Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Dallas

You think about moving to Dallas but want to get additional information about the city before making your final decision in this regard?

Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Dallas in the following chapters.

Living in Dallas – Overview

Advantages of Living in Dallas

1. Dallas is not as crowded as other major cities
2. Population is growing in Dallas
3. Dallas is an important economic region
4. Dallas has a decent future
5. Property prices are still far lower compared to other major cities
6. Rents are reasonable
7. Average person is able to afford a decent home
8. You will not have to search that long for finding a suitable place to stay
9. You can make decent property investments in Dallas
10. People in Dallas are friendly
11. People will often help you out
12. Dallas is a pretty tolerant place
13. Dallas attracts people from all over the country
14. You can meet people from all over the world
15. You can try many delicious foods
16. Easy to socialize in Dallas
17. Many big sports events take place in Dallas
18. Living in Dallas can make sense if you love architecture
19. Dallas has a decent art scene
20. You will find many interesting museums and exhibitions
21. You will find many big corporations to work for
22. Dallas has a relatively low unemployment rate
23. Good jobs for highly-qualified people
24. Decent education level in Dallas
25. Many leisure activities in Dallas
26. You will have more than enough entertainment
27. Dallas can be a great place to live for every age group
28. Dallas offers great weather
29. You can enjoy mild winters
30. You can spend lots of time outdoors in Dallas
31. Many recreational spaces in Dallas
32. People are not as busy as in many other big cities
33. Dallas is a culturally interesting place
34. You can have many interesting conversations
35. You can build a strong business network in Dallas
36. Decent nightlife in Dallas
37. You will find most things for daily life within walking distance
38. You can enjoy the comfort of a big city in general
39. Dallas has an international airport
40. Decent public transport near the Dallas city center

Dallas is not as crowded as other major cities

One advantage of moving to Dallas is that the city is still not as crowded as other major cities in the US and this makes it harder for you to get around also gives you more opportunities to find a quiet space to relax from your stressful life or just to be on your own in case you don’t want to have company during difficult periods of your life.

Population is growing in Dallas

Moving to Dallas can also make sense since the Dallas region is growing substantially and the city has become increasingly popular.

In turn, the city attracts many interesting and ambitious people and you can therefore make many important social connections and expand your circle of friends in the long run.

Dallas is an important economic region

Dallas is among the 10 biggest cities in the US and this implies that it is also a pretty important economic region.

In turn, the state will do everything so that Dallas will stay an important place to work and a great place to live for many years to come and overall public infrastructure will therefore remain decent for many decades.

Dallas has a decent future

Since Dallas is such an important economic region and contributes significantly to national GDP and population is growing as well, Dallas will most likely have a bright future and if you move to Dallas right now, you may be able to reap the benefits before it becomes a real trend city.

Property prices are still far lower compared to other major cities

Since Dallas is still a rather unpopular city to live in compared to other major cities like L.A. or NYC, property prices are much lower and you will often be able to make a real bargain and to buy at pretty low levels.

Hence, while many people who move to New York City will often have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on mortgage payments, you may have more money left for other things if you move to Dallas instead.

Rents are reasonable

Not only property prices are still reasonable, but also rents are decently low compared to other big cities and this means that you don’t have to spend lots of money on housing and can save and invest more money for retirement.

Average person is able to afford a decent home

Since property prices are rents are still reasonably low, the average person in Dallas is still able to afford to live in a decent home while this is no longer possible in other more expensive cities in the US.

For instance, people moving to Los Angeles often complain about enormously high property prices and often have to share an apartment with other people since they just can’t afford to rent an apartment on their own.

You will not have to search that long for finding a suitable place to stay

Since housing shortage is not a big problem in Dallas yet, you will also find a suitable place to stay within a rather short period of time and don’t have to search for many months as would often be the case if you moved to other more popular places.

You can make decent property investments in Dallas

Another reason to move to Dallas is that you can also make pretty decent property investments right now.

Since prices have not increased as much as in other regions, rental yields in Dallas are still pretty decent and this allows you to build a property investment portfolio much faster than in other regions.

People in Dallas are friendly

People in Dallas are also pretty friendly. Sure, you will sometimes have conversations with unfriendly and frustrated people.

However, most of the time, you will meet kind and outgoing people and you can therefore have a great time with locals.

