More than a dozen of the suburbs that make up the DFW Metroplex are among the best small cities to live in, according to a new WalletHub study. And two perennial favorites lead the way. <\/p>\n
In total, 15 Dallas-Fort Worth neighbors \u2014 with Allen and Flower Mound at the top of the pack \u2014 have been rated among the best small cities in America<\/a> for 2026.<\/p>\n WalletHub’s annual survey compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics categorized into five key dimensions: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Cities were then grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile represents the very best.<\/p>\n Nineteen small U.S. cities were rated in the 99th percentile, with the top three spots occupied by Lexington, Massachusetts; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Carmel, Indiana. No Texas city earned this rating.<\/p>\n In Dallas-Fort Worth, Allen leads the way as the best small city for 2026, and is rated in the 96th percentile nationally for the third<\/a> consecutive year. Flower Mound follows close behind in the 91st percentile.<\/p>\n The two Dallas neighbors also rank among the 100 most affordable places to live, WalletHub found, so it’s no surprise that both cities appear at the top of the list. Allen was recently declared one of the 10 best housing markets<\/a> nationwide, and Flower Mound flourished as the No. 3 best U.S. city to live in 2026<\/a>, according to a separate livability ranking from U.S. News & World Report.<\/p>\n “Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could drastically cut down your cost of living,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “While small cities may lack some advantages of big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these shortcomings in other areas.”<\/p>\n Cost-saving benefits aside, Lupo also said the best small cities have “strong job markets<\/a>, high-quality education<\/a>, good health care<\/a>, safe<\/a> living conditions, and plenty of local flair<\/a> to help [residents] achieve a high quality of life.”<\/p>\n