Dallas is a major metropolitan city in northern Texas located roughly 240 miles north of Houston. Like Houston, the city is a commercial and economic hub, though unlike Houston, the city is far inland from the ocean and any major rivers.
Dallas is just east of Fort Worth Texas, and the two cities make up part of a much larger statistical area known as Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (Est. population of 7.2 million). Dallas County alone was estimated to have 2.5 million residents in 2016.
Dallas was developed largely due to the construction of major railroad lines through the area. That followed by the construction of the Interstate Highway System solidified Dallas’ prominence as a transportation hub.
More than just Cowboys and BBQ, read on to find out what it takes to live and work in Dallas Texas!
Working in Dallas
Industry
Due to factors like low-cost and low-tax, Dallas is an ideal environment for corporations to land. In fact, the city has attracted a number of Fortune 500 companies to plant roots and is now home to the third highest concentration in the US. As such, it should come as no surprise that the Dallas-Fort Worth area boasted the fastest growing metro area in the state year over year with jobs over 3.6 million.
As a constant hub for industry, Dallas has roots in manufacturing private goods and is now a major center for commerce, energy, computers, and medical research, allowing for a diverse economy.
Top employers in the area include American Airlines (Transportation), AT&T (Telecommunications), Bank of America, HCA North Texas (Healthcare), JPMorgan Chase (Finance), and Lockheed Martin (Manufacturing) all contribute over 10K employees each.
Employers to Note
These are just a handful of the many companies headquartered in Dallas that are worth noting: J.C. Penney, GameStop, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Chili’s, Dave & Buster’s, Frito-Lay, and Rolex.
Did You Know…?
Dallas is home to the largest farmers’ market in the US. The market started in the late 1800s, where farmers sold directly from their wagons. Millions of people visit every year, all year round.
And you thought hipsters came up with the idea…
Living in Dallas
Life in Dallas
Like most of Texas, Dallas has a humid subtropical climate but does experience four distinct seasons. Winters are typically mild, though snowfall during winter is not uncommon. Summer is hot and dry with an average low of 76.7 degrees Fahrenheit and an average high of 96.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beware, Dallas is at the lower-end of the “Tornado Alley”, and as such, is often prone to extreme weathers, tornadoes and severe hailstorms as a result.
The city maintains and operates 406 parks on 21,000 acres of parkland throughout the county. They contain 17 separate lakes, including White Rock and Bachman lakes. Dallas residents can enjoy 61.6 miles of biking and jogging trails, 276 sports fields, 60 swimming pools, 232 playgrounds, 173 basketball courts, 112 volleyball courts, and much more!
According to recent census data, Dallas boasts a large Mexican-American population with 42.4% of the population is derived from Hispanic or Latino origins and 25% African-American.
The northern section of Downtown is home to several arts venues including the Dallas Museum of Art, The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.
Sports fans have their choice of teams as the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is home to six major league teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, FC Dallas, and the Dallas Wings.
Transportation in Dallas
Getting around in Dallas is relatively easy as there is a well-developed network of interstate freeways, state highways, and tollways. As the area is so large, owning your own vehicle is common for most Dallas residents. It’s estimated that 90% of the workforce drives themselves to work with an average commute time of 27.5 minutes.
While most residents choose to drive themselves, the city does have a reportedly excellent public transportation system known as DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit). DART is the public transportation authority that provides rail and buses for commuters. It is the seventh-busiest light rail system in the country with 55 stations on 72 miles of light rail, and 10 stations on 35 miles of commuter rail.
House Prices in Dallas
As the city is reporting good economic growth, it makes sense that the housing market is rapidly rising, too. In fact, house values in Dallas are higher now than ever before according to the widely cited Case-Shiller Home Price Index.
According to HSH.com the median home price in the area is around $230,000, though Zillow reports the median listing price as $390,000 and the median monthly rent at $1,600.
Education in Dallas
The public school system is Dallas is the Dallas Independent School District, the 12th-largest school district in the United States and second largest in Texas. The school district operates independently of the city and enrolls over 161,000 students in over 337 public schools.
The center of education for much of the south central United States, Dallas is home to a number of universities, colleges, trade schools, and other educational institutions both within its city limits and in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area.
Some colleges and universities in the Dallas city limits include: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Texas Woman’s University (TWU), Paul Quinn College, and The University of North Texas at Dallas.
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