Plano and Richardson on List of Best Cities to Live in America

Plano is the fifth-best American city to live in according to the ranking website Niche.com Haoyue Liang/500px via Getty Images

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Niche.com, a Pennsylania-based company that combines data research and member reviews to rank schools and cities, has issued a new list of the best American cities to live in that includes two Dallas suburbs, Plano and Richardson.

Plano came in at No. 5 on Niche's rankings. Richardson was No. 12.

Originally called College Prowler when it was founded in 2002, according to its Wikipedia page, the company created rankings and provided information on the best U.S. colleges. It changed its name to Niche in 2013 and expanded its reach to include K–12 schools, neighborhoods and communities.

In its new ranking, Plano scored an overall A+. It also pulled A+ grades for its public schools and for being a good place for families. It earned a B+ for housing, B- for crime and safety and A grades for nightlife and diversity.

Neighboring Richardson's overall grade was also A+, and it earned the same for diversity and being good for families. Niche awarded the northern suburb A grades for public schools and nightlife, a B for housing and B- for crime and safety.

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For urban cities, both Plano and Richardson offer ample parks and trails for getting closer to nature. Here, a crane dips its toes in the Galatyn Woodland Preserve in Richardson.

JRHyattA/Getty Images

According to its website, Niche based its rankings on 15 factors, including weather, walkability and commute times, but with the greatest weight given to overall cost of living, higher education rates, housing and public schools.