Richardson has found itself near the top of several best of lists in the past year encompassing everything from best places to live to best music festivals. These recognitions represent a cross section of the work done by the City of Richardson’s nearly two dozen departments and showcase the “Richardson Way.”

  • Richardson was named the third best place to live in Texas by ChamberofCommerce.org thanks to its employment base, housing, quality of life, education and health care facilities.
  • Liveability.com placed Richardson highly on several lists including best place to live in Texas and 34th best place to live in the United States for cities its size, as well as ninth best place in the nation for STEM-focused jobs.
  • The Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival was named the best music festival and was nominated for the best arts festival in the Dallas Observer’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards, while the Cottonwood Art Festival was also nominated for best arts festival.
  • The University of Texas at Dallas also received recognition, with Forbes naming the school the best-value public university in Texas.

In addition to the above listings, Richardson has also received recognition from several professional organizations. Both the Police and Fire departments have received awards in the past two years recognizing the effectiveness of their work. In 2014, the Fire Department received a Class 1 ISO rating, which was reaffirmed by Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Insurance Services Office again last year. The ISO rating is used to measure the quality and effectiveness of fire protection in a community, and this top rating is held by fewer than 1 percent of fire departments across the state and nation.

Last year, the Richardson Police Department was again recognized by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation—Best Practices Program. The Department was first awarded “Recognized” status in 2009 for compliance with 166 Texas Law Enforcement Best Practice standards. The voluntary program was developed to assist in the efficient and effective delivery of service, the reduction of risk, and the protection of individual’s rights.

Richardson has also been recognized as a Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, holding bronze status since 2015, and Richardson is a two-time recipient of the Platinum Scenic City designation by the Scenic City Certification Program of Scenic Texas.

These are just a handful of recent recognitions. You can find a full listing at www.cor.net/awards.