AreaVibes.com left no stone unturned in determining its top pick for “The Best Place to Live in America.” The site looked at how over 30,000 American cities are performing in different metrics of quality of life, including crime, housing, and education, and Allen came up as the No. 1 city.

Ideally located between Plano and McKinney in Collin County, Allen is close to Dallas and D-FW International Airport, but it’s also close to perfect.

The city’s charisma is a blend of hometown feel and urban dynamics. From its thriving business community and employment opportunities to a plethora of retail, restaurants, and entertainment options — Allen’s livability factors have taken the city from a dot on the Texas map to an energizing place that 90,000 residents call home. 

When AreaVibes put Allen to the test with its extensive analytics, the city scored high marks across all categories with exception to cost of living, which was slightly higher than the Texas average. But after factoring in the state’s affordability, Allen’s cost of living aligned with the national average. Otherwise, the city’s crime rate is 57 percent lower than the national average. Allen schools consistently score 20 points higher than the Texas average. And 94 percent of the city’s adult population hold at least a high school diploma.