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In any workplace, the presence of laid-back individuals can be a source of frustration. You know the type: those who manage to delegate their workload but still manage to bask in the accolades.
If you find yourself in one of these Texas towns, you might just catch a glimpse of that laid-back persona looking back at you in the mirror.
This isn’t meant to be harsh; rather, the relaxed attitude often seeps into both life and work, and many people prefer to avoid working alongside those who embody a laid-back approach.
Late one Friday, we delved into the data to pinpoint the Texas towns that tend to take a more leisurely approach to life. Using insights from the latest American Community Survey, we evaluated various factors associated with a laid-back lifestyle for each city.
After sifting through the data, here are the ten “Most Laid-Back Places in Texas” as determined by our analysis:
Continue reading to discover where the laid-back individuals call home, or feel free to skip to the end to see how your town measures up.
And for those curious, Highland Village has emerged as the most hardworking place in Texas.
How We Determined the Most Laid-Back Places in the Lone Star State
At Zippia, we rely on data to tackle tough questions. You might even say we are some of the most dedicated data analysts around.
In this case, we utilized the latest version of the American Community Survey. Fortunately, the Census Bureau had recently released updated data, allowing us to perform this unique analysis.
After carefully examining numerous criteria, we focused on these key factors to determine the most laid-back places in Texas:
- Lowest average hours worked
- Shortest commute times
- Lowest number of workers per household (labor force divided by the number of households)
- Highest unemployment rates
- Lowest percentage of adults with a college degree
The rationale was straightforward: if a community has low educational attainment, minimal work hours, and a limited number of earners per household, it’s likely to have a more laid-back vibe.
We analyzed data from 340 Texas towns with populations over 5,000, ranking each location from 1 to 340 based on these criteria, with 1 being the “most laid-back.”
In the end, Raymondville topped the list as the most laid-back place in Texas.
Check out the detailed chart below for insights into why each place ranked as it did.
1. Raymondville
Population: 11,226 College Educated: 6.8%
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
2. Jasper
Population: 7,688 College Educated: 8.2%
Unemployment Rate: 18.2%
3. La Feria
Population: 7,301 College Educated: 8.8%
Unemployment Rate: 17.7%
4. Elsa
Population: 6,232 College Educated: 3.0%
Unemployment Rate: 24.2%
5. Lamesa
Population: 9,365 College Educated: 11.0%
Unemployment Rate: 10.1%
6. San Benito
Population: 24,447 College Educated: 8.7%
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
7. Crockett
Population: 6,702 College Educated: 14.7%
Unemployment Rate: 14.0%
8. Port Arthur
Population: 54,685 College Educated: 10.4%
Unemployment Rate: 12.5%
9. Groves
Population: 15,911 College Educated: 12.4%
Unemployment Rate: 12.3%
10. Paris
Population: 25,023 College Educated: 14.9%
Unemployment Rate: 10.5%
Living the Laid-Back Life
As we mentioned earlier, identifying the most laid-back places in Texas can be subjective. However, if you’re assessing towns where work is less prioritized, educational achievement is scarce, and long hours are avoided, this list serves as a reliable reflection of laid-back living.
Detailed List of the Most Laid-Back Places in Texas
| City | Rank |
|---|---|
| Raymondville | 1 |
| Jasper | 2 |
| La Feria | 3 |
| Elsa | 4 |
| Lamesa | 5 |
| San Benito | 6 |
| Crockett | 7 |
| Port Arthur | 8 |
| Groves | 9 |
| Paris | 10 |
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