23 Things To Know BEFORE Moving
Are you considering a move to the vibrant and bustling city of Dallas or Fort Worth Texas, or the surrounding areas? Whether it’s for a job opportunity, a change of scenery, or simply a new adventure, there are a few key things you should know before packing your bags and moving to Dallas.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential factors to consider when moving to Dallas (aka Dallas-Fort Worth aka DFW). From the cost of living to the cultural scene, we’ve got you covered with all the information you need to make your decision – the good, the bad, and the ugly – we want to bring you a fair analysis that you won’t find in any other article!
Cost of Living in Dallas: Balancing Your Budget
One of the first things to wrap your head around when moving to Dallas is the cost of living. While the city offers an array of amenities and opportunities, it’s important to plan your budget accordingly. Dallas is known for its relatively affordable housing options compared to other major cities, but keep in mind that factors such as location, size, and style of housing can influence costs. Areas such as downtown Dallas, White Rock Lake, and Uptown are also a bit pricy. Take time to research neighborhoods that align with your financial goals and lifestyle preferences.
Suburbs such as Denton, Frisco, Plano, and even Forney are exploding quickly. To put into perspective, Denton County is growing at an estimated rate of about 77 people per day, according to the Denton County office. But consider that Frisco is also a more affluent suburb and is hosting Universal with a one-of-a-kind theme park.
Weather in Dallas: Embrace the Texas Climate
It’s the south, yes it’s hot. Yes, it’s humid. But although Dallas is a little less humid than the southern cities like Houston, it’s not uncommon for the heat in the summer to reach well over 100 degrees, many days in a row. In fact, as I started this article on September 6 of 2023 we’ve hit 100+ degree days 47 times with 21 of them being consecutive days. And there’s no end in sight to the 100+ degree temps in the weather forecast for the next 6 days.
And to make matters worse, it’s hardly rained. There’s been no rain in August as of the 24th and there is no rain in the forecast. For 2023 the average is 14.83 inches according to the Rainfall Almanac yet DFW is down -9.02 inches. Needless to say, it’s hot, dry, and our grass looks like it’s winter season with water and A/C bills sky high.
On the flip side, during the winter on occasion, we get snow and ice, mostly during January and February (let’s not forget the power disaster in February 2021 that affected almost the entire state of Texas, leaving more than 5 million people without power and suffering through rolling blackouts). In fact the last 3 years we’ve had ice storms so bad they’ve shut schools down for the entire week. The streets looked like a ghost town. Of course, it doesn’t stay long and for the rest of the late fall and winter season, it’s pretty mild with temps ranging from the 20s to as high as the 80s.
One last thing to consider is that we are in what I call “tornado alley.” Meaning, we get a few tornados in the area, mostly in the spring and summer. And when they occur, storms can be pretty strong and powerful.
Job Market in Dallas: Opportunities Await
Dallas is a hub for various industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, and more. Because we are a state tax-free state, the job market here is robust, for both employees and employers, with numerous opportunities for career and business growth.
Major corporations and startups alike call Dallas home, including larger companies such as Space X, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and many others. So if you’re on the hunt for a new job, you’re likely to find a suitable match in this thriving city.
Companies such as Aurora just raised $853M to test out their self-driving vehicles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Facebook (aka Meta) has offices in both Dallas and Fort Worth. Google is also no stranger to the metroplex with an office just off the Dallas North Tollway near Addison.
And the list goes on and on and on…
Public Transportation: Navigating Dallas and Fort Worth
Dallas and Fort Worth, including surrounding cities, make up the sprawling metropolitan area known as the DFW Metroplex. While the city offers public transportation options, such as buses and light rail, it’s worth noting that many residents rely on personal vehicles. Traffic can be congested, especially during rush hours, so consider your commute when choosing a neighborhood to live in. Embracing carpooling or utilizing rideshare services can help you navigate the city more efficiently.
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) provides public transportation by both bus and train. The buses run throughout the city on various routes, as do the trains. The DART rail system is comprised of 4 different routes, plus the Trinity Express that runs from Fort Worth to Dallas. The DART rail system also connects up north to Denton’s rail system, the A-Train, where people can take the A-Train down to a single station where DART will meet you and take you downtown.
Aside from public transportation, the area is known for its bridges and bypasses. And during both morning and evening rush hour, it’s not uncommon to sit in traffic as highways are partially or fully closed due to crashes and objects blocking lanes.
