8 Southern Cities That Are Both Safe and Wealthy in 2026
Where in the Southern region of the United States can you find the safest, richest midsize cities?
After identifying America’s safest and richest midsize cities in a separate, in-house study, we isolated all midsize Southern cities with average incomes of $100,000 or more. (Additional key factors studied include average home value and property and violent crime data.) Of the eight locations, Texas stands out with the most cities (four) to receive mentions.
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Here’s where you can find the safest and richest midsize cities in the South.
1. Sugar Land, Texas
Population: 110,016
Median household income: $136,217
Average home value: $447,176
Total cost of living annually: $55,959
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 13.84
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 0.78
2. Cary, North Carolina
Population: 179,306
Median household income: $134,905
Average home value: $626,396
Total cost of living annually: $65,421
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 13.17
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 0.71
3. Cedar Park, Texas
Population: 78,301
Median household income: $129,545
Average home value: $471,699
Total cost of living annually: $56,728
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 11.98
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 0.96
4. Roswell, Georgia
Population: 92,621
Median household income: $128,654
Average home value: $658,156
Total cost of living annually: $70,239
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 10.21
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 1.60
5. Alexandria, Virginia
Population: 156,976
Median household income: $119,681
Average home value: $676,205
Total cost of living annually: $72,909
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 26.40
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 2.19
6. Pearland, Texas
Population: 127,514
Median household income: $118,842
Average home value: $382,157
Total cost of living annually: $51,057
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 14.40
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 0.96
7. Plano, Texas
Population: 290,594
Median household income: $112,253
Average home value: $498,989
Total cost of living annually: $57,422
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 14.66
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 1.52
8. Hoover, Alabama
Population: 92,642
Median household income: $109,253
Average home value: $437,228
Total cost of living annually: $54,430
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents: 12.57
Violent crime rate per 1,000 residents: 0.78
Methodology: For this study, MoneyLion analyzed midsized cities to find the safest and richest places to live. Midsized cities are considered cities with a total population between 75,000 and 500,000 people. The total population, population ages 65 and over, total households, median household income, and mean household income were all sourced from U.S. Census 2024 American Community Survey (ACS). The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling's BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs for all households, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average cost of expenditures was calculated for each city. The average single family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated for each city. Using crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, the property crimes and violent crimes reported in each city was found. Using the total population and crimes reported, the crime rate per 1000 residents was calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes for each location and all locations with a livability below 80 were removed as they represent locations with a lower quality of life. The total cost of living was scored and weighted at 1.00, the mean household income was scored and weighted at 1.00, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.00, the property crime rate per 1000 was scored and weighted at 1.00, the violent crime rate per 1000 was scored and weighted at 1.00. All the scores were summed and sorted to show the safest and richest midsized cities in the U.S. All data is up to date as of April 23, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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