A college town located between Austin and Dallas, Waco is a small city with big city amenities. Its revitalizing downtown, anchored by the historic Waco Suspension Bridge, is a popular destination for shopping (#9) and restaurants (#39). The Brazos Promenade, a proposed $100-million, mixed-use riverfront development is poised to make downtown even more vibrant. The city also has a number of unique, family-friendly museums (#29), including the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, and the Waco Mammoth site, exhibiting the fossils of prehistoric Woolly Mammoths. With weather like this, ranking #25, it’s no surprise Dr. Pepper was invented here to quench Wacoans thirst. The presence of Baylor University bolsters the city’s high-skill workforce, with major employers including aerospace, financial services, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. Between Baylor, Texas Tech State University, and McLennan Community College, Waco earns the #13 spot in University ranking.