Some of the highways are poorly marked, or marked at the last minute, causing drivers unfamiliar with the area to make last minute or abrupt lane changes, often irritating other drivers who are “kind” enough to let you know.
Some or parts of the highways require toll such as I-635, Highway-121, TX-121, I-35E, I-35W, and a few others. And speaking of highways, you’ll need to get used to the fact that although the highways have designated numbers, most of them also have names. So it’s common to read directions or have a conversation with someone who tells you to get on I-635 but then someone else will say to get on LBJ (or they may even refer to it by a third name – Lyndon B. Johnson freeway).
Even your side streets can have more than one name such as Main St., or depending on who you’re speaking to it’s also referred to as FM 1171 (which I found out later after I moved here FM stands for Farm to Market Road).
And don’t even get me started on Spur roads…
But to help you navigate the highways you can always use your trusty iPhone map that tells you traffic hazards or use an app like Waze.
Travel Times in Dallas
Since we’re on the topic of traffic I thought now would be a good time to bring up travel time.
Although many places are relatively just a few miles apart, it’s normal for it to take 20 minutes or longer just to get to because of traffic and lights. On the other hand if you’re traveling from, let’s say, North Dallas to South Dallas, even though geographically it’s only about 21 or so miles, it can take up to 1 or 2 hours to travel between depending on the time of day.
Cultural Delights in Dallas-Fort Worth: Art, Food, and Entertainment
Get ready to indulge your senses in the rich cultural scene that DFW has to offer. From world-class museums and theaters to a diverse culinary landscape, there’s no shortage of things to do and explore. Be sure to check out the Arts District, sample authentic Tex-Mex cuisine, and immerse yourself in the local music and entertainment venues that make Dallas a cultural gem.
It goes without saying that the BBQ and Mexican food here are simply amazing. You’ll find no shortage of them for sure. There are even plenty of Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants and many other culturally inspired places to eat that are sure to satisfy your cravings.
Dallas has an art district and Fort Worth has a child’s museum to check out. The food at the State Fair of Texas is probably one of the best (which doesn’t always coincide with the “healthiest”) in the country.
From fried Snickers to fried butter to fried beer, you’ll find a unique new food every year at the fair, which runs from the end of September to the middle of October, usually around 24 days total.
Bars, pubs, taverns, BBQ, Tex-Mex, you name it we probably have it! In Fort Worth you can find plenty to do at the historic Stockyards, and even explore the alleged haunted Stockyards Hotel.
There’s no shortage of entertainment opportunities either. Everything from babies to elderly, from men to women, sports enthusiasts, concert-goers, boaters, hikers, camping, glamping, Dealy Plaza and John F. Kennedy tourist spot, Gaylord Texan annual ICE!, ghost seekers, and everything in between can be found right here in the DFW metroplex.
Friendly Texans?
This one is going to be a bit longer so brace yourself! But I want to bring the honest truth that you won’t find in any of these other media sites or blogs. With that being said, let’s dive in…
There’s a saying you might have heard, “friendly Texans.” Most Texans are friendly. When I came here on a visit in 2009 from California after being stationed there, I was quite surprised when I walked around the streets of Dallas and Fort Worth and most people acknowledged me with a hello or smile.
It was that “Southern charm” I suppose. I was in shock. I loved it. Completely different than California. When I left to go back before finally moving here, I still remembered just how friendly people were and that left a really good impression on me about Texas.
But to be 100% honest, the “friendly Texan” thing is fading. Is it because people are more stressed? Perhaps it’s because the metroplex is growing so fast people aren’t as happy with daily life. Or maybe it’s the influx of people from other states moving here. Or it may even just be the large city life with the hustle and bustle.
To be honest I’m not quite sure. But I do know that there has been some research to back up some of this (so it’s not just coming from my opinion) such as this article by Chron. And before you say “yeah but that’s Austin” just know that the same trend is happening here too, and I’ll prove it in just a moment…
There’s also no shortage of road rage, which I know happens everywhere. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve honked my horn to get the attention of the other driver who almost hit me, not paying attention. Or the other drivers who whip in and out of traffic, cutting off other cars, nearly causing a crash, or they do some jerk-move, then give you the “friendly” finger as if it were my fault.
