Plano Accolades

Updated: 5/31/2023

Plano cherishes its quaint, historic beginnings yet embraces its modern, cutting-edge transformation, making it one of the best places to live in the United States, according to CNN Money Magazine and AreaVibes; America’s safest city, according to Forbes; and arguably one of the best places to visit and do business. View our list below of Plano’s recent accolades.

2023

• Fourth Best City in the U.S. to Raise a Family (#1 in Texas) by WalletHub.
• The Trust for Public Land named Plano first in Texas and 16th in the US, per their annual ParkScore rankings.
• Sixth Best Cities for Pet Owners by Forbes Advisor.
• Top 10 Most Beautiful Cities in Texas by WorldAtlas.
• Happiest City in Texas and 29th Happiest City in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• Crayola Experience has been recognized as one of the country’s top 10 children’s museums by the 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, which highlight the best of the best in categories such as destinations, food and drink, hotels, and things to do.
• Twelfth Hardest-Working Cities in America by WalletHub.
• The City of Plano’s Pecan Hollow Golf Course was selected among the top 25 best golf courses in Texas by GolfPass.
• Among the Best Places to Live in the U.S.: 25 Small to Mid-Size Cities that Have it All by MSN.com.
• Ninth Best City to Find a Job by WalletHub.

2022

• Sixth Place Where Americans are Happiest by SmartAsset.
• Top 100 Most Fun Cities in America by WalletHub.
• Seventh Best City for Thanksgiving by WalletHub.
• Best City to Raise a Family by StorageCafe.
• Best U.S. City to Live a Family Lifestyle In by Rismedia.
• Second Best City to Drive In by WalletHub.
• Ninth Hardest Working City in America by WalletHub.
• Top 100 Safest Cities in America by WalletHub.
• Fifteenth Best City for Vegans & Vegetarians by WalletHub.
• Plano ranked #113 on Best Places to Retire list by WalletHub.
• Eighth Best Midsize Real Estate Market in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• Top 100 (#29 in US; #2 in TX) Best Places to Live by Livability.
• Best city in Texas for pool lovers; 8^th most pool-friendly city in the nation by StorageCafe.
• Go Ape was named Top 5 Best Aerial Adventure Parks in North America for the 2nd straight year by USA Today Readers.
• Top 100 Best City for Staycations by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best Place to Raise a Family in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• The Trust for Public Land named Plano Parks & Recreation first in Texas and 15th in the US, per their annual ParkScore rankings.
• Twelfth Best U.S. Cities for Dog Owners by Commercial Cafe.
• Twenty-second Happiest City in America by WalletHub.
• Eleven in the U.S. and two in Texas for Best Cities for Jobs without Sacrificing Quality of Life by WalletHub.

Plano Hotel Accolades

• TownePlace Suites by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson was awarded the 2021 Platinum Circle Award for Guest Satisfaction (Top 5% of TownePlace Suites Brand), awarded October 2022.
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson was awarded the 2021 Guest Satisfaction Award for Elite Appreciation for TownePlace Suites Brand, awarded October 2022.
• The Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West was named Hotel of the Year by the Hotel Association of North Texas at the annual HOSPY Awards Gala. 
• The Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center General Manager, Mary Lavelle, received General Manager of the Year from the Hotel Association of North Texas at the annual HOSPY Awards Gala.
• Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West ambassador, Robyn Ahrens, was named Front of the House Manager of the year by the Hotel Association of North Texas at the annual HOSPY Awards Gala. 
• U.S. News & World Report ranked the following hotels as part of their ranking of the Best Hotels in Texas: Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park (#56), Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West (#87), Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center (#146), Sandman Signature Plano-Frisco Hotel (#225), NYLO Dallas Plano Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (#271), and Courtyard by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson (#366).

Visit Plano Awards

• Visit Plano was recognized by ConventionSouth magazine as a 9x winner of their Readers’ Choice Award.
• Visit Plano received a Best Of award from Meetings Today given to the top meeting facilities and destination marketing organizations in North America.
• Visit Plano was honored by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus with one first place Judge’s Choice award and two Peer Recognition awards in their annual Destination Excellence Awards.
• Visit Plano received a 2022 Texas Travel Award in recognition for their Visitor Center in the Big Market category.

