Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Dallas
You think about retiring in Dallas but want to get additional information about social life, senior centers, living costs, housing situation, public transport, medical infrastructure and many other important things before making your final decision in this regard?
Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Dallas in the following chapters.
Retire in Dallas – Overview
Living Costs | While living costs in Dallas are above national average, they are still lower compared to NYC or other more popular big cities in the US. |
Housing | Housing shortage in Dallas is a big problem and many retirees are no longer able to afford a decent place to stay. |
Climate | Dallas has a subtropical climate with hot summers and relatively warm winters. |
Crime | Crime rate in Dallas is significantly above national average and many retirees who live in rather dodgy neighborhoods don’t want to leave their homes at nighttime since they just no longer feel safe. |
Opportunities to Socialize | Many restaurants, sports games and other events where you can hang out with other retirees or like-minded people in Dallas. |
Entertainment | You can go to the opera, go to the movies or do many other things you may be used to from big city life. |
Public Transport | Dallas has decent public transport and you may therefore not urgently need a car to get around in an efficient manner. |
Walkability & Bicycling | Since Dallas has many bike lanes, it can be considered bicycle-friendly and since distances are rather short close to the city center, you will find most things you need as a retiree just a few minutes away from your home. |
Medical Infrastructure | Many good doctors and hospitals in the Dallas region. |
Supply of Material Goods | You will find everything you need as a retiree in Dallas and don’t have to drive to other cities as would often be the case if you retired in smaller towns or villages. |

Reasons to Retire in Dallas
- Retirees can get around using public transport in Dallas
- Dallas is considered a bicycle-friendly community
- Distances are rather short close to the city center
- Pensioners may not necessarily need to have a car
- You can stay fit in the Dallas region as a pensioner
- Great weather in Dallas
- You can spend lots of time outdoors
- Decent medical infrastructure in Dallas
- Pensioners can go hiking, fishing and do many other things in nature
- More than enough entertainment in Dallas
- Decent senior centers in Dallas
- Good restaurants in Dallas
- Many nice bars where you can hang out with other pensioners
- Dallas is not the most hectic city
- Pensioners are welcome from all over the world
- Easy to get to Dallas by plane
- Good internet connection in Dallas
- Dallas has decent air quality
- Decent overall quality of life in Dallas
- Living costs in Dallas are not as high as in other more popular cities
Retirees can get around using public transport in Dallas
One advantage of retiring in Dallas is that you can use public transport to get around in an efficient manner.
In fact, it is pretty easy to go by bus or other means of public transport in a reliable manner and this can be great for you as a retiree since you will have alternative transportation options in case your car breaks down or other unexpected things happen.
Dallas is considered a bicycle-friendly community
Even though Dallas has not been very bicycle-friendly just one decade ago, things have changed and there are many bike lanes and other amenities for cyclists in the Dallas region.
Consequently, many retirees get around by bicycle and can save lots of money while they can also stay fit at the same time.
Distances are rather short close to the city center
Since distances are pretty short near the city center, you will also find most things you need in walking distance just a few minutes away from your home and this can be great for pensioners since they are often not able to walk long distances anymore and want to have all important things nearby.
Pensioners may not necessarily need to have a car
Since you will have decent public transport options and can also get around by bicycle in a pretty efficient manner, you may not urgently need a car as a retiree in Dallas and can save lots of money in this regard and can also do good for our environment at the same time.
You can stay fit in the Dallas region as a pensioner
Since you can get around by bicycle and walk many short distances, you may also stay fitter in the Dallas region compared to most other retirees and with enough exercise, it will also be more unlikely that you will suffer from numerous health problems later on.
Great weather in Dallas
Another upside to retiring in Dallas is that you will have sunny and hot summers while you will also have relatively mild winters.
Consequently, you can really enjoy your retirement in Dallas while people retiring in Chicago or other colder places will often envy you in this regard.
You can spend lots of time outdoors
Thanks to great weather and warm winters, you can spend lots of time outdoors all year long without even having to wear a thick coat.