In fact as I’m writing this, just in the last week I’ve encountered 2 asshats. The first one was when I was approaching a 4-way stop sign off a neighborhood street. I saw a car stopped at the stop sign from a ways back and still didn’t move when I pulled up behind them. I figured they were lost and on their phone so I gave a short horn blip. They didn’t move. Then after (politely letting me know they knew I was behind them) about 10 seconds they moved about 10 feet and stopped. Not far enough for me to make the right turn. I blew my horn again and they pulled into the middle of the intersection and stopped again. I made my right turn and got the hell out of there. I always carry (it’s a must to protect your family, plus, hey, it’s Texas…) so I was prepared, but seriously?
The second time was the following Saturday taking our daughter to cheer at a football game. Traffic was pretty light as it was early morning. As soon as I got on the highway I saw a red motorcycle (crotch rocket type) fly up behind me doing more than 100mph, pull to my left, get in front of me, and hit his brakes. I had to lay on my horn and slam on mine so I didn’t run him over. He then proceeds to slowly cross over to my right in the adjacent lane and ride next to my passenger door (mind you I have my wife and daughter in the car). He keeps looking back and then I notice another crotch rocket fly up on my left doing a wheelie. At this point I’m drawn and thinking of an exit strategy. Thankfully for their lives, they both take off, but not before the first rider flips me the bird.
I’m not sure what happened since I had literally just got on the highway and made sure there was room to safely enter. But initially they were nowhere to be seen, which isn’t a surprise since they were traveling more than 100mph.
And on that note, I encourage you to buy a dash camera for both your front and rear windows for instances like these. You can get them fairly cheap here. And don’t forget to get a good memory card!
Oh, one last thing… There are motorcycle “gangs” or “clubs” aka crotch rocket riders, that typically ride on Tuesday or Thursday nights. They ride well over 100 deep, and they ride across all lanes of traffic, either stopping completely or literally doing 20mph while their fellow riders pop wheelies and race as fast as they can go on the highways. They will stop all traffic or slow it down for miles while they play their idiotic stunt games. And the cops can do very little because they can outrun any police vehicle. And in Dallas they cannot chase except for violent crimes. The sad thing is these riders know this, so they are essentially free to do whatever they want knowing there is very slim chance they’ll get caught.
So again, I encourage you to get a dash camera for both front and rear windows of your vehicle.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still way more friendly people here than there are the not-so-friendly kinds, but these things are something to consider.
Construction in Dallas
One of the very first things I noticed when I moved here was the amount of road construction. I’ve had this conversation with many people who’ve all complained of the same thing. It really seems like it’s never ending.
And with the metroplex growing at a rapid pace each day, the demand for repairs, new roads, and construction just can’t keep up.
Since I’ve moved here every highway has been under construction at least once. In fact, some of the highways that were literally just finished just a year or two ago are now back under construction in many areas.
I can’t really tell you which highway has the most construction because they all do. And speaking of construction, be prepared for a lot of highway debris and trash. We’ve had our window chipped several times and had to be replaced, and I’ve had a blown-out semi truck tire damage the undercarriage of my truck. And those are just the things I was unable to avoid.
Thankfully major repairs are mostly done at night, usually between 9pm and 5am. But even those hours aren’t congestion-free. When I used to get off work at 11pm, driving home there would be delays so long that it literally took me 2+ hours to get home (which normally should only be about a 25 minute drive with little to no traffic).
If you go anywhere in DFW, even if it’s just across the street, never leave home without checking your map for traffic updates!
Texas State Fair
The State Fair of Texas is massive, to say the least. Anything you can imagine at a fair can be found here.
Everything from fried foods to car shows, to concerts to vendors, and even the Cotton Bowl is played here during the fair. People from near and far just to attend the fair at least once in their life, if not every year.
It’s not necessarily located in what many people would call the safest part of Dallas, but there are plenty of Dallas officers and security working around the clock to ensure all visitors have a safe and fun experience.
Sadly on October 19, 2012 Big Tex caught on fire due to an electrical short in one of his boots. He was rebuilt but this time to represent Texas’ cultural heritage. And today he still stands tall and proud!
There is one particular night at the fair that hosts the rivals Prairie View and Grambling football teams. And each year there are always threats of violence some time before, during, or after the game. I cannot confirm or deny, but I do have inside information and thought this was a little gem of knowledge that you’d appreciate knowing before heading to the fair.
And while on the subject of football, one of the country’s largest rivalries, Texas-OU, is held each year during the fair since 1900 when Oklahoma was still a U.S. Territory!