2021

• Twenty third Best City in America, 4th best in Texas for Young Professionals by GOBankingRates.
• Best City in Texas for People with Disabilities and twenty-first Best City for People with Disabilities in America by WalletHub. 
• Best Place in Texas to Live & seventeenth Best Place to Live in America by Livability.
• Safest City in Texas by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best City for Remote Workers by Commercial Café. 
• Second Best City to Live in Texas by North American Moving Services. 
• First Best Park System in Texas and fifteenth in the U.S. by the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore.
• Among Top 5 Cities in Texas with the Hottest Housing Markets by Forbes. 
• Twentieth Most Pet-Friendly City by WalletHub. 
• Sixteenth Best City to Maintain an Active Lifestyle In by STORAGECafé.
• Fourteenth Best City for Gamers by WalletHub.
• Thirteenth Best City for Entrepreneurs by Alliance Virtual Offices. 
• The Trust for Public Land ranked Plano 15 out of 100 largest cities in the U.S.
• Fourth Best City to Raise a Family by WalletHub.
• Seventh Best Places to Live in the U.S. by niche.com. 
• Second Top City Where Your Paycheck Goes the Furthest by Daily Magazine.
• Ninth Best City for Outdoor Jobs by LawnStarter. 
• Seventeenth Happiest City in America by WalletHub. 
• First Best City for Renters by Forbes Advisor. 
• Eleventh Hardest-Working City in America by WalletHub.
• Tenth Best City to Find a Job by WalletHub.

Plano hotel accolades

• Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park: Out of all Hilton Hotels in the U.S., Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park ranked #2 in Overall Experience and #7 in Service.
• Homewood Suites Plano-Richardson: General Manager, Jennifer Ross, was awarded the GMs to Watch award for 2021 by Hotel Management.
• La Quinta by Wyndham Dallas/Plano West: 2021 Best of Housekeeping Award by AAA for the 3rd year in a row.
• NYLO Dallas Plano Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton: 2021 Best Of Plano & Frisco Readers’ Choice – Hotel Winner (Living Magazine).
• Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West: #2 Intent to Return (Overall Guest Satisfaction) Renaissance Brand North + South America, #1 Cleanliness Renaissance Brand North + South America, #1 Maintenance + Upkeep Renaissance Brand North + South America, and Best of Housekeeping – AAA North America – DFW Region.
• Sonesta Simply Suites Plano Frisco: Travel Proud certified & received a Booking.com Traveler Review Award.
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott Dallas Plano/Richardson: Most Wanted and Loved by Guest Hotel from Hotel Engine.

Visit Plano awards

• Visit Plano won a Bronze HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) Adrian Award in the Integrated Marketing Campaign division for their 2021 Taste of Plano campaign.
• Visit Plano honored with five first place “People’s Choice” Idea Fair awards by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
• Visit Plano & Plano Event Center honored with 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards from ConventionSouth magazine. 

2020

• #27 Safest City in America by MoneyGeek. 
• Ninth Best City for Christmas by WalletHub.
• Fifth Most Livable City in the U.S. by SmartAsset.
• Third Safest City in America by WalletHub.
• Ninth Best City for Working Remotely by Success.
• Seventeenth Most Bike Friendly City in America by SmartAsset.
• #34 Most Pet Friendly Cities in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best City in the U.S. for Feeling Young by Redbook.
• Sixth Best City to Drive In by WalletHub.
• Fifth Best City for Millennials to Work Remotely by WhistleOut.
• Nineteenth Most Recovered City in the U.S. from Unemployment due to COVID-19 by WalletHub.
• Twenty fifth Best City for Longevity by Men’sHealth.
• Fifth Best City to Live in America by Niche.com.
• First Best City in the U.S. for Staycations by WalletHub.
• The Trust for Public Land ranked Plano 17 out of 100 largest U.S. Cities.
• Second Happiest City in America by WalletHub.

Plano hotel accolades

• Cambria Hotel Plano – Frisco: The Most Wanted Award by Hotels.com and Traveler’s Choice Winner.
• Hampton Inn & Suites Dallas/Plano-East: Tripadvisor rating #3 of 53.
• Hilton Dallas Plano Granite Park: ranked #1 in Overall Experience and Overall Service within all of Hilton Hotels in the Americas for all of 2020.
• Home2 Suites Plano Legacy West: Tripadvisor rating #2 of 53.
• Home2 Suites Plano Richardson: Tripadvisor rating #1 of 53.
• Homewood Suites Plano-Richardson: Tripadvisor rating #5 of 53.
• La Quinta Inn & Suites Dallas Plano West: Pet-Friendly Winner in 2020 by Hotels.com.
• Marriott at Legacy Town Center: Received a 3-Diamond Award from AAA and Tripadvisor 2020 Travelers’ Choice award.
• Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West: Received a 4-Diamond Award from AAA and Tripadvisor 2020 Travelers’ Choice award.

