Amarillo

• Amarillo was voted the ninth best place to start over in a survey by MSN Real Estate in 2010. Located in the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo has an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, one of the lowest in the state. Affordable housing in Amarillo is another attractive feature, with the average house price at $96,589 in 2010. A wide choice of higher education institutions, including Amarillo College and Wayland Baptist University, and close proximity to the 30,000-acre Palo Duro Canyon State Park also make Amarillo one of the best places to live in Texas.
  
  

McKinney

• Ranked as the fifth best place to live by CNN Money in 2010 is the city of McKinney. The city boasts a low unemployment rate (7.8 percent), low crime rate and an affordable housing market. Only an hour's drive from Dallas, there is a range of employment options in McKinney, from financial services and medical technology to the defense contractor Raytheon. The restored 19th-century buildings, restaurants and boutiques in Downtown McKinney, along with a performing arts center, also contribute to making the city one of the best places to live in Texas.
  
  

Allen

• The city of Allen was ranked 16th in CNN Money's Best Places to Live 2010 survey. With a population of 84,000, Allen may be small but offers all the attractions and amenities of a big city, including a highly rated education system, malls, symphony orchestra, one of the largest outdoor skate parks in the country and its own minor-league ice hockey team. Low crime rates and the short 30-minute drive to Dallas also make it one of the state's best places to live.
  
  

Missouri City

• Missouri City was ranked 21st in CNN Money's Best Places to Live 2010 survey. Located a 20-minute drive from Downtown Houston, Missouri City is one of the area's most affluent suburbs. Home to 75,000 residents, Missouri City has an affordable housing market, low taxes, high median income and is working hard to create new job opportunities for residents; 1,300 new jobs, for example, were created between 1994 and 2000. A low incidence of crime, a range of public schools and a community college also make Missouri City one of the great places to live in Texas.