People will often help you out

Not only are people in Dallas friendly, but most of them are also willing to help you out in case you get into trouble or need assistance with minor issues.

For instance, if you don’t know your way home yet and your smartphone battery is empty, you will often find people showing you how you get back home in the most efficient manner and this is true for many other things of daily life.

Dallas is a pretty tolerant place

Another upside to moving to Dallas is that it is also a pretty tolerant place and it doesn’t really matter from where you come from as long as you are friendly and tolerant yourself and are also willing to adapt to the local lifestyle.

Dallas attracts people from all over the country

Since people in Dallas are often open and friendly and don’t care about where you come from, Dallas also attracts people from all over the US and it has become increasingly popular for people who live in more expensive regions right now but want to lower their housing and living costs in general.

You can meet people from all over the world

Not only is Dallas attractive to people from all over the US, but it also attracts nice people from all over the world and you can therefore have many interesting discussions with people from all over the world and can see the world from a different perspective which really helps you grow in character.

You can try many delicious foods

Dallas is also a big city with many cultural influences and this means that you will also be able to try foods from various parts of the world.

Not only will this just make your life much better, but you will also learn a lot about cooking in general and can apply some of this knowledge when it comes to cooking at home for your loved ones.

Easy to socialize in Dallas

Since people in Dallas are friendly and outgoing and you will have many places and activities where you can connect to other people, it is also easy to socialize and to make new friends in Dallas within a rather short period of time and you therefore don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated once you move to this region as long as you are friendly and outgoing yourself and also know how to behave.

Many big sports events take place in Dallas

Moving to Dallas can also be great for you in case you are a sports fan and want to watch many games on the highest level.

For instance, you can watch the Dallas Cowboys or other sports teams and can just have a great time together with other like-minded people.

Living in Dallas can make sense if you love architecture

Another benefit of moving to Dallas is that it is a great place to live in if you are interested in architecture.

In fact, there are many exciting and interesting buildings that you can watch in Dallas and can really learn a lot in this regard.

Dallas has a decent art scene

Similar to living in San Francisco, you will also find a nice art scene in Dallas and if you are interested in this kind of stuff, you will find many like-minded people to hang out with and you can therefore also really improve your skills in the long run.

You will find many interesting museums and exhibitions

Not only will you find many decent artists, but you will also be able to visit many museums and have a look at interesting exhibitions and chances are that you will never run out of options in this regard.

You will find many big corporations to work for

Since Dallas is a big and economically strong region, you will also find many big corporations to work for in various industries.

Hence, it doesn’t really matter what subject you have specialized in as long as you provide enough value to the corporate world to get a decent job.

Dallas has a relatively low unemployment rate

Since Dallas has a pretty low unemployment rate, many people don’t have to worry about getting laid-off since even in case this might happen, most people would find a new job pretty soon and this knowledge can really make your work life much easier and also takes away some pressure off of your shoulders.

Good jobs for highly-qualified people

You will also have a pretty easy time in the labor market if you are highly-qualified and offer many skills that are needed in the job market right now.

For instance, if you are an IT expert, you will almost have freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for.

Decent education level in Dallas

Another advantage of living in Dallas is that overall education levels are decent and you will have many decent schools and colleges to choose from.

In turn, you can make sure that you and your loved ones get decent education to maximize the chances of finding a good job later on.

Many leisure activities in Dallas

Since Dallas is such a big city, you can also choose among many different leisure activities.

Not only can you go hiking, fishing or swimming, but you can also go to the movies and enjoy many other amenities that come along with living in a big city and chances are that you will never run out of ideas in this regard.

You will have more than enough entertainment

Another reason for moving to Dallas is that you will also never run out of entertainment options and there will just always be something going on so that you will never get bored and will always have to do something in your leisure.

Dallas can be a great place to live for every age group

Since Dallas has so many different things to offer, it is a great place to live in for every age group and you can therefore move to Dallas and may never want to leave the region again since you will just find everything you expect and would not have an incentive to move to a different city anytime soon.

Dallas offers great weather

Another upside to living in Dallas is that it also offers great weather.

In fact, if you love the sun and the heat, Dallas will be a great place to live for you since you will have more than enough opportunities to enjoy the sun on a regular basis.

You can enjoy mild winters

Not only summers are great in Dallas, but also winters are pretty warm and you can often hang out outdoors without having to wear a heavy jacket.

