6%
More on Little Elm: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Located Lewisville Lake, just outside of Frisco, is our ninth most family friendly city in Texas for 2019: Little Elm.
You don’t have to worry about your kids having a ‘Nightmare on Elm St.’ in Little Elm because they scored a 9/10 on or snackability scale with an emphasis on low crime, education, and family friendly amenities.
And if you’re wondering how your family’s going to afford Little Elm’s price tag, the job research site Zippia says top employers in healthcare, law, and teaching are currently available.
And for all the tree climbers in your brood, yes, Little Elm is named for a tree. More importantly, this city’s commitment to urban forestry and green spaces is gold star. #Score
/10
Population: 16,618
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 58
Closest Major City: Corpus Christi
Households with kids: 39.7%
More on Portland: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Finally a family friendly Texas city located on the coast. Yes, our tenth city, Portland, is located just outside of Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico.
Portland made our list because they scored strong across all of our snackability’s criteria. However, they made the most magic happen on our list in jobs, education, and amenities. The residents, here, are smart, hard-working Texans.
Good thing, because the more money families make here, the more fun in the sun they will be able to afford.
So, grab the fam, pack the Woody, and head to “The Gem City By the Gulf,” cuz the ocean is calling your name.
How do you determine which place is best for families in Texas anyways?
To give you the places in Texas which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what’s family-friendly and what isn’t.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Lone Star State
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Texas, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)
We then gave each city a Family Score.
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For Texas, that meant a total of 208 cities.
There You Have It – The Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Texas ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Texas according to the data:
- Bellmead
- Stafford
- Addison
For more Texas reading, check out:
- These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In Texas
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In Texas
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Texas
Where Are The Best Places For Families In Texas?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southlake, TX | 30,090 |
| 2 | Bellaire, TX | 18,479 |
| 3 | Sachse, TX | 24,303 |
| 4 | Prosper, TX | 17,107 |
| 5 | Canyon, TX | 14,809 |
| 6 | Midlothian, TX | 22,615 |
| 7 | Mansfield, TX | 65,033 |
| 8 | Wylie, TX | 47,855 |
| 9 | Little Elm, TX | 39,471 |
| 10 | Portland, TX | 16,618 |