• Texas has one of the fastest-growing populations in the countryflag image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  It's not hard to find Texas cities listed among magazines' and institutions' directories of the best places to live and work. Texas claims low taxes, plenty of jobs, affordable real estate and a warm climate--not to mention a diverse landscape and population. According to the Houston Chronicle, Texas cities have some of the fastest-growing populations in the country, with four Lone Star State metros among the top 10 of the fastest-growing U.S. cities.
  
  

Austin

• Kiplinger rated Austin, Texas, No. 1 in its 2010 "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade" list due to the city's "out-of-the-box thinking." Kiplinger cites Austin as a hot spot for small business and entrepreneurs. As the live music capital of the world, Austin offers plenty of fun, too, with its South by Southwest music festival for emerging independent music artists, films, and technology. According to Kiplinger, Austin is not only a great place to live, but it offers plenty of jobs as well.
  
  

McKinney

• In its "Top 100 Places to Live" for 2010, Money magazine rated McKinney, Texas, No. 5. While it boasts a small-town feel with its walkable downtown, 19th-century architecture, galleries, and 1875 courthouse, McKinney's close proximity to Dallas--a one-hour drive--also provides the big-city amenities city slickers crave. Money magazine cites low crime, affordable homes and plenty of available jobs as additional perks to living in McKinney.
  
  

Houston

• Forbes magazine named Houston No. 1 in its 2010 list of "America's Best Cities for Young Professionals" based on the city's affordability, job prospects and above-average incomes. Thanks to the plethora of large companies headquartered there, Houston is an ideal spot for young graduates to start searching for jobs.