Best cities for young professionals in Texas
These rankings show the best-scoring cities for young professionals within Texas, based on the same scorecard used for the national list.
Data: ACS 2023 (5-year). Dataset generated: 2025-12-22T00:30:52.344Z. National list · All states
| State Rank | City | US Rank | Grade | Score | Typical rent (2BR) | Median household income | Age 25–34 share | Bachelor’s+ rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Austin, TX | #6 | A+ | 73 | $1,776/mo | $91,461 | 22% | 58% |
| #2 | Plano, TX | #18 | A | 67 | $1,881/mo | $108,649 | 14% | 59% |
| #3 | Frisco, TX | #20 | A | 66 | $2,071/mo | $146,158 | 10% | 66% |
| #4 | McKinney, TX | #25 | A | 64 | $1,779/mo | $120,273 | 12% | 53% |
| #5 | Irving, TX | #48 | B | 56 | $1,661/mo | $79,641 | 19% | 42% |
| #6 | Denton, TX | #67 | B | 51 | $1,395/mo | $73,719 | 18% | 42% |
| #7 | Fort Worth, TX | #85 | B | 48 | $1,393/mo | $76,602 | 16% | 32% |
| #8 | Dallas, TX | #89 | B | 48 | $1,500/mo | $67,760 | 19% | 37% |
| #9 | Arlington, TX | #102 | C | 45 | $1,410/mo | $73,519 | 15% | 33% |
| #10 | Houston, TX | #116 | C | 44 | $1,375/mo | $62,894 | 18% | 36% |
| #11 | McAllen, TX | #122 | C | 43 | $1,012/mo | $60,165 | 14% | 32% |
| #12 | Killeen, TX | #125 | C | 43 | $1,001/mo | $58,339 | 18% | 22% |
| #13 | Grand Prairie, TX | #130 | C | 42 | $1,513/mo | $78,889 | 15% | 29% |
| #14 | Lubbock, TX | #134 | C | 42 | $1,098/mo | $60,487 | 15% | 35% |
| #15 | San Antonio, TX | #139 | C | 41 | $1,327/mo | $62,917 | 16% | 29% |
| #16 | El Paso, TX | #142 | D | 41 | $993/mo | $58,734 | 15% | 27% |
| #17 | Amarillo, TX | #147 | D | 40 | $1,036/mo | $62,469 | 14% | 25% |
| #18 | Garland, TX | #152 | D | 40 | $1,520/mo | $74,717 | 14% | 25% |
| #19 | Corpus Christi, TX | #167 | D | 37 | $1,265/mo | $66,325 | 14% | 24% |
| #20 | Laredo, TX | #175 | D | 36 | $978/mo | $63,264 | 14% | 21% |
| #21 | Mesquite, TX | #176 | D | 36 | $1,385/mo | $71,843 | 15% | 19% |
| #22 | Pasadena, TX | #180 | D | 34 | $1,207/mo | $64,270 | 14% | 16% |
| #23 | Waco, TX | #181 | F | 34 | $1,137/mo | $51,468 | 14% | 29% |
| #24 | Brownsville, TX | #194 | F | 30 | $869/mo | $48,675 | 13% | 22% |
FAQ
›Which cities are included for Texas?
This page includes incorporated cities in Texas that appear in our top 200 city dataset (city proper).
›Is this a state ranking or a national ranking?
The State Rank orders only the cities shown here. The US Rank shows where each city falls in the full national dataset for this vertical.
›Where does the data come from?
Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates (city proper / incorporated place), with optional NOAA climate normals when available.