Instead, you will often be able to hang out outdoors with just a shirt or thin jacket and will feel like there is summer all year long which may translate into a feeling of being on a long vacation.
Decent medical infrastructure in Dallas
Another benefit of retiring in Dallas is that you will also find many good doctors and hospitals and in case you get sick, you can be sure to find a real expert who can treat your health condition as efficiently as possible so that you can recover in the best possible manner.
Pensioners can go hiking, fishing and do many other things in nature
Since Dallas is surrounded by lakes and forests, you can make nice day trips and go fishing, hiking and also do many other things in nature.
Consequently, you will get lots of exercise and also plenty of fresh air so you can stay fit and vital in the long run and also always have something to do.
More than enough entertainment in Dallas
Apart from the many things you can do in nature in and around Dallas, you will also have more than enough entertainment options.
For instance, you can watch sports games, go to the movies, have a night at the opera or do many other nice things you may be used to from other big cities.
Decent senior centers in Dallas
There are also many senior centers and other locations in Dallas where you can meet up with other like-minded people of your age and can also play many games so you will always have something to do and will never get bored as a pensioner.
Good restaurants in Dallas
You should also know that there are many good restaurants in the Dallas region and if you have enough money, you will be able to have many exciting culinary experiences and can also really enjoy your time in this place.
Many nice bars where you can hang out with other pensioners
Not only will you have many good restaurants, but you will also find many great bars in the Dallas region where you can meet up with other retirees, discuss what’s going on in the world and can just make many new social contacts in general so you will always have people to hang out with.
Dallas is not the most hectic city
Compared to NYC and other major cities in the US, Dallas is also not the most hectic place and you will find many recreational spaces and other quiet spaces where you can really enjoy your leisure and can hang out in a relaxed manner.
Pensioners are welcome from all over the world
Dallas is also a pretty tolerant city and retirees are welcome from all over the world.
Thus, it doesn’t matter where you come from as long as you are a great guy or gal and also a tolerant person who accepts different opinions and are also nice and compromising.
Easy to get to Dallas by plane
Since Dallas has a big international airport, you will have an easy time getting around by plane and your family and friends from various parts of the world also have a rather easy time visiting you so you will have guests quite often and chances are that you will not get socially isolated in the long run.
Good internet connection in Dallas
Thanks to the good internet connection you will have in the Dallas region, you can also make many video calls with your loved ones and can also stay connected to the world in general so you will no what’s going on with our planet and can stay always up-to-date with latest news.
Dallas has decent air quality
You should also know that air quality in Dallas is pretty decent compared to the rest of the US and this can be great for you as a pensioner, especially if you already suffer from pulmonary problems and don’t want your problems to get worse due to bad air quality as you would find it in many other big cities.
Decent overall quality of life in Dallas
In general, overall quality of life for retirees in Dallas is pretty high since you will find everything you need to live a happy and comfortable life and will have many amenities most other people retiring in smaller towns will not be able to enjoy.
Living costs in Dallas are not as high as in other more popular cities
Compared to people retiring in NYC or other fancy places, your living costs will be much lower in Dallas and you will therefore be able to enjoy more nice things and may have a better time compared to more expensive regions where you may often have to worry about money.
Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Dallas, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Dallas so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to retire in Dallas or rather want to spend the last chapter of your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Dallas
- Many pensioners have a hard time affording rent in Dallas
- Hard to find a decent place to stay for many retirees in Dallas
- Dallas may be too hot for many retirees
- Some retirees have to work during retirement age to pay their bills
- Traffic jams are quite common in Dallas
- You may just not like to retire in a big city like Dallas
- Many retirees can’t afford to live in nice neighborhoods in Dallas
- You need a solid pension to afford nice things in the Dallas region
- Increasing level of inequality in Dallas
- Crime rate in Dallas is above national average
- Many pensioners in Dallas no longer want to leave their homes at night
Many pensioners have a hard time affording rent in Dallas
One problem with retiring in Dallas is that rents are pretty high compared to the rest of the US and many retirees really struggle to pay rent in a reliable manner and become increasingly desperate since they fear getting evicted sooner or later.
