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Whether you’re moving to a different state or, in some cases, a different country, affordability is often a key reason for relocation.

Smaller cities and rural towns have recently become hot spots for those looking to escape high prices and overcrowding, but some still yearn for the big city.

US News & World Report evaluated 859 cities on its way to ranking the 250 best places to live, and broke out a list highlighting the best big cities to live in. US News & World Report defined big cities as those with a population of 500,000 or more.

The publication considered five indexes — quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration — to determine where cities finished on the list.

Cities like Johns Creek, Georgia, and Carmel, Indiana, finished as the top two best cities to live in overall, but have a combined population under 200,000.

The big cities have the advantage of shorter commute times and a wider range of cultural attractions. Bigger cities sometimes mean bigger paychecks, but Johns Creek, Georgia, and Carmel, Indiana, both have higher median household incomes than every big city on the list, according to US News & World Report.

Texas, the second-largest state in both size and population, dominated the list with six entries in the top 15 and three — El Paso, Austin, and Fort Worth — in the top five. See what other big cities are considered the best to live in.

20. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco.

frankpeters/Getty Images

Population: 828,732

Median home value: $1,395,300

Median monthly rent: $2,267

Median household income: $149,576

Known for: San Francisco is most notable for being a hub of the tech scene, plus its iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and historic cable cars.

19. Sacramento, CA

Downtown Sacramento, California, skyline. — Sacramento, California.

Dee Liu/Getty Images

Population: 542,262

Median home value: $521,370

Median monthly rent: $1,604

Median household income: $89,175

Known for: The capital city of California was the birthplace of the first transcontinental railroad, when it broke ground in Sacramento in the 1860s.

18. Atlanta, GA

Atlanta state capitol with the skyline. — Atlanta.

adamkaz/Getty Images

Population: 534,657

Median home value: $478,369

Median monthly rent: $1,659

Median household income: $88,243

Known for: Atlanta’s reputation as a city highlighted by massive highways is overblown, as about 48% of the city is covered by trees.

17. Portland, OR

Aerial View of Portland, Oregon at Dusk. — Portland, Oregon.

Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images

Population: 646,721

Median home value: $573,677

Median monthly rent: $1,422

Median household income: $93,114

Known for: Portland, Oregon, has a strong arts culture, and is home to the world’s largest independent bookstore.

16. Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, Arizona, Downtown Skyline Aerial. — Phoenix.

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Population: 1,668,856

Median home value: $452,370

Median monthly rent: $1,554

Median household income: $82,891

Known for: Not far from another entry on the list — Mesa, Arizona — Phoenix is known as the Valley of the Sun, mainly due to its year-round sunshine.

15. San Diego, CA

Aerial shot of downtown San Diego, California. — San Diego.

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Population: 1,407,749

Median home value: $905,335

Median monthly rent: $2,197

Median household income: $111,559

Known for: San Diego is known for having one of the best zoos in the country, and it famously has some of the most desirable weather.

14. Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis downtown skyline in autumn. — Indianapolis.

Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

Population: 896,614

Median home value: $242,973

Median monthly rent: $992

Median household income: $64,315

Known for: Indianapolis is known for the largest single-day sporting event in the country: the Indianapolis 500.

13. Dallas, TX

Regency Tower, Bank of America Building, Dallas Skyline, Dallas America — Dallas.

joe daniel price/Getty Images

Population: 1,351,974

Median home value: $354,950

Median monthly rent: $1,404

Median household income: $71,387

Known for: The birthplace of the frozen margarita, Dallas is home to many outdoor attractions and a thriving food scene.

12. Seattle, WA

Seattle downtown skyline and Mount Rainier, Washington. — Seattle.

SCStock/Getty Images

Population: 792,583

Median home value: $920,561

Median monthly rent: $1,891

Median household income: $129,054

Known for: Known for its iconic coffee culture and skyline featuring the Space Needle, Seattle is the headquarters to companies like Amazon and Starbucks.

11. Columbus, OH

Columbus, Ohio, skyline. — Columbus, Ohio.

Sanghwan Kim/Getty Images

Population: 935,616

Median home value: $280,117

Median monthly rent: $1,090

Median household income: $65,981

Known for: Columbus is the capital of Ohio and the most populous city in the Buckeye State. It’s also the home of the Ohio State University.

10. Houston, TX

Houston, Texas, downtown park and skyline. — Houston.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Population: 2,513,078

Median home value: $296,056

Average monthly rent: $1,209

Median household income: $66,084

Known for: Houston is one of the closest big cities in Texas to the coasts, and is the energy capital of the world.

9. Mesa, AZ

Aerial of downtown Mesa, Arizona. — Mesa, Arizona.

Dee Liu/Getty Images

Population: 537,369

Median home value: $429,090

Median monthly rent: $1,543

Median household income: $83,087

Known for: Mesa, Arizona, is about 20 miles east of Phoenix, but it still has art centers, museums, and other cultural attractions of its own.

