Livability is a research organization that uses education, sustainability, transportation, housing and economic data to develop rankings for small to mid-sized cities, according to town’s website. The No. 1 ranking was determined based on factors including neighborhood safety, schools, property taxes, medical care, and parks and recreation amenities.
“Residents know how to have a good time, with neighbors coming together for community celebrations like an Easter Egg Scramble, summertime Chalk the Walk fest, and a Christmastime parade and tree lighting ceremony, which preserve the small-town spirit outside one of the country’s largest metroplexes,” the Livability ranking states. “But one of the most unique events is the Halloween-time Glowing Pumpkin Plunge at the [Flower Mound Community Activity Center] indoor pool, decorated with black lights and neon pumpkins bobbing in the water.”
What they’re saying
Town Manager James Childers discussed the Livability ranking at the Sept. 18 council meeting, explaining to council the ranking is “validation” and that the town has become a “community of choice.” He gave the remarks shortly after a discussion and presentation about a resident survey centered on livability factors in Flower Mound, with the town receiving mostly high marks.
“It’s good when you see these data sets come in and reflect [the town's appeal],” he said.
The background
For nearly 30 years, Livability has worked with hundreds of communities developing content marketing programs showcasing why they are a great place to live with the goal of helping cities attract and retain residents and businesses, according to its website.
No stranger to appearing on U.S. top town lists, Flower Mound scored second on Livability’s top 100 small to mid-sized cities in America in June. In 2021, online publication Money ranked Flower Mound fourth nationally on its top places to live.
Livability states on its website it partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions, which on its website bills itself as a leading supplier of premium demographic and marketing databases, to select its 2023 list of the Top 100 Best Places To Live in the U.S.
“Together we curated our cities based on nearly 100 data points and an algorithm taking into account measures of a city’s economy, housing and cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, safety, education, and health,” Livability's website states.
