Photo:Jo JoLavon is part of the Dallas area. This page covers the whole metro.
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Around Dallas
What Dallas is known for
Every year
AprDeep Ellum Arts Festival: live music and arts booths festivaltourtexas.com
JunDallas Pride: pride celebration that moved to June in 2019visitdallas.com
SepState Fair of Texas: large annual fair held at Fair Parktexastimetravel.com
Busiest time
Summer: peak tourist season with higher hotel priceslonelyplanet.com
On a normal week
Visiting the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardenen.wikipedia.org
Walking along the Trinity River trailsen.wikipedia.org
One resident recommends several parks and preserves near Dallas including Cedar Ridge Preserve, Cedar Hill State Park, and Dogwood Canyon.
“Closer to Dallas there is Cedar Ridge Preserve, Cedar Hill State Park, Dogwood Canyon”
One resident mentioned the Arboretum has a huge children's area along with a DART ride to the Dallas Zoo offering animal feeding, VR, and carousel and train rides.
“Arboretum has a huge children's area. DART ride to the Dallas Zoo”
One resident says the nightlife in Dallas is a good way to meet people if you are social, mentioning drag shows.
“The night life in Dallas is definitely a way to go. If you're social you'll definitely find some peeps to hang out with”
From 9 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident mentioned Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park, a concert at Dos Equis Pavilion, summer concerts at the Arboretum, and a show at The Majestic Theater downtown.
“Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park. A concert at Dos Equis Pavilion. Summer concerts at the Arboretum. A show at The Majestic Theater downtown...”
Read the full commentAbout 6 months agoOne resident describes DFW Young and Social Club as a dedicated meetup group with its own facility for ages 21 to 40.
“DFW Young and Social club is both on Meetup and have their own website and their own facility. Their age specification is 21-40. The pics of...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident says the club often hosts affordable events like dance classes, board games nights and park trail walks.
“DFW Young & Social Club often hosts events. Mostly dance classes for a modest price, but they'll do board games night, park trail walks, etc as...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident mentioned a social club that hosts many events and classes attracting people aged 25-40.
“There's a social club called DFW Young and Social that hosts a ton of events and classes. Lots of people between 25-40 attend them. The Loon...”
Read the full commentIn the last few monthsOne resident says Dallas is bad for dating and making friends but that there are plenty of social hobby opportunities if you get off Reddit.
“Dallas absolutely sucks when it comes to dating and making friends. Get off of Reddit! social hobbies, There's plenty of opportunities to make...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident feels dating apps lead to low quality interactions that make them feel less human
“I have tried apps and they are all full of low quality interactions. It makes you feel like you are not human, no matter what you try.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident who moved from Chicago says Dallas dating has been less accessible for them personally
“I’ve noticed Dallas dating is not accessible as where I grew up (Chicago), at least for me. Nothing has changed drastically about me, actually...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident has had some luck finding someone through dating apps and knows others who met their significant other that way
“I've known a few people who met their significant other on dating apps, I've used them in the past and have had some luck in finding someone.”
Read the full commentAbout 12 months agoOne resident says the nightlife in Dallas is a good way to meet people if you are social, mentioning drag shows.
“The night life in Dallas is definitely a way to go. If you're social you'll definitely find some peeps to hang out with. :) Edit: drag shows...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident says Meddlesome Moth is a gastropub and beer bar with a great beer selection, and calls Peticolas the best brewery in Dallas.
“Meddlesome Moth is a gastropub/beer bar that has a great selection of beers across all styles. Peticolas is the best brewery in Dallas. They...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident said Dallas is functional and has everything needed daily, but is no Chicago.
“TLDR: Dallas is a functional place to live. Everything you need on a daily basis is here. But it's no Chicago. On the other hand, move here and...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident noted Dallas has better job opportunities than Seattle due to proximity to Houston and Austin, but found the landscape boring and flat.
“Job opportunity is still better than Seattle due to proximity to Houston/Austin and larger population. Dallas landscape is boring and flat. it...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident finds Dallas lonely and individualistic, making it hard to form genuine connections.
“The one thing I really hate about Dallas is how lonely and individualistic this city can be. It feels so hard to make genuine connections...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.Recent stories from local outlets. Tap a headline to read it.
About 23,741 business locations in the Dallas area, employing about 449,862 people. That's about the usual U.S. share.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
One resident said the job market is booming but landing a job is not easy, requiring countless daily applications.
“Job market is booming, landing a job not so easy and I would apply to countless jobs every single morning and evening. I do have to say, I didn...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident noted that Dallas salaries appear higher than Utah's and that the cost of living in Texas remains favorable.
“The pay is $107k/year. I am assuming the dallas market pays more than utah. That 70k is more like 65k. Texas is definitely a good COL to be...”
Read the full commentAbout 9 months agoPick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
One resident felt summer now seems to stretch from May to Halloween and worried about heat stroke.
“It sort of seems like that the summer is stretching now from May to Halloween. I may be a heat stroke coming but I just didn’t think summers use to...”
Read the full commentIn the last few monthsOne resident praised the Dallas Museum of Art, Perot Museum, and Kessler Theater, noting it is free to the public.
“Dallas Museum of Art, Perot and museum of art are great. The Kessler Theater in Dallas, Texas. Free to the public. Their indoor gallery is also...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident noted that Dallas salaries appear higher than Utah's and that the cost of living in Texas remains favorable.
“The pay is $107k/year. I am assuming the dallas market pays more than utah. That 70k is more like 65k. Texas is definitely a good COL to be...”
Read the full commentAbout 9 months agoOne resident said transit in Dallas is pretty good by Texas standards, with walkable stops near bus lines and bike paths.
“Transit in Dallas is pretty good by Texas standards, best walkable stops … right off of a couple bus lines and bike paths. If you want the BEST...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident describes DFW Young and Social Club as a dedicated meetup group with its own facility for ages 21 to 40.
“DFW Young and Social club is both on Meetup and have their own website and their own facility. Their age specification is 21-40. The pics of...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoWhat residents said in a local survey
From the 2025 Community Survey.
- 63% of residents felt the quality of life in Dallas was excellent or good.
- 67% of residents felt Dallas was an excellent or good place to live.
- 80% of residents rated garbage collections as excellent or good.
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Dallas area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Dallas area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 1,101,564 rented homes in the Dallas area, 78% rent for under $2,000 a month and 97% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Dallas area rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Texas: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Texas DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Texas voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
15 public school districts in this county, with about 413,487 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Texas keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $194/week about $10,100 a year | $172/week about $8,900 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $180/week about $9,400 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $175/week about $9,100 a year | $160/week about $8,300 a year |
| School-age | $164/week about $8,500 a year |
For an infant at a center: $194/week here, $174 across TX, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 12% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
37 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Dallas. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.