Instead, you can just wear a shirt and you will be good to go for most of the time.

You can spend lots of time outdoors in Dallas

Since the weather is pretty awesome and you can enjoy many hours of sun without having to worry about rainy days that much, you can also spend lots of time outdoors in the Dallas region and this can also be great since your risk of suffering from health issues will be lower compared to a person who just sits indoors all day long and doesn’t get any physical exercise at all.

Many recreational spaces in Dallas

Another benefit of living in Dallas is that there are so many recreational spaces.

Not only can you spend your leisure swimming in nice lakes nearby Dallas, but you will also find many parks and other green spaces within city borders and this gives you the opportunity to relax and to reload your batteries during lunchtime for the stressful things that may be yet to come.

People are not as busy as in many other big cities

Since people in Dallas don’t have to spend as much money on housing as in many other big cities, they are often also less stressed and are also not as career-focused.

In turn, it will be easier to get in touch with people in Dallas compared to NYC where people are often in a rush since they have to get from one meeting to the other.

Dallas is a culturally interesting place

Since Dallas is an open and welcoming place, you can also meet people from many different cultures and this not only gives you the opportunity to expand your knowledge, but it will also make you more tolerant in the long run since you will notice that many people from different parts of the world are pretty friendly and helpful.

You can have many interesting conversations

Since you can meet so many different people, you can also have many interesting conversations and you will always find someone who would be willing to engage in a nice chat with you.

For instance, when you are waiting for the bus, you can just start a conversation with people nearby and can also make many new connections pretty quickly.

You can build a strong business network in Dallas

Since Dallas attracts highly-qualified people from all over the world, it is also pretty easy to connect with influential people from the corporate world and if you know how to do it, you can build a strong business network pretty soon from which you can benefit for the rest of your life.

Decent nightlife in Dallas

While Dallas doesn’t have as many nice bars and clubs as NYC or other more popular cities out there, it still offers decent nightlife and most people will be more than satisfied with the selection of locations you can choose from.

You will find most things for daily life within walking distance

Since Dallas provides decent public infrastructure, you will also find most things for daily life within walking distance and also don’t have to drive to other cities to get what you need as would be the case if you lived in smaller towns.

You can enjoy the comfort of a big city in general

Dallas also offers many nice things and the comfort of big city life in general and you will just find everything you need to live a happy and content life.

Dallas has an international airport

It is also pretty easy to get from Dallas to various parts of the world since you will just have a big international airport and many planes going to various big cities without even having to deal with layovers so that you can get from A to B in the most efficient manner.

Decent public transport near the Dallas city center

Dallas also offers decent public transport, at least if you live near the city center.

Hence, if you live in the center, you may not even need a car to get around but can rather take the bus or train or rely on other means of transport.

Now that you know many reasons to move to Dallas, we should also talk about all the downsides that come along with it so that you can better decide whether you still want to live in Dallas or rather want to move to a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Dallas

1. Income level is pretty low in Dallas
2. Good jobs only for highly-qualified people
3. Housing shortage may become a serious problem in the future
4. Property prices and rents may increase further
5. Average person may struggle to make a living just a few years from now
6. Many locals may have to leave the region
7. Water scarcity may become a big problem
8. Wildfires may burn down your home in the Dallas region
9. Tornadoes are a problem as well
10. Dallas is not the most glamorous city
11. Traffic has become increasingly worse
12. Hard to find a parking lot in Dallas
13. Dallas is a pretty hot place
14. Lack of real seasons may become annoying
15. Crime rate is above national average
16. Many dodgy neighborhoods in Dallas
17. Gap between the poor and the rich tends to increase
18. Social tensions may lower overall quality of life
19. Homelessness has become a serious problem in Dallas
20. Dallas is not the most popular place among tourists
21. Dallas is not the most glamorous city
22. Hard to meet celebrities in Dallas
23. Dallas has pretty poor air quality
24. Dallas is not the most bike-friendly city
25. Rather poor public transport in the suburbs
26. You may need a car to get around
27. It takes lots of time to get from one end of Dallas to the other
28. Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Dallas
29. Many problems that come along with living in a big city
30. Dallas doesn’t provide you the feeling of big city life as you get in NYC
31. Not as many great shopping opportunities in Dallas
32. Not as many good colleges as in other major cities in the US
33. Nature is not as beautiful as in other regions
34. People in Dallas often live a pretty unhealthy lifestyle
35. You should not have too high expectations

Income level is pretty low in Dallas

One downside to living in Dallas is that the average income level is pretty low and unless you have some valuable specialization or other things that provide lots of value to corporations, chances are that you will make pretty poor money in Dallas.

