Photo credit: City of Midland

What happened: Livability.com recently ranked Midland No. 29 on its 2026 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America, and Midland was the highest-ranked city in West Texas. This marks the second consecutive year Midland has made the national list, improving from #33 in 2025. The city received top marks in housing affordability, cost of living, transportation, and environment.

The big picture: Livability gives cities an overall score that accounts for factors such as cost of living, economy, education, health, safety, and more, with Midland scoring 723 out of 1,000. Key statistics include:

  • Population: 193,139 in the Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
  • Growth: 8.1% since 2020 (one of the largest gains in the country)
  • Per capita income: $143,469 (ranked 2nd highest in the nation)
  • Median age: 31.5 years
  • Unemployment rate: 3.1% (one of the lowest in Texas)
  • City GDP: $53.7 billion (5th largest MSA in Texas)

High-income households (making $200,000+) grew by 20.4% last year, and sales tax collections have increased 54.6% since fiscal year 2015. Midland ranks No. 5 in the nation for dynamic metropolitan areas, No. 1 in short-term GDP growth, and No. 2 in per-capita income in the U.S.

Go deeper: Midland’s top LivScore scores included 95/100 for housing and cost of living, achieving top marks for affordability, percent below poverty level, tax rates, and the ratio of rental to housing rates. Other mentions include an 81/100 score for transportation, largely attributed to Midland’s fast commute times, low traffic, and high vehicle ownership per household.

All of Midland’s categories scored moderate to high, with the lowest score being 46/100 for amenities. Livability also noted that Midland offered families abundant opportunities for recreation and culture. The city maintains more than 40 parks totaling over 1,364 acres for outdoor activities. Cultural highlights include the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center and our many museums.

Another factor was the availability of higher education options nearby, including Midland College and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Permian Basin Campus.