A protester stands in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration inCairo January 28, 2011Photo by Goran Tomasevic
Zukhro, an employee of the city zoo, walks with Vadik, an 18-month-old malelion, on the territory of the zoo in the capital Dushanbe, January 20, 2011.Employees take the lion from its cage to have a promenade along the territorytwo times a week while holding a piece of meat to attract Vadik's attention soit walks nearby.Photo by Nozim Kalandarov
Researchers dressed in panda costumes put a panda cub into a basket beforetransferring it to a new living environment at the Hetaoping Research andConservation Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong National Nature Reserve,Sichuan province February 20, 2011Photo by Heng Yi
A 22-year-old woman in a wedding gown is grabbed by Guo Zhongfan, a localcommunity officer, as she attempts to kill herself by jumping out of aseven-storey residential building in Changchun, Jilin province May 17, 2011.According to local media, the woman tried to commit suicide after her boyfriendof four years broke up with her, just as they were making plans to get married.The woman did not sustain any injuries during the incident.Photo by Li Ping
A miner climbs on excavated rocks after a giant drill machine broke through atthe final section Sedrun-Faido, at the construction site of the NEAT GotthardBase Tunnel March 23, 2011. Crossing the Alps, the world's longest train tunnelshould become operational at the end of 2016.Photo by Arnd Wiegmann
Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand lays on the track after falling during the women's1,500 meters heats at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu August 28, 2011Photo by David Gray
Tsunami SwirlsPhotograph from Kyodo/AP
Kesennuma, Japan. March 15, 2011Photo by James Nachtwey
Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchessof Cambridge kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 inLondon, EnglandPhoto by Peter Macdiarmid
Shuttle launch. May 16, 2011Photo by Stefanie Gordon
London RiotsPhoto by Amy Weston
University of California, Davis, California. November 18, 2011Photo by Wayne Tilcock
The Houston suburbs of Pearland and League City have landed among the top three best places to live in 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report.
New for the 2025-2026 "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings, U.S. News expanded its coverage from 150 to 250 U.S. cities, and updated its methodology to examine each city based on five livability indexes: Quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.
Pearland ranked No. 3 nationwide, earning a 7.0 score alongside No. 1-winning Johns Creek, Georgia and No. 2 winner Carmel, Indiana.
Pearland also landed on top of U.S. News separate rankings of the best places to live in Texas for 2025-2026.
Some facts about Pearland that put it at the top of the list include its median household income ($115,504), its median home values ($319,753), and its bustling population of nearly 124,000 residents.
Housing costs in Pearland are extremely attractive compared to other places in the country, as the national average home is worth over $370,000. It's no wonder this Houston neighbor has been adding more high-income households than many other places in Texas.
Pearland's population is a healthy mix of young individuals and families, with 29 percent of residents being under 20 years old and 36 percent of the population being between the ages of 20-44. Nearly a quarter of Pearland's population is between 45-64-years-old, while only 12 percent of residents are over 65, the report says.
Pearland's reputation as one of the safest cities in America is also boosting its community appeal.
Pearland's Pear-Scape Trail is a popular public art trail that residents, families, and visitors can enjoy. The sculptures are scattered all over the city.City of Pearland - Government/Facebook
"Finding a community to be part of can play a major role in making a place feel like home," U.S. News said. "If you’re a parent with young children, you may want to live in a neighborhood with other people in that phase of life. If you’re a professional moving to a hot job market for your field, you may want to live in an apartment close to the office or within walking distance of friends and colleagues."
Pearland also enjoys a better job market than other cities, the report added. Pearland's unemployment rate as of 2023 was only 3.6 percent, lower than the national average unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.
However, if people are looking for a public transportation-friendly city, they may need to look elsewhere. Almost all commuters in Pearland drive to their workplaces, making access to a vehicle absolutely necessary for living in the suburb. Pearland's 31.2-minute average commute time is also 9.2 minutes higher than the national average, U.S. News said.
Other Houston-area suburbs
League City only ranked three spots behind Pearland as the 6th best place to live in the U.S., and No. 2 in Texas. The city boasts a median household income of $120,670, and affordable median home values at $327,511.
Workers in League City also predominantly rely on vehicles for their daily commutes, and only 3.7 percent of the population use public transport to get to work. Commuters spend an average time of 27.5 minutes driving to work, U.S. News determined.
More than half (63.5 percent) of all League City residents are married, and 54 percent of the population are between the ages of 25 and 64-years-old.
Here's how other Houston-area cities faired among the top 100:
- No. 16 – Sugar Land
- No. 44 – The Woodlands
- No. 45 – Katy
- No. 67 – Missouri City
- No. 73 – Spring
Houston drops out of the top 100
Though Houston proper made substantial improvements to land among the top 100 best places to live in U.S. News' 2024-2025 report, the city has once again plummeted toward the bottom of the list for 2025-2026.
Houston slumped into No. 381 this year, and only ranked No. 63 in the statewide comparison, showing that the city has lost its charm in favor of its appealing suburban neighbors.
The top 10 best places to live in the U.S. are:
- No. 1 – Johns Creek, Georgia
- No. 2 – Carmel, Indiana
- No. 3 – Pearland, Texas
- No. 4 – Fishers, INdiana
- No. 5 – Cary, North Carolina
- No. 6 – League City, Texas
- No. 7 – Apex, North Carolina
- No. 8 – Leander, Texas
- No. 9 – Rochester Hills, Michigan
- No. 10 – Troy, Michigan
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