Best cities to live in around Dallas?

I would like to know... What are the best cities around Dallas(outside of Dallas) to raise families?

Public Comments

1. Plano, Richardson, Corrallton, and Frisco are the best. To a lesser degree: Denton. Good luck!
2. Plano and Frisco have the best schools, nice homes, clean cities, lots and lots of shopping. I have lived in Plano for 25 years, raised two successful kids who went thru the excellent school system and recommend it highly. Frisco is the city just north of Plano, and many of our city planners moved up there about 10 years ago as Frisco started to grow. So there is some similarity between the two cities. Plano is older, more settled, fewer new homes, more foliated and established. A somewhat calmer vibe than Frisco which is still going and blowing on the growth chart. Tho slower now with the economy slowing. You can't go wrong with either city as long as you are going to be employed in the northern half of the metro area. If you will be working in the south half or mid cities, you'll have to look elsewhere.
3. In the northern sector I think most anyone would tell you that Plano is the best. My second choice is McKinney, which is growing with new homes, and businesses, but still has a lot of open space for that country feel. Frisco, Flower Mound and Coppell are all great too. If you want to live to the south of Dallas to be convenient to work then I'd suggest Mansfield or Grand Prairie, both of which are growing with new homes and shopping.
4. Euless was actually chosen as the best city to live in in Texas by, I think, Yahoo. My father lives there, and it's actually a great town. I'm not a fan of cities that big (prefer small towns, myself), but he lives in a great area. It's within 5-10 minutes of Grapevine and Ft. Worth. I'm not sure about Dallas, but it's bound to be decently close. And the schools are supposed to be AMAZING! This isn't the article that I read, but it's another "best list". http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL4824768.html
5. I noticed that everyone left out one of the nicer towns. Allen has excellent schools and is building family oriented businesses, parks, and activities. It doesn't compare to Frisco's growth, but has been growing steadily for many years.
6. I also wanted to tell you my feelings on this. Being from Texas and moving to DFW in 1990 and moving away for just a short amount of time and back, the key is not so much about who is moving in from other states. There are plenty of people who have lived here their whole lives and there are families that move around the metroplex who just migrate a few miles. The key is that as a whole, Dallas Fort Worth is a progressive area with many college educated, middle class people as a whole. For us that would fit the bill. I have lived in areas where ignorance breeds hate and I promise you Goleta as a whole, Dallas is very accepting towards interracial couples. Sure we have issues in Dallas but as someone who has lived lots of places, most places have issues. The climate though for quality of living, acceptance of people of different races is a great climate here. You will fit right in! If you choose to come to Mckinney, maybe email me and we can meet at Starbucks and talk if you come hunting this way for a home.
7. Since many of the popular northern suburbs have already been mentioned, I'm going to apply the poster's question to the eastern and southern suburbs of Dallas. Eastern Suburbs The fastest growing and most popular suburbs to the east of Dallas are Rockwall, Forney, and Sunnyvale – all have good reputations. Rowlett is also nice. Garland and Mesquite are older, much larger communities with a mix of different neighborhoods. Garland's school district is unique because it operates using a 'school of choice' system instead of the traditional attendance zones based on your home address. Southern Suburbs Among the southern suburbs of Dallas County, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, and Glenn Heights have the highest population growth rates. Overall, Cedar Hill is the top community in this region. One of its best features is its scenic, hilly terrain. It also has a new mall, numerous restaurants, and sits on the eastern shore of Joe Pool Lake. DeSoto, immediately east of Cedar Hill has great homes in beautiful neighborhoods. Lancaster is slightly smaller but has nice areas as well. Further south in Ellis County, places such as Waxahachie, Midlothian, and Red Oak have also become popular in recent years. There are wonderful places to live all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area, its just a matter of finding what's right for you!