The cities of West Lake Hills and Rollingwood were named the top two best places to raise a family in Texas by
Niche.com, an organization that provides rankings and statistics on neighborhoods and schools.
The 2016 report was based on data from the U.S. Census, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other data sources.
Both cities received an A+ rating for both categories of school district—Eanes ISD—and family amenities.
Rollingwood received an A grade under crime and safety. However, a grade for West Lake Hills in the same category was not available.
Nationally, West Lake Hills and Rollingwood came in overall 13th and 24th, respectively.
Rollingwood Mayor Thom Farrell said he was not surprised by the ranking.
“We have a lot of new families moving in with kids, and they are moving here because they think our community is so darn strong when it comes to being a wonderful place to have kids,” he said.
West Lake Hills Mayor Linda Anthony called the rating “absolutely amazing.”
“We think our community is the best and it’s very gratifying to see that others do as well,” she said. “We have a great community, great schools [and] a safe, beautiful environment to raise families.”
Anthony said she was pleased to hear that Rollingwood had made the number two spot in the state.
“That [ranking] speaks volumes of how people view this area as a desirable place to live,” she said.