TOP 5 CITIES IN THE DALLAS AREA FOR SCHOOLS and FAMILY LIFE (Houston: best cities, lease)

[KylaY12345]

I have heard so many cities tossed around on the forum that I wanted to know what people thought about the top 5 cities in the Dallas area. What confuses me on the Dallas forum is that you don't hear any cities listed consistently. For example, on the Houston forum when you ask for the best cities in Houston you get almost all the time Katy, Spring, and Sugarland.

So I am asking Houston to please compile a list of just the top 5 cities in Dallas for Schools and just family appeal to them. I also would like for the cities to be diverse.

Thank you Dallas for your help.

[manapp]

Southlake would top the list when it comes to quality schools and place to raise a family. But would be at the bottom when it comes to diversity.

[ladarron]

Plano, McKinney, Southlake, Highland Park, and Frisco

[texasdiver]

I would take McKinney and Frisco off that list and replace them with Coppel, Grapevine and Colleyville

At least when it comes to school performance. Both McKinney and Frisco schools seem to lag behind other area schools with similar demographics when it comes to things like average SAT scores.

Plano would be the most diverse community on the list. It's high schools are enormous and reported to be pressure cookers when it comes to academics. Lots of extremely demanding Asian families live there and really push the academics.

Southlake and Highland Park would be the least diverse. Highland Park is really a super-rich enclave inside Dallas so isn't really a suburb like the others on the list.

[KylaY12345]

Thank you all for the help. Even if the school is slightly lagging behind still list them, especially since I am looking for that diversity. Unfortunately you can't get everything 100% in this world, so I have to give alittle to gain alittle. Thank you again Dallas.

[msbing766]

my family is moving to plano next week. the schools are diverse, and the academics are rigorous. the test scores and universities accepting plano students are surprising when you see the area - it doesn't look like richardson or mckinney. it is not a white flight city. i hate to sound jaded, but i had not expected to find diversity, extracurricular programs and academic excellence in the same school system, but i found it in plano and signed a lease with no further questions asked. my job offer was quite a bit north, but heck, i'll commute.

[Lakewooder]

Lakewood (a "virtual" small town in the big city - on many of our t-shirts and other neighborhood items we use "Lakewood, Texas") in East Dallas. The others are not really cities they are suburbs. Some of them used to be towns out in the country years ago.

[FarNorthDallas]

Kyla - what is your dream demographic/economic breakdown for school populations?

[jimithing78]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Lakewood (a "virtual" small town in the big city - on many of our t-shirts and other neighborhood items we use "Lakewood, Texas") in East Dallas. The others are not really cities they are suburbs. Some of them used to be towns out in the country years ago.

Way to throw in a snide little comment instead of injecting something useful into the conversation. Can't be a city and a suburb at the same time, huh? McKinney is the county seat of Collin county and was incorporated in 1848. Dallas was incorporated in 1856. Hmmm.

To the OP, we need a price range for housing and where you will be working. Without that it's hard to recommend a place that will fit your family. Dallas proper has pretty poor schools overall. Their magnets are good but they can only accept so many kids. You'll find good diversity in Dallas for sure. Plano and Richardson have excellent schools and are pretty ethnically diverse. Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville, Frisco, and Allen are going to be pretty white. Their schools are less established and a little hit and miss. They have some good schools and some less than good schools.

[5stones]

1st) Plano, Richardson, Coppell, Lakewood
2nd) Grapevine, Colleyville, Garland
3rd)Flowermound, Frisco,Allen, McKinney
Highland/University park as others have said not diverse and $$$ not many can afford it
Southlake same HP not as $$$ but simiular to West plano and father out more of a Ft worth suburb.