With 1.3 million people, Dallas can't be summed up by one letter: its D averages neighborhoods that are worlds apart. Within Texas, that puts it 567th of 640. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns. What weighs on its grade: its crime rate is higher than 94% of U.S. towns, with 7,650 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and the typical home is worth about $303K, 3.4 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income. 43% of working residents work locally in Dallas, against 8.3% in Texas’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936-1937) and Dealey Plaza Historic District. Only 66 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on the outdoors.

StrongestAWalkability A⁻Outdoors A⁻HistoryWeakestDSafety C⁻Cost of living C⁻Schools

What makes Dallas stand out

Where Dallas beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936-1937)

HistoryA⁻

Settled in 1841

127 places on the National Register

A history going back 185 years.

Biggest of 14

College	Students
Dallas College	40,731
Dallas Baptist University	3,479
University of North Texas at Dallas	2,889

Colleges in town

14 colleges

54,181 students on campus

Students are 5% of residents.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Dallas5.7

Texas3.5

U.S.3.3

Worth knowing · SafetyD

63% more violent crime than TX

FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.

Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936-1937) · National Register of Historic Places

Dallas’s story

185 years in pictures

Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936-1937) is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 127 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Texas towns with a listing.

Census counts: 1,073 in 1850, a low of 698 in 1860, 1,304,379 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 6 maps from 1931 on.

1841Dallas is settled

Explore the history →

How Dallas grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Dallas is from typical.

How grading works

SafetyDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.7 of 20; 8.8% of households have no car; 4.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →Cost of livingC⁻Open →SchoolsC⁻Open →HealthBaylor Scott & White Heart & Vascular Hospital - Dallas 0.9 miles awayC⁺Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC⁺Open →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors8% conserved landA⁻Open →History24 notable people born hereA⁻Open →Civic life0.4 library visits per resident; 3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 96° summer afternoons, 2″ of snow–Open →Housing market40 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.4–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Cotton Bowl and 77 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dallas. Close and well known come first.

All 82 attractions →

Big drawin town Stadium & arenaCotton Bowl

Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaAT&T Stadium

Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaTexas Stadium

Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaGlobe Life Field

in town LookoutReunion Tower

3 mi Stadium & arenaGerald J. Ford Stadium

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Cotton Bowl: Robbiewest88, Public domain · AT&T Stadium: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Texas Stadium: Allspamme, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Globe Life Field: Drone To Fly, CC BY 3.0 · Reunion Tower: Batrak, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gerald J. Ford Stadium: Jmcstrav, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Dallas: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Dallas, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterDallas Water UtilityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site

SchoolsDallas Independent School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereDallas County Early Voting ClerkDallas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024

ZIP codes75217, 75228, 75211, 7524375217 7% · 75228 5% · 75211 5% · 75243 5%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Dallas.

Dallas draws workers from Fort Worth and beyond and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it reports more crime than Irving and its other graded neighbors.

SafetyD

Dallas earns a D for safety

Each of the 7 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Irving (C−) to Rockwall (B−). Reported crimes fell from 61,354 to 48,294 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

The property crime rate in Dallas is 30.5 per 1,000 residents. Dallas reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less. The violent crime rate in Dallas is 5.7 per 1,000 residents.

6%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	30.5 per 1,000 residents	10.7	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	5.7 per 1,000 residents	1.9	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Dallas5.7

Texas3.5

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Dallas30.5

Texas18.1

U.S.15.5

6th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

4th

percentile among TX towns

7,650

violent crimes reported in 2025

40,644

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageDallas’ safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type5.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its 10 graded neighbors Questions“Is Dallas, TX safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

SchoolsC⁻

On state tests, Dallas’ schools trail 82% of Texas districts

Its public schools are run by Dallas ISD. Three of its 441 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

18%of TX districts it outscoresC⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Trinity Basin Preparatory - DallasLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8	Grades PK–8	1,873	C
Skyline H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	3,837	C
Lakewood ElTop results in townGrades K–5	Grades K–5	1,067	A⁺

Full pageDallas’ schools pageOpen the page

The districtsDALLAS ISD Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 10 graded neighbors Every school441 schools · Trinity Basin Preparatory - Dallas Questions“Are Dallas’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B⁻

About one in two working residents works right in Dallas

915,161 jobs are based in Dallas, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.

17% of Dallas residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Dallas has added 148,725 jobs, to 915,161 in 2023. 16% of Dallas workers work from home.