Visit Plano awards

• Visit Plano has been honored with five first place “People’s Choice” Idea Fair awards by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.
• Visit Plano & Plano Event Center are 7x winners of the ConventionSouth Magazine Readers’ Choice Award.

2019

• Fourteenth Most Caring City in America by WalletHub.
• Third Safest City in America by WalletHub.
• Twenty-Eighth Best City for Veteran Homebuyers in the U.S. by Veterans United.
• Sixteenth Most Handsome City by Grooming Lounge.
• Seventh Best City for Budget-Friendly Dating by SmartAsset.
• Second Best Untapped City for Startups in 2020.
• Twentieth Best Place for Halloween by WalletHub.
• 13th Best City to Drive in by WalletHub.
• Third Most Affordable City for an Early Retirement by SmartAsset.
• 28th Most Pet-Friendly City in the U.S. (3rd in Texas) by WalletHub.
• Second Hardest-Working City in the U.S. by Kempler.
• Fourth Best City to Raise a Family in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• Top 200 Least Stressed Cities in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• #46 Best City for Fourth of July Celebrations in the U.S. & #6 in Texas by WalletHub.
• Tenth Best City for Retirement in America by Niche.
• 36th of 100 Best City in the U.S. for Gamers by WalletHub.
• Tenth of Top 10 Historic Downtowns That Will Take You Back In Time by Expedia-AARP Travel Center.
• Ranked one of the best places in the USA for veterans seeking a high-quality education by College Factual.
• The Trust for Public Land ranked Plano 15 out of 100 largest U.S. Cities.
• Happiest City in America by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best City for Foodies by Yelp.
• Fifth Best City to Live in America by Niche.
• Fifth Hardest-Working City in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• Eighth Best City to Open a Restaurant by Bid-on-Equipment.
• Fifth Top Performing City in the U.S. along with Dallas and Irving by the Milken Institute.
• Seventh Best City to Find a Job in the U.S. by WalletHub.

Visit Plano awards

• Visit Plano received a Bronze Telly Award for Social Video: Culture & Lifestyle and a Bronze Telly Award for Social Video: Food & Beverage.
• Visit Plano received first place in Tourism Promotion for its Plano Insiders blog, first place in Local Awareness for its Influencer Social Media Takeovers, and first place in National Travel & Tourism Week for its Happy in Plano campaign at the Texas Association Convention & Visitor Bureau’s Idea Fair. In addition, Visit Plano took home second place in Video for That’s Tempting, and a Judges’ Choice award for National Travel & Tourism Week.
• Visit Plano’s SMERF & Government Sales Manager, Blaire Zahn, received her Texas Destination Marketer from the Texas Association Convention & Visitor Bureaus.
• Visit Plano Executive Director, Mark Thompson, received the prestigious Marion Szurek Legacy Award from the Texas Association Convention & Visitor Bureaus.
• Visit Plano received a Gold Adrian Award for their That’s Tempting campaign and a Silver Adrian Award for their Pooch Perfect PR pitch from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.

2018

• The Box Garden at Legacy Hall was named the Best New Music Venue by the Dallas Observer.
• Crayola Experience was named the Best Place to Take the Kids by the Dallas Observer.
• Twelfth Most Caring City in the U.S. by WalletHub.
• Third Safest City in America by WalletHub.
• Fifth Best Place to Retire by Livability.
• 28th Best City for Veterans to Live by Veterans United.
• Top 20 Best Cities for Halloween by WalletHub.
• Best City in America for Halloween Treats by NextDoor.
• Courtyard Theater and McCall Plaza were voted Best Place to Hear Live Music and Best Event Venue in Plano by Plano Magazine.
• Sixth Best City to Raise a Family by WalletHub.
• Healthiest City in Texas and twelfth in the U.S. by TheStreet.
• Least Stressed City in Texas by CultureMap Dallas.
• Fifth Best City to Drive In by WalletHub.
• 15th Street in the Downtown Plano Arts District was named one of the top streets in the Dallas-area by D Magazine.
• Best Place to Live 2018 by AreaVibes.
• Eighth Best Texas City for Families by WalletHub.
• The Trust for Public Land ranked Plano in the top 20 for Best Park System in America.
• Connect Meetings has named Plano, Texas as a Best-Value Destination for meetings & events.
• Fourth Greenest City City in the South by Insurify.
• Best City to Buy a House in America by Niche.
• Fifth Happiest City in America by WalletHub.

