Cinco Ranch, a master-planned community in Katy, has been declared the second best suburb to live in America, according to a recent report by Travel + Leisure.

The report, published July 16, analyzed feedback from realtors and data from "recent livability rankings" to determine the 10 best U.S. suburbs with the most "affordable housing, top-rated schools, and excellent job opportunities."

Johns Creek, Georgia (located 30 miles outside Atlanta) was the only city to overtake Cinco Ranch to claim the title as the No. 1 best American suburb to live in.

Rebecca Turner, a Realtor at Houston-based Greenwood King Properties, said in the report that the main attraction bringing families to Cinco Ranch is its seemingly endless outdoor recreational activities. Cinco Ranch boasts three lakes, 11 pools, 70-plus playgrounds, and 231 miles of trails, all of which make the suburb one of the most highly sought after communities in the nation.

"Cinco Ranch, like most of Houston, continues to appreciate at a fast clip," said Turner in the report. "Unlike other areas of Texas and the country, which have had to deal with a real estate reset and falling prices after the COVID-19-influenced boom, Cinco Ranch continues to be a desirable neighborhood where home values and equity are rising at a healthy rate."

Families can bring their children to enjoy movie nights at the community pool. cincoranch.life/

Cinco Ranch-residing families can also take advantage of the many high-ranking schools in Katy Independent School District, which are some of the best public high schools in Texas, according to Niche.

Moreover, Zillow's Home Values Index says the average home in Cinco Ranch is worth nearly $544,000 in July, which is almost five percent more year-over-year from July 2023. The suburb's hot housing market means available homes go from on sale to pending in just six days, according to the report.

"Today, half of all Americans live in suburbs of different densities, driven by rising costs in cities plus a desire for more space and a laid-back lifestyle," the report said. "Because of that shift, suburbs are now more racially diverse than ever, offering a wide range of amenities like excellent restaurants, shops, and entertainment, but also top-rated public schools, medical centers, and recreational facilities."

The only other Texas suburb to earn a spot in the report was Coppell (No. 5), which is located 22 miles northwest of Dallas. The city is described as a quieter alternative to the hustle and bustle of Dallas-Fort Worth, with average value of a home coming out to more than $643,000 in July.

Houston suburbs have been on a roll in national surveys lately: Missouri City recently ranked the No. 77 most livable small U.S. city; West University Place and Bellaire were listed among the wealthiest American suburbs (which our beloved late columnist Ken Hoffman had some things to say about); and Conroe was just ranked the No. 31 best city in the nation for renters.

The top 10 best suburbs to live in, according to Travel + Leisure, are:

• No. 1 – Johns Creek, Georgia
• No. 2 – Cinco Ranch, Texas
• No. 3 – Okemos, Michigan
• No. 4 – North Bethesda, Maryland
• No. 5 – Coppell, Texas
• No. 6 – Brookline, Massachusetts
• No. 7 – Brentwood, Mississippi
• No. 8 – Carmel, Indiana
• No. 9 – Short Pump, Virginia
• No. 10 – Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania