Southlake Town Square via Facebook
It might come as somewhat of a surprise to know that the best suburb for “city-like living” in the whole United States — at least according to one study — sits nestled in between the two urbs (yes, that’s a word) that anchor North Texas.
And it has a pretty good football team.
Southlake, Texas, is that cozy hamlet deemed better than all the others from sea to shining sea.
“Out of the 1,030 suburbs we considered, Southlake emerges as the best suburb for amenity-rich living thanks to a combination of features such as good schools plus access to restaurants, stores, and healthcare facilities,” says StorageCafe.
Colleyville was rated No. 23. Dr. Hilburn (or was it, “Lilburn?") Howard Colley, who settled in the area in the 1880s, probably never saw that coming. Flower Mound was ranked 74th.
StorageCafe researchers based their findings on the following criteria:
- Local median household income ($240,200 a year in Southlake)
- Housing affordability index, an indicator that shows the local housing cost — both rents and home values — related to income (Southlake, 228)
- Local employment opportunities (businesses of 1,000 people) and their corresponding average wage
- Population density measured as people per square mile
- The number of retail stores and restaurants per 1,000 of the local population (Southlake = lots)
- Park and recreation area square footage per capita
- Public schools ranking (And did we mention that football team, squaring off with Duncanville in the Class 6A Division I semifinals?)
- Crime rate, defined as offenses known to law enforcement as a percentage of the population
- The availability of self-storage as it’s a service most likely associated with moving (StorageCafe is doing the work here, after all.)
The Chicagoland metropolitan area had the most suburbs in the top 100, including five in the top 10, followed by New York and Los Angeles.
The study’s authors were effusive about Southlake: “Living here means you get the best of both worlds: the space, safe streets and good schools traditionally associated with suburban living, plus an excellent mix of lifestyle-oriented amenities. The community is rich in shopping and dining options that cater to all tastes and budgets. There are about 6.5 retail stores per 1,000 locals, twice as many as you’d find in the average suburb.”
Make sure you come hungry.
“Southlake also fares well in terms of dining spots, with about 3.8 restaurants for every 1,000 residents. Besides these types of features, Southlake is also a great place for families with children. The public school system is one of the best rated in the nation, with two Southlake elementary schools making it into the list of best schools in Texas.”
Lots of green space, too, 577 square feet of park space per person and 20 miles of hiking trails.
