In May 2008, Kiplinger's Personal Finance released its rankings of best places to live, work and play, and the Austin-Round Rock metro area ranked No. 6.

According to Kiplinger's, the ranking looks for places with "strong economies and abundant jobs, then demand reasonable living costs and plenty of fun things to do."

Jane Bennett Clark, Senior Associate Editor, had this to say about Round Rock: "This family-oriented suburb boasts topnotch public schools along with a local economy that includes Dell, three hospitals and a brisk business in sports tourism thanks to the playing fields it rents out for tournaments."

"The ranking formula highlights cities not just with strong past performance, but also with all the ingredients for future success," said Kevin Stolarick, research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute.

"One key to a bright future is a healthy shot of people in the creative class," according to Kiplinger's. "People in creative fields -- scientists, engineers, architects, educators, writers, artists and entertainers -- are catalysts of vitality and livability in a city."

The study noted 26.5 percent of the area's workforce is in the creative class, and the cost of living index is 92.8 (100 being national average).