Good jobs only for highly-qualified people

You should also know that while highly-qualified people can find good jobs and make decent money, low-qualified people often have a hard time getting a decent job and sometimes even have to work a second job to pay their bills.

Housing shortage may become a serious problem in the future

While housing shortage is not a big problem in Dallas yet, it may become a serious issue in the future since population is growing and the higher population numbers, the higher demand for housing and the higher the risk that many people will not find a suitable place to stay anymore.

Property prices and rents may increase further

While property prices and rents are still lower compared to living in San Diego or other pretty expensive regions in the US, real estate prices have still increased significantly over the past decade and if this trend continues, overall living costs will increase and people will have less money to spend on other things.

Average person may struggle to make a living just a few years from now

Due to increasing property prices and living costs in general, the average person may also no longer be able to afford to pay for rent and other expenses of daily life and many people may really struggle in this regard just a few years from now.

Many locals may have to leave the region

Since many people will no longer be able to afford in Dallas, a significant number of locals may also leave the region and this implies that also part of the charm and the culture of Dallas will be lost.

Water scarcity may become a big problem

Another reason not to move to Dallas is that water scarcity may become a serious problem since Dallas is a pretty hot place and due to water scarcity, the region may run out of water sooner or later and a lack of drinking water would also greatly lower overall quality of life.

Wildfires may burn down your home in the Dallas region

Another problem with moving to Dallas is that also wildfires may burn down your home and you may not only lose lots of money, but you may even lose your life if you are unlucky and you should keep this in mind before you decide on moving to the Dallas region.

Tornadoes are a problem as well

You should also be aware of the fact that you will have to deal with tornadoes or other serious storms in the Dallas region sooner or later and in case you are unlucky, your home may get destroyed and you may have to relocate to a different region.

Dallas is not the most glamorous city

Another disadvantage of moving to Dallas is that it is just not the most glamorous city compared to NYC where you will find lots of luxury and if you want to live in a region with lots of fame and want to be at the heart of the universe, Dallas will just not be the right city to move to for you.

Traffic has become increasingly worse

While Dallas is still less crowded compared to other major cities in the US, traffic has still become increasingly worse over the past decade and if this trend continues, people would have to waste lots of time in traffic jams and this can be really annoying in the long run since you would have many better things to do with your leisure.

Hard to find a parking lot in Dallas

Due to the increasing traffic problem, it is also increasingly difficult to find a parking lot, especially in the city center of Dallas where the demand for parking is pretty high but the number of parking spots is pretty limited.

Dallas is a pretty hot place

You should also know that Dallas is a pretty hot place and while many people like the heat and the sun, others just don’t get along with it and if you belong to the second group of people, you may rather want to move to Chicago or other cooler regions instead.

Lack of real seasons may become annoying

Since you will be able to enjoy the warm weather all year long, you may also get annoyed by the lack of real seasons sooner or later and if you love strong winters and the snow, you should rather move to a different region instead.

Crime rate is above national average

Another downside to moving to Dallas is that crime rates are above national average and while crime rates are still lower compared to other major cities in the US, Dallas may not be the right place for you if you are a careful person who doesn’t want to take any risk.

Many dodgy neighborhoods in Dallas

While there are many good neighborhoods in Dallas, some of them are also pretty dodgy and you should therefore inform yourself carefully in this regard before buying a property in Dallas so that you don’t run into serious problems later on.

Gap between the poor and the rich tends to increase

You should also know that the gap between the poor and the rich tends to increase in Dallas and if this trend continues, Dallas will no longer be a livable region since people will no longer be that friendly and may also rather look after themselves instead of helping each other out.

Social tensions may lower overall quality of life

Due to the increasing level of inequality, social tensions have also become worse in the Dallas region over the past decade and due to increasing property prices and the need to make more and more money, this trend may also continue in the future and overall quality of life may drop significantly in the long run.

