HUTTO – Only one Texas city made Money magazines’ list of the 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2022-2023, hippo-happy Hutto. Coming in at number 39, it edged out perennial favorites including Salt Lake City, Utah and Bentonville, Arkansas. The number one city: Atlanta, Georgia.
Money’s annual listing takes several factors into account, and Hutto’s quirky commitment to the hippo mascot was mentioned by the magazine. They also cited the city’s low cost of living, affordable housing and having easy access to Austin while maintaining its quiet suburban vibe.
At almost the same time, national security analysis and research company SafeWise announced their annual 50 Safest Cities in Texas list.
According to their research, Hutto ranks as the safest city in Williamson County and 23rd in the state. Two other cities Wilco cities made the list: Leander (33rd) and Cedar Park (49th). SafeWise compiles their listing from FBI crime data as well as demographic and population information.
City manager James Earp discussed the prestigious twin honors at a recent city council meeting. He pointed out that the rankings are meaningful because they are in-depth comparisons. “The feedback came from objective experts who were analyzing many aspects of living in Hutto, including overall quality of life, economic opportunity, taxes, cost of living, education, diversity, health and safety,” he said.
Being recognized on a national scale means Hutto is headed in the right direction, according to Mayor Mike Snyder. “Becoming a ‘top place to live’ doesn’t happen overnight. It takes leadership, tenacity and sometimes tough decision-making. Now it’s up to us to stay the course and build on this foundation.”
SafeWise survey results showed 56% of Texans feel safe living in Texas. Personal experience with violent crime and property crime has decreased vs last year.
Package theft (porch piracy) was reported as the most commonly experienced crime in the state.
Hutto Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough said that the recipe for a safe city is communication and trust. “Its impossible to have a safe community if you don’t have the relationship between the city leadership, the community and the police. It shows we are doing things right as partners. It inspires us to do things to improve, like the new Community SAFE Project we started.”
Being a safe city has an economic impact for Hutto.
“The savings from the reduced impact of crime promotes business and commercial opportunity and increases the productivity and well-being of our citizens and business owners alike, as well as promoting investment and tourism in our city,” said Tim Jordan, president of the Hutto Economic Development Corp.
In compiling its rankings, SafeWise stresses that the term “safe” refers “explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data — no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.”
