Waco, TX, United States

Life in Waco, Texas is no picnic. The local high school, Connally High, was once forced to temporarily house students from nearby West after a devastating fertilizer plant explosion in 2013. And the city's dress code policies have been a persistent headache, swinging back and forth between strict uniforms and more relaxed rules.

On the upside, the school has a rich athletic tradition, with the boys track team winning a state title in 1993 and the girls squad claiming championships in 2009 and 2012. Academically, the Connally Academic Team is a regional powerhouse, and the speech and debate program has been district champs for four straight years.

In short, Waco is a place where you'll need to navigate a fair amount of bureaucratic red tape, but you might find some solace in the community's tight-knit spirit - if high school sports and academic competitions are your thing.