Visit Plano awards

• Visit Plano received the James Farrell Award of Excellence presented by USA Softball for hosting two of their highest rated championships, the 2018 USA Softball 16-U GOLD Nationals and the 2018 USA Softball 18-U GOLD Nationals in July 2018.
• Visit Plano won People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice for Best Tourism Promotion at the Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (TACVB) Annual Conference for the #PlanoPup campaign. Visit Plano also won the People’s Choice award for Advertising, the People’s Choice award for Website Design, and the Judge’s Choice award for Website Design in their respective budget category.
• Visit Plano & Plano Event Center were awarded the ConventionSouth magazine Readers’ Choice Award for the fifth consecutive year.

2017

• Most Excited City for Christmas by LawnStarter.
• Eighteenth Most Caring City in America by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best Midsize College City in America by WalletHub; ranked twenty-second overall.
• Eighth Safest City in America by WalletHub.
• Safest Big City in the U.S. by RewardExpert.
• Third Most Livable City in the U.S. by SmartAsset.
• Fifth Best City for Veterans by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best Place to Retire by Livability.com.
• Second Most Prosperous City in the U.S. by CityLab.
• Third Best City to Raise a Family by WalletHub.
• Tenth Best Midsize Real-Estate Market by WalletHub.
• Second Least Stressed City in America by WalletHub.
• Eighth Best City to Drive In by WalletHub.
• Plano Parks & Recreation scored 17th nationwide in the Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore Index.
• The Dallas Morning News Hot List named Plano Hottest Suburb.
• Twentieth Best City for Summer Jobs by WalletHub.
• Fourth Best Suburb to Live in Dallas-Fort Worth Metro by Niche.
• Seventh Best City to Live by Niche.
• Fifth Best City for Veteran Homebuyers in 2017 by Veterans United.
• Nineteenth Happiest City in America by WalletHub.
• Second Hardest-Working City in America by WalletHub.
• Second Best City for Jobs by WalletHub.
• Fifth Best City to Start a Family by LendEDU.
• Fifth Best City for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions by WalletHub.

2016

• Best City to Find a Job by WalletHub.
• Third Hardest Working City in America by WalletHub.
• Eighth Best Downtown in America by Livability.com.
• Eleventh Best City for Single Moms by WalletHub.
• The Trust for Public Land ranked Plano parks the best in Texas, according to its annual ParkScore index.
• Sixth Best City for Renters by WalletHub.
• Seventh Least Stressed City in America by WalletHub.
• Tenth Best Midsize City for First-Time Home Buyers by WalletHub.
• Twentieth Best Texas City for Families by WalletHub.
• Fifth Best City to Live in America by Niche.
• Twenty-third Best Cities for Young Families by ApartmentAdvisor.com.
• Safeco Insurance named Plano the western city with third lowest property crime rates.
• Fifteenth Most Pet-Friendly City by WalletHub.
• Ninth Best Real-Estate Market by WalletHub.
• Third Best City for Families by WalletHub.
• Best Place to Live in Texas and #3 Best Place to Live in America by Money.
• Fourth Hardest Working City in America by SmartAsset.
• Fourteenth Safest City in America by Niche.com.
• Zippia, the career expert, named Plano the #8 Most Successful City in America.
• Twelfth Best City for Hispanic Entrepreneurs by WalletHub.
• Second Best Place to Live if You Are Trying to Save Money by the Huffington Post.
• The Dallas Morning News ranked West Plano #1, East Plano #3, and North Central Plano #10 Best Neighborhoods in Dallas-Fort Worth.
• Fourth Best Place for Veterans to Live by WalletHub.
• Fourteenth Best City for WalletFitness™ by WalletHub.
• Top 20 Most Caring Cities in America by WalletHub.
• One of the Top Tech Savvy U.S. Cities by ATTInternetService.com.
• Seventh Best City of 2016 by SmartAsset.

