Why City of Leander is No. 1 Place in Texas to Raise a Family
The secret is out. The city of Leander was recently named as the best place to raise a family in Texas by SmartAsset.com. That is no surprise to its current residents. Leander has a top-rated school district, a growing population and community pride. In addition it has top-notched home developments including the master-planned community of Travisso.
Headquartered in New York City, SmartAsset.com is a personal finance technology firm that utilizes financial modeling to give consumers advice on major financial decisions. One of those decisions is purchasing a new home and where to purchase it. As a result, SmartAsset calculates a set of criteria important to families to determine the best place for them to purchase a home. The set of criteria includes graduation, crime, poverty, violent crime, and unemployment rates; in addition to a percentage of the population ages 19 or younger. They also consider student college-level Advanced Placement (AP) participation rates and the percent of students scoring a 3 and above on those tests. Median monthly housing cost and median household income are also factored into the formula.
Why Leander is No. 1
The major reason Leander scored the No. 1 spot is because of the incredible education system of the Leander Independent School District. The 96 percent graduation rate is the seventh highest in the study. And, 33 percent of students in the district take at least one AP exam. Additionally, 73 percent of students in the LISD who take an exam score a 3 or higher. The scores on these exams are used by college review boards to determine if a student is eligible for college-level credit. Not only do students in Leander go to class, they go to the top of their class. Students here excel and they are more likely to attend college after graduation.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Leander also topped the list as the fastest growing city in the nation with a population of 15,000 during 2014-2015. Leander’s current 2017 population has put the city over the 50,000 mark. However, there are a multitude of other factors that have caused Leander’s popularity to rise along with its population. Two of those factors include the city’s unemployment rate at 2.8 percent and the 3.04 percent job growth rate. Analysts predict the future job growth rate for the next 10 years in Leander to be 43.29 percent. Another plus factor for residents is the Cap Metro commuter rail which provides easy access into downtown Austin. Since 2012 riders on the Cap Metro line from Leander to Austin have been on the rise.
Low living costs and no state income tax spurs building permit rise
And, economically, Leander provides a low cost of living at 4.7 percent and no state income tax. Statistically, Leander’s rapid growth continues to rise based on its building permits from 2011 to 2016. During the six year period building permits rose 379 percent. In 2016 the city processed close to 1,600 single family housing starts.
And, there’s more. Leander’s median household income in 2015 was $80,178 and 44 percent of residents have earned a bachelor’s degree. The city also has quality parks, a public library, and a Public Arts Commission all of which promote both an active lifestyle and quality of life.
Looking for a new home? Discover the city of Leander, the No. 1 city to raise a family in Texas. Learn more about life at Travisso by visiting the Information Center or signing up for updates at Travisso.com. While visiting Travisso tour our eight model homes. We are located off FM 1431/Whitestone Blvd. just west of Lakeline Blvd. and New Hope Drive towards Lake Travis. The Information Center is located at 3937 Veneto Circle Leander, TX 78641. For directions and information, call 512-243-8583.
