McALLEN – A quick tour around town will show residents and visitors how McAllen is growing by leaps and bounds. Pair that with the city leaders’ push for a greater quality of life and it ranks McAllen top in the nation.

U.S. News & World Report has named the City of McAllen as one of the top 100 “Best Places to Live in the USA.”  The only Rio Grande Valley city to make the list at number 89, McAllen joins only six other Texas cities. Austin is No.2, Houston comes in at 17, Dallas/Fort Worth is 21, San Antonio is 23 and El Paso is 71.

“We are very proud when McAllen receives positive recognition.  Being ranked as one of the best places to live is verification that we enjoy a robust quality of life in our community as well as a low cost of living,” said Mayor Jim Darling. “We will strive to continue to improve both of those aspects for all of our citizens.”

McAllen’s newest bike share system, B-cycle, the McAllen Public Library, one of the lowest crime rates in the nation and year-round sunshine were all highlighted in the city profile. The immigration relief effort, headed by Sacred Heart Church that provided assistance to more than 23,000 individuals seeking a better life, was also highly praised. In addition, the recent rollout of the all-new electric buses, McAllen International Airport’s major expansion and the fact that La Plaza Mall boasts the most sales per square foot than any other shopping mall in the country were also applauded.

"We're extremely proud of this recognition of McAllen as a great place to live.  We are a vibrant area and a major center for retail, tourism and international trade. Our goal is to provide our community with an excellent quality of life, and we have also greatly expanded the amount of social and recreational activities available to our residents,” said City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E. “We’re passionate about our home, and we'll continue to work hard to make sure that McAllen continues to be one of the best places to live in the U.S."

For the complete profile visit: http://realestate.usnews.com/places/texas/mcallen