Hard to find a decent place to stay for many retirees in Dallas
Since housing shortage is a problem in Dallas, many pensioners also really struggle to find a decent place to stay and have to search for many weeks or even months and some retirees never find a decent place to stay at an affordable price and have to stay in a cheap motel or other rather dodgy alternatives instead while people living in St. Louis or other less popular parts of the US will have a much easier time finding a decent place to stay.
Dallas may be too hot for many retirees
While many people like the heat in Dallas, it can get problematic for retirees since old people often faint when it gets too hot outdoors and if you are not in pretty good health condition, you may not want to retire in Dallas but rather want to move to Milwaukee or other cooler places instead.
Some retirees have to work during retirement age to pay their bills
Since rents in Dallas are pretty high and barely affordable for many retirees, many pensioners even have to work during retirement age to be able to pay their bills and this is really sad since most of them wished to just enjoy as much leisure as possible during the last chapter of their lives.
Traffic jams are quite common in Dallas
Another downside to retiring in Dallas is that traffic jams are quite common and if you have to rely on your car to get around, you may lose lots of time in traffic and your risk of getting involved in car accidents will also be relatively high.
You may just not like to retire in a big city like Dallas
While many people like retiring in a big city like Dallas, others rather want to retire in a quieter city and if you belong to the second group of people, you may rather want to move to Anaheim or other smaller places instead.
Many retirees can’t afford to live in nice neighborhoods in Dallas
Due to high rents, many pensioners are also not able to afford to live in nice neighborhoods and rather have to live in dodgy districts where they don’t really feel welcome and safe and may therefore not be able to enjoy their lives.
You need a solid pension to afford nice things in the Dallas region
You should also know that you need a pretty good pension to afford many nice things in Dallas.
If you don’t receive a decent pension, you will just not be able to afford rent, good medical treatment and many other important things of daily life.
Increasing level of inequality in Dallas
Another disadvantage of retiring in Dallas is that you will also have to deal with an increasing level of inequality.
In fact, many people in Dallas live below the poverty line and this is not a nice picture at all and may also lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.
Crime rate in Dallas is above national average
You should also be aware of the fact that crime rates are pretty high in the Dallas region and this may lower your overall quality of life as a pensioner in Dallas quite a lot since you may always have to worry in this regard.
Many pensioners in Dallas no longer want to leave their homes at night
Due to high crime rates, many pensioners also no longer want to leave their homes during nighttime and instead of going out, they just watch movies or do other things outdoors which may lead to some level of social isolation in the long run.

Top 10 Retiring in Dallas Pros & Cons – Summary List
Retire in Dallas Pros | Retire in Dallas Cons |
---|---|
Good senior centers in Dallas | Rents are barely affordable for many retirees in Dallas |
Pensioners in Dallas can rely on decent public transport | Many pensioners struggle to find a decent place to stay |
Great weather in Dallas is attractive to retirees | Increasing level of inequality in Dallas |
Many things to do in nature in the Dallas region | Dallas may be too hot for many pensioners |
Lots of entertainment for pensioners in Dallas | Dallas is not located at the coast |
Many nice bars to hang out with other retirees | You may need to work during retirement age in Dallas |
Decent restaurants in Dallas | You may not like retiring in a big city like Dallas |
Living costs in Dallas are not as high as in other big cities | Traffic may get annoying in Dallas |
Decent air quality in Dallas | Dallas is not the safest city |
Good medical infrastructure in Dallas | Social problems are about to get worse |
Is Dallas A Good Place To Retire?
Retiring in Dallas can make quite a lot of sense since you can enjoy great weather, good medical infrastructure and decent public transport. Yet, you should also know that Dallas is not the safest city and it can also be pretty hot which may lead to health problems for many retirees in the long run.
Alternative Cities To Retire
If you don’t want to retire in Dallas, you should also have a look at the following articles:
Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in San Diego
Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in San Antonio
Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Phoenix
Sources
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dallascitytexas
Own research.

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 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.