Homelessness has become a serious problem in Dallas

Another problem with living in Dallas is that homelessness is a big problem and in case housing prices increase even further, an increasing number of people will no longer be able to afford a home and even more people may end up in the streets, which may lead to an increase in crime rates and is also just not a nice picture in general.

Dallas is not the most popular place among tourists

While Dallas is a pretty big city, it is still not the most popular destination for tourists and many tourists rather visit NYC or L.A. instead of Dallas and you will therefore also not be able to talk to as many tourists as in many other more popular cities in the US.

Dallas is not the most glamorous city

You should also know that Dallas is not the most glamorous city and while you will find most things you need for daily life, you may just miss the unique feeling you get by living in other big cities and you may also get bored and frustrated with your life in Dallas in case you just want to have this glamor and don’t want to live like the ordinary person.

Hard to meet celebrities in Dallas

Since Dallas is not the most popular city, it is also pretty hard to meet many celebrities in Dallas and if you want to get in touch with many famous people, Dallas might not be the right place to move to for you.

Dallas has pretty poor air quality

Another downside to moving to Dallas is that the city has pretty poor air quality and this will not only greatly lower your overall quality of life but poor air quality is also known to increase the risk of suffering from serious health problems in the long run.

Dallas is not the most bike-friendly city

While conditions for bikers have become better over the past decade, Dallas is still not as bike-friendly as many other cities in the US and it is therefore pretty hard to get around by bicycle in an efficient manner since there is still a lack of bike lanes and you may also have to fear getting hit by cars if you get around by bike on a regular basis sooner or later.

Rather poor public transport in the suburbs

While public transport is pretty good in the city center, it is still rather poor in the suburbs of Dallas and you may therefore have to use other means of transport if you are not able or willing to afford to live in the city center.

You may need a car to get around

Most people in Dallas have at least one car to get around and while this may be convenient for the general public, it is also pretty bad for our environment since the use of cars leads to the emission of significant greenhouse gas emissions and therefore speeds up global warming.

It takes lots of time to get from one end of Dallas to the other

Since Dallas is a big city, it will also take you quite long to visit friends from different parts of the city, especially during rush hour when you often get stuck in traffic jams.

Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Dallas

Since Dallas is not the most popular city, you may also have to justify quite a lot since your friends may just not understand your decision and this can be really annoying and exhausting.

Many problems that come along with living in a big city

While Dallas offers many positive things that come along with living in a big city, it also shows you the dark side including the use of dodgy substances, crime and so on and if you are a rather sensitive person, you may not be able to stomach all of those things in an emotionally healthy manner.

Dallas doesn’t provide you the feeling of big city life as you get in NYC

While Dallas is a big city, you will still not be able to experience the same big city life as in other major cities like NYC or L.A. and you will also often miss this special feeling if you are the kind of person who wants to have action 24/7.

Not as many great shopping opportunities in Dallas

While you will find decent shopping opportunities in Dallas, you will still not have as many fancy boutiques to choose from as in other major cities in the US and if you are a shopping victim, this may really lower your overall quality of life in the long run.

Not as many good colleges as in other major cities in the US

While you will find decent schools, you will still not have as many renowned colleges as in other parts of the US and if you may therefore not be able to provide the best education possible to your kids.

Nature is not as beautiful as in other regions

While you can enjoy spending your time at nice lakes, you will still not be able to enjoy as much beautiful nature compared to people living in Oakland or other more beautiful parts of the US.

People in Dallas often live a pretty unhealthy lifestyle

Compared to people from other major cities in the US, people in Dallas also often live a pretty unhealthy lifestyle and if you move to this region, chances are that you will adapt to this lifestyle as well and this may really hurt your health in the long run.

You should not have too high expectations

Many people moving to Dallas also have pretty high expectations and if this is true for you as well, chances are that you will experience some disappointment if you want to have the lifestyle of NYC or other major cities in the US.

Top 10 Moving To Dallas Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Dallas?

As you can see, it can make sense to move to Dallas due to relatively low property prices while you can also enjoy the comfort of a big city and will find most things you need within walking distance.

However, Dallas also isn’t as glamorous as other big cities in the US and is also not located at the beach.

In the end, you have to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of living in Dallas yourself so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Dallas or rather want to live in a different city instead.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Dallas anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Antonio

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Houston

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San José

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dallascitytexas

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.