All in all the State Fair of Texas is something you must go to at least once if you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It’s a lot of fun and an experience you won’t want to miss, especially if you have children.
Dallas Sports
Texas is home to a lot of sports teams. FC Dallas is the soccer team, the Frisco Rough Riders are the minor league team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, who is the MLB team.
Both the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers play in Arlington, and they both have new stadiums. The Cowboys stadium is known for its jumbo TV (and let me tell you that thing is HUGE!). Both stadiums also host concerts and events all year.
The Dallas Mavericks (NBA) and Dallas Stars (NHL) share the same building in downtown Dallas at the American Airlines Center.
There are so many sports teams in the DFW area that you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy.
Wealthy Dallas Living
There’s no shortage of money in Dallas-Fort Worth. It is one of the fastest growing locations in the United States, and many companies are moving their headquarters to the metroplex.
Last time our resources were checked, 18 of the Fortune 500 companies called DFW home. And only Dallas is second to New York in relation to billionaires.
Dallas Schools
According to many sources online Dallas Independent School District has some of the top schools in Texas. But if you choose to go private, there are plenty of options such as Liberty Christian School, Hockaday, Ursuline Academy of Dallas, Episcopal School of Dallas, Jesuit, and many more you can find here.
Bonnie and Clyde
The famous Bonnie and Clyde duo met here in Dallas where they were living in 1930. After their violent crime spree ended by being ambushed by a Texas Ranger and an FBI agent, Bonnie Parker was buried in Northwest Dallas at the Crown Hill Memorial Park.
Dallas Bridges and Overpasses
Texas has a love for tall bridges and overpasses, and you’ll find no shortage of them in the metroplex. From the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway to the President George Bush Turnpike to the North Central Expressway, you’ll find plenty of highrise overpasses to get you around.
Speaking of getting around, just like the ground level highways, they get pretty jammed up during construction, car crashes, and rush hour. Just keep that in mind!
Fitness & Health
While Texas is known for its Mexican food and savory BBQ offerings, many people take their health seriously. You’ll find plenty of health food stores such as Whole Foods, farmers markets, and others, including fitness centers.
There are plenty of paths and trails around that are usually populated by runners and bicyclists, especially near White Rock Lake, downtown Dallas, Grapevine Lake, and other scenic outdoor locations.
Crime in Dallas-Fort Worth
Now I can’t speak specifically for Fort Worth, but Dallas has a decent amount of crime, probably much like other similar cities. But here in Dallas the officer-to-citizen ratio is around 1:428. Other resources site 24 officers per 10,000 citizens. To put it into perspective, Governing.com shows there are about 26 officers per 10,000 citizens in Los Angeles. In other words, the number of citizens it’s drastically higher than the number of officers available for fast response times.
And it’s not getting better any time soon. With the influx of people moving to the area and less and less people wanting to be cops, the numbers are becoming more and more distant.
I’m not including the sheriffs, Rangers, or marshals because they generally don’t respond to calls for emergencies or even routine calls within the city limits of Dallas. Their duties are separate from the City of Dallas officers. The response times for non emergency calls can range from an hour to even a day or longer for minor crimes such as theft, loud noise/music, etc.
Without getting into politics, the number of Dallas officers has gone from around 3400 in 2009 to about 2800 in 2023. But one other thing you should note is that some minor crimes are categorized as lesser offenses.
For example here in Texas if you steal something in the bed of a pickup truck, technically, according to the Texas Penal Code, it’s considered Burglary of a Motor Vehicle (BMV). It’s much the same as if you were to smash out a window and steal something. However to influence the crime reporting numbers, stealing out of the bed of a pickup truck is downgraded to a lesser offense of just theft.
Why? Because BMV is a higher-classified offense, at minimum it’s a Class A offense misdemeanor. But depending on other factors, it can increase into the felony categories. BMV carries a higher penalty than theft – which is also dependent on the dollar amount of the item stolen.
So if an item stolen from a pickup truck is not high in value, the preference is to categorize it as a theft.
I’m not going to get into much more detail as I don’t want this to be a class on criminal law, I just wanted to provide you with some background information and an example. Just something to keep in mind.
Also, something else to note is that the southern region of Dallas has more crime than the northern region. But do your own research to come to your own conclusion. Gangs are also prevalent in the metroplex, so be sure you know what parts of town you’re in and where you’re hanging out with your family.
