Moving to Dallas
Dallas
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Affordability 4 out of 5
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Safety 4 out of 5
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Healthcare 3 out of 5
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Traffic Flow 3 out of 5
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Property affordability 5 out of 5
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Climate 5 out of 5
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Environment quality 5 out of 5
People from Dallas get a bit sick of the preconceived stereotypes outsiders have. If you are expecting to relocate to Dallas and move in next to an oil baron or rancher, adorned with a Stetson or big hair for the women, then you are likely to be disappointed.
It’s actually a very cosmopolitan city, which will probably surprise you. For example, did you know that Dallas is home to the largest urban arts district in the US?
Dallas is the 9th largest city in the US and the third largest in Texas with a population of 1,241,162. Everything in Dallas is big, from its St. Paddy’s parade to the biggest gay church in the US. As the saying goes, “Go big, or go home”.
Though originally founded along the Trinity River, Dallas is the largest city in the US not on a navigable waterway. The river was rerouted in the 1920s and as a result turned into a trickle. However, since the early 2000s the Trinity River Corridor Project has been steadily transforming the riverbed into an area of conservation and recreation. The plan is to connect every neighbourhood in the city with the Trinity River corridor to create new amenities and enhance the environment.
Being in the south, you might not be surprised to hear that Dallas is a city full of churches, both Protestant and Catholic. But all religions are represented with sizeable communities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus; Dallas is even home to the largest Jewish population in Texas. There are even two atheist churches.
The big event in Dallas is the State Fair of Texas, which has been held annually since 1886. The fair brings in an estimated $350 million each year to the city’s economy.
Job market
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranks Dallas as 14th in world rankings of GDP. The main industries are banking, commerce, telecommunications, computer technology, energy, healthcare and medical research, transportation and logistics.
The largest employers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area include Bank of America, American Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, Texas Health Resources and Baylor Healthcare System.
Forbes ranked Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan area as 9th Best Big City for Jobs 2014, noting that there were 2.2 million jobs in 2013 with a growth rate of 2.8 per cent for the same year.
The average monthly disposable salary in Dallas is aroun $4,000.
Property information
It’s a sellers market in Dallas right now. Prices are rising, but homes are selling quickly. The average number of days on the market for a Dallas metro listing is 54 days. The median price of homes currently listed in Dallas is $285,000 while the median price of homes that sold is $240,642. The median rental price in Dallas is $1,279 per month.
Compared to other Texan cities, Dallas is about 20% cheaper to rent in than in Austin, and 11% cheaper than living in Houston.
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Neighbourhoods
If you don’t drive, you might struggle living in Dallas. It’s simply not a city made for pedestrians or cyclists and the public transport system is fairly meagre. Transit is slowly improving with a light rail line that serves downtown and Oak Lawn, but for the most part Dallas is a car-dependent city.
The traffic is notoriously bad and to make matters worse Dallas was cited as being the 2nd-worst city for traffic accidents in 2013. So the short of it is, you need to like driving if you are relocating to Dallas.
For all the cars, Dallas does boast a lot of green spaces. The city maintains 406 parks on 21,000 acres and along with the Trinity River project there are plenty of spots where you can get away from the bustle and be at one with nature.
Family Friendly: North Dallas – North Dallas is an expansive area comprised of many neighbourhoods, including Preston Hollow, Oak Lawn and Bluffview. There’s a lot of green space, single-family residences and the neighbourhood is served by the Dallas Independent School District.
Hip and Trendy: Greenville Avenue – Upper Greenville Avenue is more upmarket, whilst lower Greenville Avenue has a distinctly Bohemian feel.
Upmarket: Swiss Avenue Historic District – Characterised by grand homes, Swiss Avenue is an upmarket residential area as well as a tourist attraction in its own right.
Up and Coming: Bryan Place – Bryan Place is a walkable neighbourhood in the shadow of Downtown’s skyscrapers.
Schools and education
There are 337 public schools and 89 private schools in Dallas. The biggest school provider is Dallas Independent Schools, which runs 155 elementary schools, 32 middle schools and 35 high schools.
Dallas was rated 5 out of 10 by Great Schools, based on its public schools’ test results. The district contains 11 schools that received gold, silver or bronze medals in the U.S. News Best High Schools rankings.
There are 37 colleges and universities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, many of them seminaries and religiously affiliated.
Cost of moving
The average shipping cost of moving for a family of three from the following cities will cost approximately:
| From | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sydney | £2,013 |
| London | £2,904 |
| Toronto | £3,872 |
| Dubai | £7,288 |
A day in the life
Start the day with an amazing breakfast wrap from Start, the drive-thru. Good quality, healthy food cooked from scratch but served quickly through a hatch so you can get on the road and enjoy your day in Dallas.
Drive out east for 25 miles (I know, but you are going to have to get used to sitting in your car) to Lewisville. There you can have a game of FootGolf- yep that’s right, replace the club with your foot and the little ball for a soccer ball- at the Lake Park Golf Club. It sounds silly but it’s loads of fun and becoming a bit of a thing in Dallas. It’s a good way to soak up all that sunshine too.
For lunch, drive back into the city to Deep Ellum where you can get some prize-winning ribs at Pecan Lodge. The stereotype that does hold true in Dallas is that BBQ, Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines are everyone’s favourites.
Spend the afternoon checking out the haunts of past jazz and blues artists such as Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter and Bessie Smith before heading over to the Arts District. It’s a purpose-built district with interesting architecture and home to thirteen visual and performing arts organisations.
The way to finish off the perfect day in Dallas is watching the Cowboys play at the AT&T Stadium. It’s always an entertaining afternoon watching the Cowboys even if you aren’t that into football.