43%work in town

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	17%	12%	9.6%
Work from home	16%	9.6%	11%

Where working residents work

In Dallas43%

Irving6%

Plano5%

Richardson4%

Fort Worth3%

10 mi

median commute distance

915,161

jobs based in Dallas

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 91% of U.S. towns

Full pageDallas’ work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here915,161 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work43% work in Dallas Commute times26 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 10 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

OutdoorsA⁻

Dallas has set aside 8.2% of its land for conservation

243 miles of trail in 275 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Trinity River Floodway, 2,918 acres with 36.9 miles of trail. Dallas’ trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile.

#128for trails in TX

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	8.2%	1.9%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.6 miles per square mile	0.3	0.4

8.2%

conserved · 19,996 of 244,499 acres

243 mi

of trails · 0.6 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Trinity River Floodway	36.9 mi	2,918
2. Oak Cliff Nature Preserve	8.7 mi	144
3. Cedar Ridge Preserve	7.7 mi	669

Full pageDallas’ outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map243 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk36.9 miles of trail · Trinity River Floodway Conserved land8.2% conserved · 19,996 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Dallas?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

In Dallas, expect mild winters and hot summers

The Dallas Love Fld weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 108 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.3°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.1°.

Dallas has mild winters and hot summers. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.

2″snow a winter

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
July high	95°F	95°F	85°F
January low	36°F	37°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter38–59°

Spring55–76°

Summer74–94°

Fall56–78°

Nov 29

typical first frost

Mar 2

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageDallas’ climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 95°, January lows 36°Rain & snow2″ of snow a winter · 40 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthC⁺

Health in Dallas trails 58% of U.S. towns

Dallas beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 23% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Dallas.

42%healthier than U.S. townsC⁺Health Grade

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES)	23%	18%	8.1%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	25%	20%	14%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	20%	22%	23%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	31%	30%	25%

31 measures vs. Texas

2 better21 too close to call8 worse

What stands out	Dallas	TX
Fewer adults who have had cancer	5%	6.1%
Fewer adults with arthritis	18.9%	21.6%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	16.6%	12.5%

Baylor Scott & White Heart & Vascular Hospital - Dallas

0.9 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

57th

percentile among TX towns

Full pageDallas’ health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby0.9 miles to an ER · Baylor Scott & White Heart & Vascular Hospital - Dallas How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than TX on 2 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Who lives here

More young adults than Texas overall

Only 42.4% of households own their home, against 62.6% across Texas.

Adults 18 to 34 are 29% of residents (24% statewide). 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Texas.

33.4median age · TX 35.6

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	38%	23%	29%
Median age	33.4 years	35.9 years	40.5 years
Aged 65 or older	12%	14%	18%
Under 18	24%	26%	22%

DallasTexasUnited States

TXU.S.

Ages · share of residents

19%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma19%

High school21%

Some college16%

Associate’s5%

Bachelor’s23%

Graduate15%

Women and men · all residents

50.0% women, 50.0% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±0.3 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 33.7, men 33.1.

Ages and education in Dallas
	Dallas	TX	U.S.
Under 10	13.4%	13.3%	11.6%
10 to 17	10.5%	11.7%	10.3%
18 to 24	9.7%	9.7%	9.1%
25 to 34	18.8%	14.5%	13.7%
35 to 44	13.7%	14.1%	13.2%
45 to 54	11.5%	12.3%	12.2%
55 to 64	10.5%	11.1%	12.7%
65 to 74	7.2%	8.2%	10.2%
75 and older	4.6%	5.2%	7%
No diploma	18.9%	14%	10.4%
High school	21.2%	24.3%	26%
Some college	16.2%	20.1%	19.1%
Associate’s	5.4%	7.7%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	23.4%	21.5%	21.6%
Graduate	14.9%	12.3%	14.1%

Full pageDallas by the numbersOpen the page

Ages33.4 median age · 12% are 65 or older Schooling38% have a four-year degree Homes42% own their home · Homeowners Income$71K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C⁺

Dallas faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

940 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 97 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 940 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dallas.

53risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes

940

paid flood claims since 1979

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageDallas’ hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims940 paid flood claims · Since 1979 Past disasters6 federal disasters · Paid out in Dallas Get ready4.5 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HousingCost of living grade C⁻

Dallas earns a C− for cost of living

The typical value, about $303K, is 7% below its May 2024 peak.

The typical Dallas home is worth about $303,000, down 1.4% in a year, close to the Texas typical home.

