In its annual report on the Best Places to Live in the U.S., U.S. News & World Report did what most of us already expected: gave Lubbock, TX a participation trophy.
Lubbock landed a glorious #169 out of 250 cities nationally — safely nestled in the bottom third of the rankings. And in the great state of Texas? We proudly represent mediocrity at #44 out of 69. That’s right: we didn’t even crack the top 40 in our own state.
For those keeping score, Pearland, Leander, and Frisco are killing it, while Lubbock continues to… exist. These rankings factor in things like job market strength, quality of life, housing affordability, and crime — so it’s not exactly shocking where we landed. Unless you think dust storms, pothole obstacle courses, and “Hey, at least it’s cheap!” should count for more.
But don’t worry — we’ve got Texas Tech, a cotton museum, and an inexplicably large number of car washes per capita. What else could anyone want in a “hub city”? (Besides, say, clean air, decent wages, or a public transit system that doesn’t feel like a dare.)
To be fair, Lubbock does serve as a regional healthcare and education center — though you may want to drive to Dallas if you’re actually hoping for a specialist who isn’t booked through next Christmas.
Look, we’re not saying Lubbock is the worst place to live. We’re just saying there are 168 places that are apparently better.
