Plano is the No. 4 city in the United States to raise a family, according to the annual report from WalletHub. 

The finance site ranked 180 U.S. cities based on metrics like housing costs, school quality, healthcare, recreation and fun to determine the best places for families with children of all ages. Plano ranked as the top city in Texas and the fourth-best city in the country, behind only Fremont, California; Overland Park, Kansas and Irvine, California. 

Overall, Plano ranked second for socioeconomics, fourth for health and safety, sixth for affordability and 30th for education and childcare. Those scores balanced out Plano’s less-than-desirable ranking — 95th in the country — for family fun options. 

The Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family in 2026 (via WalletHub)

“Finding the best place to raise a family is difficult, between balancing an affordable cost of living with good educational opportunities, safety and enough recreation to keep kids entertained,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “On top of all these factors, people also often want to raise their children close to their extended family. Therefore, current or prospective parents can benefit from narrowing down their choices to a few of the best cities that are within a reasonable drive of their family.” 

Looking at each category, Las Vegas ranked first in the country for family fun; Irvine ranked first for health and safety; South Burlington, Vermont ranked first for education and childcare; Columbia, Maryland ranked first for affordability; and Fremont ranked first for socioeconomics.