HOUSTON, Texas – Known for our boots, cowboy hats and bbq, the Lone Star state has been a hot commodity, but especially so in recent years. But... one city in particular is better than the rest, or so this study shows.
According to a recent study done by U.S. News & World Report, which ranks the best places to live, Pearland was ranked as the best city to live in, and here’s why.
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U.S. News & World Report used the following metrics in its listing:
- Quality of life (26%): This includes factors like education, health care, air quality, environmental risk, state economony and resources
- Value (25%): This includes housing affordability and cost of living, so how each resident can afford to live within their means
- Desirability (24%): This includes crime rates, weather, culture and commuter index
- Job Market(23%): This includes the unemployment rate and median household income
- Net Mitigation (2%): Measures people moving away from or to a city
Pearland, just outside Houston, topped the list as the number one place to live in Texas. The study shows nearly 129,000 people call Pearland home, with a median age of about 36. Households there earn a median income of $115,695, and most residents spend just over 30 minutes commuting to work. The unemployment rate sits at a low 3.16%.
Pearland earned an overall score of 7 out of 10 and also landed third on the list of best places to live in the U.S. for both 2025 and 2026.
League City followed closely behind, ranking second best in Texas with an overall score of 6.9 out of 10.
These aren’t the only cities surrounding the Houston area that made the list:
Sugar Land: Ranked #6
The Woodlands: Ranked #14
Katy: Ranked #15
Missouri City: Ranked #21
Spring: Ranked #23
Conroe: Ranked #34
Pasadena: Ranked #60
Houston: Ranked #63
Baytown: Ranked #67
Beaumont: #69