U.S. News & World Report named Austin, Texas the fifth best place to live in the United States, based on factors such as being a good value, being a desirable place to live, having a strong job market, and having a high quality of life. Boulder, Colorado; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; and Fayetteville, Arkansas ranked in places one through four, respectively.
The highest-ranked Texas city, Austin also was named the #1 Best Place to Live in Texas, the 29th Best Place to Retire in the U.S., and the 13th Fastest-Growing Place in the U.S. In the overall rankings, Dallas-Fort Worth came in at spot 37, and Houston in 39th.
Austin scored highest on net migration and “desirability” and scored lowest on value. It had an overall score of 7.3 out of 10. “This Texas city is laid-back to the point that if you’re dressing up, it must be a life event. People here enjoy the outdoors, even more so with their dogs. Austin has a contagious vibrancy and enthusiasm.” Read more at U.S. News.