9. Murphy

Population: 13,700
Annual growth since 1990: 11.5%
Average home sales price in 2009: $265,327
Median age of residents: 33.9
Families with kids under 18: 49.2%
Median household income: $83,547

What they say: Murphy draws those looking for a slower pace and more space than Plano, Frisco, and the like have to offer. Murphy has increased its commercial development faster than neighboring towns, whose residents appreciate the convenience of being close to a Home Depot and Chick-fil-A. Karate for Kids draws in the small people from all the neighboring towns, for example. One resident who moved to Murphy after her Dallas home was broken into five times over two years appreciates those conveniences but worries they will eventually bring more people and crime. “Right down the road from me are longhorn cows, goats, and horses,” she says. “Do I really want a Home Depot so close to me? No, thank you. But it’s not really my choice.” The small town’s residents still enjoy church bazaars and pumpkin-carving contests. Murphy could use its own school district, more sit-down restaurants, and less good-old-boy politics, some think. The town has a new City Hall, which was built in 2005, a new fire department building, and a 6-year-old $20 million high school football stadium that many residents enjoy (while others worry about the price tag). Houses here start at $168,000 and go up to $539,000, most falling in the $400,000 range. 

What we say: Murphy scores best in education, for which it can thank Plano ISD (where most of its students attend). Nearby Lavon Lake, a 9,000-square-feet lot requirement, and the original First Baptist Church—built in 1900 and still in use—keep a bit of the town’s country feel even as the strip centers chip away at it. Murphy has 10 churches, most Baptist, Church of Christ, or otherwise Christian conservative—and Kehilat Ha Derech, a Jewish/Christian combo congregation, which indicates Murphy is at least dabbling in the diversity many suburbs of this size lack.
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