8. Charlotte, NC

Skyline of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. — Charlotte, North Carolina.

benedek/Getty Images

Population: 953,692

Median home value: $434,208

Median monthly rent: $1,498

Median household income: $83,205

Known for: Located in the south-central part of North Carolina, Charlotte is home to 19 Fortune 1000 companies, like Bank of America and Lowe’s.

7. Jacksonville, FL

Skyline of Jacksonville, Florida. — Jacksonville, Florida.

RudyBalasko/Getty Images

Population: 1,012,031

Median home value: $313,627

Median monthly rent: $1,351

Median household income: $1,351

Known for: Jacksonville, Florida, is less than 50 miles from Georgia. It boasts stunning beaches and has the largest urban park system in the nation.

6. San Antonio, TX

The San Antonio Riverwalk. — San Antonio.

Thanasis/Getty Images

Population: 1,480,641

Median home value: $255,757

Median monthly rent: $1,152

Median household income: $66,076

Known for: Most famously known for its River Walk, San Antonio also has historical and cultural significance with landmarks such as the Alamo.

5. Nashville, TN

Cityscape image of Nashville downtown skyline. — Nashville.

RudyBalasko/Getty Images

Population: 705,540

Median home value: $437,629

Median monthly rent: $1,477

Median household income: $79,428

Known for: Nashville has become the bachelorette party capital of the US, but is mostly known for its devotion to country music.

4. Fort Worth, TX

Aerial view of downtown Fort Worth, Texas. — Fort Worth, Texas.

Barbara Smyers/Getty Images

Population: 1,012,396

Median home value: $321,586

Median monthly rent: $1,360

Median household income: $80,685

Known for: Fort Worth, Texas, still has many ties to its cowboy heritage in its historic district, with rodeos, saloons, and cattle trades.

3. Austin, TX

Aerial shot of Downtown Austin and Lady Bird Lake. — Austin.

halbergman/Getty Images

Population: 1,012,323

Median home value: $581,104

Median monthly rent: $1,612

Median household income: $98,624

Known for: In recent years, Austin has become a landing spot for tech companies, but it is also regarded as the live music capital of the world.

2. El Paso, TX

The El Paso, Texas, skyline. — El Paso, Texas.

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Population: 667,435

Median home value: $197,004

Average monthly rent: $964

Median household income: $59,999

Known for: El Paso, Texas, has a deep Spanish culture, and has over 20,000 acres of mountain peaks and canyons for nature lovers.

1. Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City, downtown skyline at twilight. — Oklahoma City.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Population: 721,676

Median home value: $251,522

Median monthly rent: $935

Median household income: $68,491

Known for: The state capital of Oklahoma has a diverse arts and culture scene and is the most populous city in the state.

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Texas has launched a probe into Shein, accusing it of selling unsafe, toxic products to US consumers.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a Monday news release that his office was investigating the fast-fashion giant for potential violations of Texas law, “related to unethical labor practices and the sale of unsafe consumer products.”

Paxton referenced Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign in the release, saying that safe and non-toxic products were a key ingredient in the movement.

“Any company that cuts corners on labor standards or product safety, especially those operating in foreign nations like China, will be held accountable,” Paxton said in the release.

Shein is headquartered in Singapore and sources many of its products from China.

“Texans deserve to know that the companies they buy from are ethical, safe, transparent, and not exploiting workers or selling harmful products. I will not allow cheap, dangerous, foreign goods to flood America and jeopardize our health,” Paxton said.

The release said that the investigation will also examine Shein’s data collection and privacy practices.

Representatives for Shein did not respond to a request for comment about the Texas investigation from Business Insider.

This is the latest setback that Shein is facing in the US, its largest market.

Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration has cracked down on the de minimis trade loophole, which previously allowed low-cost parcels to enter the country tax-free. Shein said in April that it would raise prices to account for higher operating expenses, a result of changes in trade laws.

Paxton, who is running for Senate in 2026, is not the first government official globally to launch a probe into Shein.

South Korean health officials raised concerns several times last year about Shein’s products containing toxic substances above legal limits. In response to the probes, Shein told Singaporean outlet The Straits Times in June 2024 that it had removed the offending products from its catalogue.

In May, the European Commission said it had investigated Shein’s practices and found that the company had breached EU law by offering fake discounts, using deceptive product labels, and making misleading sustainability claims.

Shein also came under fire in France in early November for selling childlike sex dolls and illegal weapons on its third-party marketplace in the country, per a Reuters report. France suspended the marketplace shortly after.

The European Commission said on Wednesday that it had sent a request to Shein to provide evidence that it would not expose minors to inappropriate content and that it would prevent the circulation of illegal products.

A Shein spokesperson told Politico that the company had received the request and was “working to promptly address it.”