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SORT RESULTS TABLE VIEW

BEST PLACES TO LIVE

1. McKinney, Texas

Sept. 19, 2014

POPULATION: 140,864 MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $217,879
CENSUS REGION: South AVERAGE PROPERTY TAXES: $5,142
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $96,143 PROJECTED JOB GROWTH: 13.1%

When Alex and Kristen Lanio, 52 and 43,
decided to relocate their chocolate-
making company from Newport, R.I., to
the Dallas–Fort Worth area in 2011, they
had plenty of business-friendly,
affordable towns to choose from. Once
they walked through downtown
McKinney, with its brick buildings and
cobblestone streets, they knew they’d Pat Molnar
found the place. “Around here,
everyone says hello and stops to
chat,” says Alex. “It’s a truly
hometown feeling.”

Underlying McKinney’s homey
Southern charm is a thoroughly
modern city. The area is a hotbed for
growth-industry jobs. Raytheon
recently brought a 3,600-employee
division to town, and companies in
green energy, aviation, and medical
services have also moved to the
region. Next up: a Sheraton hotel
and conference center opening in
February. Other Fortune 500
companies are a 15- to 45-minute RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
commute away.

Career and college prep are big in
McKinney’s schools. AP courses start
in middle school, and high schoolers
can get internships in a range of
industries. Technology is central; Senate Democrats Appalled by Vote
grade schoolers get lessons on wired to Begin Debate on Health Care
smartboards, and starting in TIME
January, every high school freshman
will be issued a MacBook Air laptop.

The historic downtown houses a mix
of art galleries, boutiques, and farm-
to-table restaurants, as well as basics
like a butcher, shoe repair, and farm-