Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. University Park grades A overall, ranked 9th of 640 in Texas. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates. Its schools outperform 97% of the state's and the median household earns $250K. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $2.5 million, 27.4 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income. 91% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in University Park, where Texas’ towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 1 of Texas’ 999 towns score higher on walkability. University Park has 10 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Clements Hall and Fred Florence Hall.
Where University Park beats most towns.
| Widest gap | University Park | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 19.1% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Hyer El | PK–4 | 485 |
| University Park El | PK–4 | 463 |
| University Park Umc Weekday School | PK–K | 307 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far University Park is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,200 in 1930, 25,278 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1924 and 6 maps from 1931 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around University Park. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi Stadium & arenaCotton Bowl
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaAT&T Stadium
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaTexas Stadium
in town Stadium & arenaGerald J. Ford Stadium
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaGlobe Life Field
17 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over TexasCotton Bowl: Robbiewest88, Public domain · AT&T Stadium: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Texas Stadium: Allspamme, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerald J. Ford Stadium: Jmcstrav, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Globe Life Field: Drone To Fly, CC BY 3.0 · Six Flags Over Texas: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in University Park, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in University Park.
University Park has schools in the top 5% of Texas and has less no health insurance than most of Texas, but it has seen reported crime rise by a fifth or more.
At 27.4 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income, the typical home (about $2.47M) costs more against local pay than in any other Texas town; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Values rose 8.7% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%.
University Park’s median rent is $3,272 a month. Typical home values rose 8.7% in the year to September 2026. 83% of University Park households own their home.
| University Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,272 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #3 of the 642 Texas towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.47M.
Its public schools are run by Highland Park ISD. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 939 | A+ |
| Highland Park H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,119 | A+ |
| McCulloch IntTop results in townGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 871 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
The trail density in University Park is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| University Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Native Texas Park | 0.7 mi | 9 |
| 2. Northcrest Park | 0.4 mi | 4 |
| 3. Burleson Park | 0.4 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Texas is no health insurance: 6.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 19.1% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like University Park’s, it is healthier than 60%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
6.2% of adults have diabetes in University Park. Among 641 Texas towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than University Park. 25% of adults have obesity in University Park.
| University Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.2% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 7.8% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 39% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | University Park | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.8% | 19.3% |
| More binge drinkers | 21% | 17% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Dallas Love Fld weather station 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°.
University Park has mild winters and hot summers. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| University Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 8,494 working residents takes 17.3 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas. 22.7% of workers work from home, against 14.4% across Texas.
Most working residents leave University Park for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, University Park has added 1,808 jobs, to 10,727 in 2023. Only 6 of the 642 Texas towns we compare have a higher median household income than University Park.
| University Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes rose from 296 to 385 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. At 15.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 72% of Texas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in University Park.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
25 within 15 miles of the center of University Park
College town 19 of every 100 University Park residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
10 places in University Park on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Texas, United States
University Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, in suburban Dallas. The population was 25,278 at the 2020 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. University Park is bordered on the north, east and west by Dallas and on the south by the town of Highland Park. University Park and Highland Park together comprise the Park Cities, an enclave of Dallas. University Park is one of the most affluent places in Texas based on per capita income; it is ranked #12. In 2018, data from the American Community Survey revealed that University Park was the second wealthiest city in the United States, with a median household income of $198,438 and a poverty rate of 4.2%. Add…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with University Park.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Park | #9 | A | D− | B | A+ | A+ |
| Highland Park | #71 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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