Dallas, Houston-area suburbs named among top 20 best in U.S.

Three Texas suburbs were named some of the top 20 best cities to live in the U.S.

Niche — which ranks the best schools, universities and neighborhoods in the nation — rated each city based on factors like quality of public schools, housing, crime, nightlife, diversity and family-friendliness.

The Woodlands was the highest-ranked Texas city on the list, landing at No. 2 right after Naperville, Illinois. The suburb located 30 miles north of Houston has a population of 116,916.

At No. 6 is Plano, a suburb located about 20 miles north of Dallas. It has the largest population size of the three Texas suburbs at 287,339 residents. Most residents own their homes, and the median home value is $440,600 — over $100,000 more than the national average, according to Niche.

The No. 14 best city to live in the U.S. is Richardson, according to Niche. Another Dallas suburb with a population of 118,269, Richardson is located about 14 miles north of downtown and six miles south of Plano. It offers a mix of urban and suburban living, with about half of its residents owning their properties. 

All three Texas suburbs were highly-rated for their quality of schools and for being good places for families to live.

Beyond the top 20, other Texas cities also made the list. Round Rock was ranked No. 26, and nearby Austin is No. 29. College Station was ranked No. 33 and Irving, outside of Dallas, is at No. 47.

Here’s the full top 20 list:

1. Naperville, Ill.
2. The Woodlands, Texas
3. Cambridge, Mass.
4. Arlington, Va.
5. Irvine, Calif.
6. Plano, Texas
7. Columbia, Md.
8. Overland Park, Kan.
9. Bellevue, Wash.
10. Berkeley, Calif.
11. Ann Arbor, Mich.
12. Sandy Springs, Ga.
13. Sunnyvale, Calif.
14. Richardson, Texas
15. Santa Clara, Calif.
16. Seattle, Wash.
17. Alexandria, Va.
18. Torrance, Calif.
19. Boulder, Colo.
20. San Francisco, Calif.