2015

• Ninth Best City to Find a Job by WalletHub.
• Top 10 Cities for Women in Tech by SmartAsset.
• Third Hardest Working City by WalletHub.
• Top 10 Best Cities to Live In as an Entrepreneur by NerdWallet.
• Second Best City for Families by Livability.com.
• Top 19 Best Cities to Start a Family by DatingAdvice.com.
• The Dallas Morning News named West Plano #1, North Central Plano #3, and East Plano #7 Best Neighborhoods in DFW.
• The Most Affordable Place in America by NerdWallet.
• The top Texas city for parks and #17 overall by the Trust for Public Land ParkScore.
• Second Best City to Raise a Family by The Fiscal Times.
• One of the Best Cities to Start a Career by WalletHub.
• Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability.com.
• National Recreation & Parks Association named the City of Plano Parks & Recreation Department as the 2015 NRPA Gold Medal winner for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
• Downtown Plano was named one of four Great Neighborhoods on the American Planning Association’s list of Great Places in America.
• Seventh Safest City in America by Law Street Media.
• Second Best City for Families by WalletHub.
• Ninth Best Place in America to Settle Down by LeafFilter North, Inc.
• Third Best Place to Retire by Livability.com.
• Third Best Cities for Your Wallet by WalletHub.
• Twenty Fifth Most Caring City by WalletHub.

2014

• Plano ranked #86 in the Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability.com.
• America’s Safest City by Forbes magazine.
• Fourth Safest Large City in America by Movoto.
• Fifth Best City for Kids by Livability.com.
• Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America in TIME Magazine’s “Healthiest Places to Live” book.
• Fourth Best City for Newlyweds by mylife.com.
• Seventh Healthiest City in America by The Huffington Post.
• Second Best City to Live in Texas by CreditDonkey.com.
• Second Best City for Working Parents by Business Insider.
• Ninth Best City to Retire by WalletHub.
• Twelfth Best City for Pet-Lovers by WalletHub.
• Top 10 Southern City for Meetings by ConventionSouth.
• Ninth Best City for Young Entrepreneurs by NerdWallet.
• Plano was voted Best City or Suburb for Raising Children by the readers of DallasChild magazine in their annual Best for Families Survey.
• Plano was named one of the Most Attractive Cities in the U.S. to Host a Sporting Event in the 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards by SportsEvents.
• Top 20 Best Suburbs in North Texas by D Magazine.
• Best City for Families by WalletHub.
• Third Best Run City by 24/7 Wall Street.

2013

• Fourth Best City for Men by Men’s Health magazine.
• Best Run City in America by 24/7 Wall St.
• Best City for Cell Phone Technology by Men’s Health magazine.
• Third Safest City by Business Insider.
• Plano ranked #1 on the Top 10 Cities in America – Best Places to Live by AreaVibes.
• Top 25 Happiest, Healthiest Cities in America by Prevention magazine.
• Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability.com.

2012

• Third Best City for Men by Men’s Health magazine.
• Tenth Best Run City in the U.S. by 24/7 Wall St.
• Sixth Healthiest City for Women by Women’s Health magazine.
• Plano ranked #1 on the Top 10 Cities in America – Best Places to Live by AreaVibes.
• Sixth Safest City to Drive In by WebMD.
• Second Soccer City in the U.S. by Livability.com.
• Plano is in the top 20 cities with the Happiest Young Professionals by Forbes.
• Best City to Raise a Child by DallasChild magazine.

2011

• Second Most Educated city by Men’s Health magazine.
• The Happiest City by Men’s Health magazine.
• The Most Tech-Friendly City by Men’s Health magazine.
• Third Best City for Men by Men’s Health magazine.
• Fifteenth city with the Most Brain Power by the Business Journal.
• Tenth Most Inventive City by The Daily Beast.
• Eleventh Best Place to Live by Businessweek.
• Best Place to Live in America by AreaVibes.
• Top 20 Longest-Living Cities by The Daily Beast.
• Voted Most Family-Friendly City by the readers of DallasChild magazine.
• Forbes ranked Plano #20 in America’s 25-Best Performing Cities.
• Forbes ranked Plano the Safest City in America.

For things to do, places to go, where to eat, and where to stay, explore our website for all your Plano travel inspiration.