$303KZillow home value

	Dallas	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	42%	69%	73%
Median rent	$1,472 a month	$1,206 a month	$1,185 a month
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	52%	50%	48%

Typical home value

Dallas$303K

Texas$296K

Market temperature

days on market

97.6%

sale-to-list price

−1.4%

value change, 1 year

917

homes sold in May

Full pageDallas’ housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsDown 1.4% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.3 years of income Rents$1,472 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 6 of its 10 graded neighbors

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Dallas

20pages on Dallas

The big questions

SchoolsC⁻Behind 82% of TX districts · 441 schools SafetyD5.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC⁺Better than TX on 2 of 31 CDC measures Cost of livingC⁻$303K typical home · down 1.4% in a year Work & commuteB⁻$71K median household income · 915,161 jobs here Natural hazardsC⁺FEMA risk higher than 53% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻243 mi of trails · 8% conserved land PlacesAttractions82 nearby · Cotton Bowl under 1 mi LibraryD0.4 library visits per resident CollegesUniversity of North Texas at Dallas, in town

The story

HistoryA⁻Settled 1841 · 127 on the National Register Famous people24 born in Dallas Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 81 residents Climate96° summer highs · 2″ of snow

Day to day

News6 recent stories about Dallas WeatherHandbookZIP code 75201, 75202, 75203 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

23 within 15 miles of the center of Dallas

University of North Texas at DallasUniversity or college · Public · DallasIn town$9,595 in-state tuition Paul Quinn CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · DallasIn town$13,498 tuition Dallas Baptist UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · DallasIn town$40,190 tuition

About 5 of every 100 Dallas residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

Dallas College calls Dallas home

14 colleges in town.

Dallas College40,731 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $3,214
Graduate: 32%

Dallas Baptist University3,479 students on campus

Admission: 89%
Net price: $28,516
Graduate: 57%

University of North Texas at Dallas2,889 students on campus

Admission: 84%
Net price: $6,420
Graduate: 42%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

127 places in Dallas on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936-1937)National Historic Landmark

Dealey Plaza Historic DistrictBuilt 1940 · National Historic Landmark

Swiss Avenue Historic District

Sanger Brothers Complex

Famous people from Dallas

24 notable people were born in Dallas.

See all 24 →

Melinda GatesAmerican philanthropist · born 1964

UsherAmerican R&B singer · born 1978

Owen WilsonAmerican actor · born 1968

Nick JonasAmerican singer, actor and musician · born 1992

Robin WrightAmerican actress · born 1966

Sharon TateAmerican actress and model · 1943–1969

About Dallas

City in Texas, United States

Official town website ↗

Dallas is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in northern Texas, it is the ninth-most populous city in the United States and third-most populous city in Texas, with a population of 1.3 million at the 2020 census. Along with the city of Fort Worth, Dallas anchors the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous metropolitan area in Texas, at 8.5 million people. Dallas is a core city of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern U.S. and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea. It is the seat of Dallas County, covering nearly 386 square miles (1,000 km2) and extending into …

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1841
Area: 385 sq mi
Elevation: 430 ft
ZIP code: 75201, 75202, 75203
Area code: 214, 469, 972

Dallas’s neighbors

10 towns share a border with Dallas.

Explore the map →

All 7 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Cedar Hill (D) is closest.

How the neighbors grade

Town	TX rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Dallas	#567	D	C⁻	D	C⁻	C⁺
Rowlett	#229	C⁺	D	B⁻	B⁻	A⁻
Garland	#379	C⁻	C⁻	C	B⁻	C⁺
Rockwall	#70	B⁺	D	B⁻	A	A
Irving	#389	C⁻	D	C⁻	C⁻	B⁺
Cedar Hill	#483	D	D	C⁺	C⁻	B⁻
Grand Prairie	#450	D	C⁻	C⁺	C	C⁺
Carrollton	#110	B	D	B⁻	B⁺	A⁻

Compare Dallas with a neighbor →

Questions about Dallas

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Dallas, TX a good place to live?

Dallas grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #567 of 640 in Texas. It grades C+ for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Dallas, TX expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.

What is Dallas, TX known for?

24 notable people were born here, including Melinda Gates and Usher.

Post to Dallas

Check your email

DallasTX

What is it like to live in Dallas?

What makes Dallas stand out

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

185 years in pictures

How Dallas grades

Cotton Bowl and 77 more within 40 miles

Moving to Dallas: who provides what

The data

Dallas earns a D for safety

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

On state tests, Dallas’ schools trail 82% of Texas districts

About one in two working residents works right in Dallas

Where working residents work

Dallas has set aside 8.2% of its land for conservation

In Dallas, expect mild winters and hot summers

Typical low → high °F

Health in Dallas trails 58% of U.S. towns

More young adults than Texas overall

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

Women and men · all residents

Dallas faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Dallas earns a C− for cost of living

Typical home value

Everything we know about Dallas

Colleges nearby

Dallas College calls Dallas home

Landmarks

Famous people from Dallas

About Dallas

Dallas’s neighbors

Questions about Dallas