Dallas Airports
Dallas-Fort Worth has two major airports, DFW International Airport which sits in Grapevine, and Love Field which is just north of downtown Dallas. DFW airport is one of the hubs for American Airlines and Love Field is home for Southwest Airlines.
Both airports had recent construction (see!) and can handle the influx of traffic with more parking spaces and expansion of certain sections of the terminals.
Dallas Clubs and Bars
Texans love to go out at night and have fun so it’s no surprise there is no shortage of clubs and bars that cater to various demographics and interests.
LGBTQ+ Culture
Dallas is home to one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in the country, which can be found around the Oak Lawn Ave and Cedar Springs area.
Zoos and Animals Near Dallas
The DFW area is home to many places to watch and pet animals! The Fort Worth Zoo is slightly smaller in comparison to the Dallas Zoo, but not by much. They are both significantly large enough for many animals such as rhinos, giraffes, lions, and much more.
Outside of these two, there are other smaller zoo’s such as the Frank Buck Zoo, the Dallas World Aquarium, Sea Life Aquarium, the Children’s Aquarium, Oba Farms Mobile Petting Zoo, the Dallas Petting Zoo, Sharkarosa Zoo, Monkey See Monkey Do Petting Zoo, Animal Encounters at the Gaylord Texan, and many others!
Arts
Dallas and Fort Worth are vibrant in the arts culture. Both cities have an arts district, and Dallas is home to the Booker T. Washington Performing and Visual Arts, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Winspear Opera House, and more!
Texas Service Roads
Back onto the subject of how Texas loves their roads and overpasses, these intersections can get quite confusing to people, especially those who have never see them before (myself included when I first visited).
At most intersections, you’ll find that the far left lane is usually a U-turn to go back the other direction on the frontage road (aka service road – here’s that multi-road naming convention again!). This helps to ease traffic congestion because of the way the onramps and offramps work here.
The U-turn traffic, and cross-traffic, pass under the overpass highway above. It’s quite common to see a car coming straight at you because the driver is confused about the traffic pattern and is driving in the wrong direction into oncoming traffic.
Speaking of driving into oncoming traffic, this happens quite often, especially at night when people who have been drinking or have taken drugs and then get behind the wheel. There have been many situations where people have avoided crashes (such as myself and sadly even with my family) because of oncoming traffic, especially on the highways doing 60+ mph. Unfortunately, many people have lost their lives on the highways due to wrong-way drivers.
When you exit the highway, the frontage road traffic must yield to the highway offramp traffic (however most people ignore this and cut each other off – there we go with the road rage again!).
Frontage roads run parallel with the main highway and are often used when the highway is blocked or shut down due to an accident or construction. But also along the frontage roads are businesses, which is how they position themselves to be easily accessible to highway traffic and are easy to get to.
However these intersections also love to confuse the hell out of drivers, either that they just want to screw with people (I haven’t figured out which one yet) because many times you’ll be driving in your lane approaching an intersection and all of a sudden you’ll see a turn-only sign for your lane, forcing you to move to another lane abruptly.
One other thing that really confuses the hell out of many drivers is that you’ll notice when approaching an intersection, a far-right lane will become a right turn-only lane, but then when you get through the intersection the lane is still there.
One last thing to consider is that many lanes in Texas at intersections will have 2 designated turn lanes, either to the left or the right, clearly indicated by multiple signs and road-painted markers. Yet you’ll find no shortage of people who just don’t care.
The problem? Well if the lanes turn right, and the driver in the far right lane goes straight through the intersection, the driver in the left right-turn lane will turn into that other car.
Simply put, a lot of people don’t pay attention, so watch yourself!
Bugs, Snakes, and Wildlife Oh My!
Texas is home to more than 15 dangerous snake species or subspecies according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. But they also say that more lightning strikes occur each year in Texas than do snakebites.
Take that as you will…
Texas also has more than their fair share of bugs, critters, and other wildlife roaming around with some of the most common being mosquitos, wasps, earwigs, termites, fleas, silverfish, fire ants, cicadas, and a ton of others.
And just remember…
Things are always bigger in Texas!
Wrap It Up!
I think that pretty much wraps it up!
While not all-inclusive of absolutely everything that’s possible to know about Texas living, especially in the DFW area, we hope that this has helped you with information to know before moving to Dallas-Fort Worth.
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