Gaining and maintaining a level of success in the ever-changing tech industry often hinges on the environment one lives and works in, and San Antonio is keeping up with relative ease.

That's according to a new report, "The Top Tech Cities in the US: Ranking 100 Cities in 2024," by online security experts Cloudwards. The team examined 100 tech-reliant cities in the nation across 17 key indicators, including salaries for information technology professionals, a city's cost of living, internet quality, job opportunities and tech-related companies, and more.

San Antonio is the No. 18 best tech city in the nation, just barely missing the upper third of Texas cities; The Dallas suburb of Plano outshone them all at No. 4, and its neighbor Frisco came in at No. 10. San Antonio might find some inspiration from Austin, which made No. 7.

Here's how San Antonio stacked up in the major categories in the study:

• No. 19 – Career and Education
• No. 72 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• No. 11 – Internet Coverage and Quality
• No. 21 – Tech Community
• No. 56 – Cost of Living and Tech Salaries

The report only shared data on the top 10 cities, so San Antonians will need to take mental notes about what other Texans are doing to stay on top.

"Texas’s capital, Austin is a good place for startups since it’s easy to find top talent, initial capital and inexpensive office space," wrote the report's author. "However, due to the rapid rise in population (3 percent between 2021 and 2022), the cost of living has increased and access to good real estate has become more costly. Even so, the city’s distinct culture, access to educational opportunities and work-life balance continue to make Austin a popular choice for many IT professionals."

With many employers still embracing remote work, having a good wifi connection can make or break a person's ability to work from home. It seems that helped Plano, and San Antonio wasn't much further behind; 96 percent of Plano households have internet access, which was the single best connection rate of any city in the study.

Frisco also topped out in one category in particular, earning the title as "the most livable city in the U.S." according to Cloudwards.

Average salaries for IT professionals in Frisco come out to about $95,516 annually, which is only a $217 difference from Plano at $95,733. Given Austin's middling rank on the list above, no data was shared.

Nationally, the cities that round out the top five most tech-savvy cities in the U.S. are:

• No. 1 – New York City, New York
• No. 2 – Washington, D.C.
• No. 3 – San Francisco, California
• No. 4 – Plano, Texas
• No. 5 – Jersey City, New Jersey