A rose is pictured at the Tyler Rose Garden in April. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

Tyler was named the best city in Texas to raise a family, according to a recent study by the Hibbs Institute for Business and Economic Research at the UT Tyler Soules College of Business.

“Tyler is the best city to move to, then the best city to retire… Our question was, what about raising a family?” said Dr. Cecelia Cuellar, junior research analyst at the Hibbs Institute. Both categories Cuellar mentioned were determined by USA Today in rankings earlier this year.

Among 25 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), three East Texas cities made the top 13: Longview ranked 13th, Texarkana 8th and Tyler claimed 1st – but there are still challenges ahead.

The study introduced the Hibbs Institute Family Index, a tool that evaluates family well-being using 18 factors across five categories. The categories include health and safety, economic performance, quality education, amenities and recreation and social environment.

Factors for family well-being were analyzed and weighted to produce a score between 0 and 100. The combined scores for all factors were used to generate an overall index, then used to compare 25 MSAs in Texas.

Tyler’s ranking was largely due to its strong showing in health and safety, especially its high number of primary care physicians and registered nurses per 100,000 residents. With health and safety accounting for 30% of the study, access to quality care was key to Tyler’s ranking.

“These metrics help us to approximate the healthcare supply and access to healthcare infrastructure, which we believe is an essential factor when people choose a place to raise a family,” Cuellar said. “In an emergency it’s important that you have [healthcare] access.”

Economically, Tyler ranks in the top 10 for its low unemployment rate, a key indicator of strong labor market conditions. Additionally, Tyler scores well on the basic needs affordability ratio, highlighting the population’s ability to afford essential expenses, like food and medical costs.

“Tyler stands out for its strong economic performance and in healthcare access,” Cuellar said. “Tyler has a bright future and, of course, there are areas it can improve.”

Areas of improvement in the index are housing affordability and the high school diploma rate.

Housing affordability has become more difficult due to pandemic-driven migration trends and inflation, which pushed prices upward. As for high school diploma rates, while they are relatively high, they still lag behind other metropolitan areas.

Though they’re not currently included in the index, public transportation and infrastructure could play a significant role, Cuellar said. For example, creating a more walkable city could positively impact both the social environment and health aspects, fostering a stronger, healthier community.

Encouraging walking and cycling instead of relying on cars could foster a more active and healthier population. At the same time, highlighting Tyler’s natural beauty and safety. Investing in public infrastructure to improve accessibility and connectivity would not only enhance the city’s livability but also boost its overall ranking.

Though there’s always room for improvement in any index, the team’s goal is to remain as transparent and unbiased as possible.

When creating measures, they aim for impartiality because, as academics—particularly economists—they avoid bias in their results. The metrics are designed with this in mind, and they carefully create and test the weights of the index. On their website, they post the complete report and plot all the results, allowing the public to see the data variable by variable.

The study evaluated family well-being using five weighted categories:

• Health and Safety (30%): Primary care physicians (10%), registered nurses (10%), uninsured children (5%) and crime rate (5%).

• Economic Performance (25%): Unemployment rate (10%), basic needs affordability ratio (5%), per capita income (5%) and housing affordability rate (5%).

• Quality Education (20%): High school diploma rate (10%), bachelor’s degree rates (5%), school enrollment rates (2%) and student-to-teacher ratio (3%).

• Amenities and Recreation (15%): Food and grocery stores (5%), recreation and entertainment venues (5%), and restaurants, bars and clubs (5%).

• Social Environment (10%): Children in poverty (5%), income inequality (3%) and children in single-parent households (2%).

“We believe Tyler’s ranking highlights a shift in what families value when deciding where to live,” Cuellar said. “Families today place greater emphasis on quality of life indicators.”

People can view the entire report at uttyler.edu/academics/colleges-schools/business/centers/hibbs-institute/files/reports/2024/best-places-to-raise-a-family-in-texas.pdf.