10 Best US Cities to Live In
1. McKinney, Texas
Situated on the northern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, McKinney presents a homey Texas charm and a thoroughly modern city. The area is a hotbed for growth-industry jobs. Raytheon recently brought a 3,600-employee division to town, Sheraton is opening a big conference center, and companies in green energy, aviation, hi-tech and medical services have also moved to the city. Other Fortune 500 companies are a 15 to 45-minute 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; grade schoolers get lessons on wired smartboards, and every high school freshman is issued a MacBook Air laptop.
The historic downtown houses are a mix of art galleries, boutiques, and farm-to-table restaurants, as well as the basics like a butcher, shoe repair, and farm-supplies stores. McKinney is a unique place, with a mixture of Texas, European, as well as East Coast and West Coast lifestyle.
The crime rate and the unemployment are very low, and the cost of living is quite affordable. Housing options range from Mediterranean to restored Victorian to Texas-style mansions. You get more culture here than in Dallas or most other big cities, for less money, and more country charm and nature around that it’s easy forget that you live in a city. McKinney offers the best combination of urban and country living, and is on the cutting edge of modern city planning. The growth in jobs, population and educational and cultural facilities proves that this is indeed the best city in the United States to live in.
