Are the rumors about Dallas really true? Do cattle roam the streets of downtown? Or is it only angry, gun-slinging California haters wandering the streets of Dallas?
Well today we’re going to explore that. We’re going to sort the truths, from the half-truths to the all out lies and hopefully help you make up your mind once and for all about whether Dallas is the right place for you!
Today we’re busting out 5 of the biggest lies about living in Dallas.
Lie #1 Don’t California my Texas
If you were to google the phrase “Don’t California my Texas” you’re going to run into a song, a bunch of t-shirts and some not too nice explanations of what exactly that means. A quick glance at Quora revealed definitions like “When you…escape from a high-tax overly-regulatory state, don’t vote for the same …politicians who ruined the state you came from.” The Houston Press has their own spin on it. Jef Rouner says “Don’t California my Texas is so stupid”. He equates the expression directly to politics. It’s something you hear “any time a story about Texas becoming Blue shows up” he says. He goes on to describe the expression as a “scream that Texas should not become California by moving left.”
Well, the idea of the gun toting conservative definitely has a lot of truth to it. You have concealed carry, open carry, it’s all good. But while many Texas residents may, indeed, be carrying, and they probably are, the rumor that these Texans are all angry about newcomers is not necessarily true. Yes, Texans ARE fiercely protective over their freedoms, it’s true, and according to Texas Monthly, “Lone Star State leaders have worried about transplants importing West Coast values and politics here.”
It’s a way of life Texans have come to be proud of and one they’ve worked hard to keep. So while your average Texan may get a bit testy if you start trying to change their freedoms, they’re not going to be phased by Californian or New Yorker neighbors.
Jef Rouner points out that “Just as Texas has a lot of Democrats, California has a lot of Republicans.” He goes on to point out that “you’d think… the ones who would want to come to a… conservative state would be the ones who lean that way.”
In fact, your native Texan neighbors will probably be congratulating you on your recent move. After all, you’ve finally made it to the promised land! Texans know they’ve got a good thing going and that many people are hoping to get a piece of it.
In the end, “Don’t California my Texas” is about Texans resisting a mindset, it’s not about the actual people.
Lie #2 It’s really easy to find a job here
You’ve probably heard that there are job opportunities everywhere in Dallas. In fact, it might be easy to think if you have a pulse you’ll get a job, but it doesn’t necessarily work that way.
Now, when it comes to sectors like fast food and retail, you know, entertainment like Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor yeah, there are going to be a lot of positions. If you’re good with $10 an hour, the jobs are plentiful.
In fact the Texas Labor market review showed retail salespersons and maintenance and repair workers as two of their top ten occupations.
That being said, for higher paying positions you need to know the competition for employment in Dallas can be quite fierce. Plus, a lot of the positions are highly specialized. In fact looking back at the Labor Market Review you can see several highly specialized occupations such as software developer and various computer occupations. Also in the top ten are numerous managerial roles.
Another thing to consider is many companies relocate their employees when they move to Dallas. 300 people a day are moving to Dallas and many of those are being relocated with work. Many of you have reached out to us already this year regarding your move and what we typically see is either your company is transferring you here or you’re requesting to be transferred here.
So ultimately, yes, there are a lot of jobs in Dallas but you need to prioritize your education and you need to bring your A game if you hope to score one.
Speaking of education, that leads me to
Lie #3: All schools are terrible in Dallas
Let’s be real, In a metroplex as big as this one, there are bound to be lots of different ratings but the Texas Education Agency released their findings in late 2022 and there were plenty of A and B rated schools both in Dallas as well as the entire metroplex. In Dallas county alone you see a balanced representation of some A’s, mostly B’s and just a few C’s.
In fact, if you were to broaden those results to the whole Dfw area, you’d find 19 A-rated schools, 40 B-rated schools, and only 4 C-rated schools. That’s not too shabby.
When you reach out to us, let us know schools are important to you and we can prioritize that as we set up a home search. Speaking of taking that next step, check out our Let’s Find Home Questionnaire in the description section and we’ll get started.
Now when it comes to higher education, Dallas County takes that very seriously and invests heavily. Dallas County Community College boasts 7 campuses across the county, nevermind the 11 campuses in nearby Collin County and 6 campuses in Tarrant County.
On top of that, dual credit classes for high school students are free and many, many high schools have programs that work with the local community colleges. Dallas has made sure education is accessible for all of its residents with steeply discounted tuition as well.
So the whole “All schools in Dallas are terrible lie”? Completely debunked.
Moving on to Lie #4 Dallas is just one big suburb
Maybe you’ve heard this one overtly or maybe you didn’t realize that is basically how you’ve pictured it. Either way, this is a huge lie!
In fact, Wallethub named Dallas the 4th most diverse city in America. That’s right, just below New York City itself. Here in Dallas it’s not an exaggeration to say we truly have something for everyone. There are plenty of retirement communities and definitely tons of family suburbs. You’ll find areas like Addison and Las Colinas that really tend to dote on singles life. You’ll find everything from downtown lofts to acreage in the middle of nowhere.
Also, when it comes to restaurants and retail, many suburbs represent every ethnicity you can imagine. If that’s important to you, you’ll find it in particular in communities like Carrollton and Arlington.
So, you want neighborhoods with acreage? Look in suburbs like Midlothian and Waxahachie. You want suburbs with very small yards but lots of open greenspace? Look at suburbs like Allen and Frisco. You want suburbs with private lakes and resort style amenities? Look at neighborhoods like the Viridian in Arlington or Southpoint in Mansfield. You want neighborhoods adjacent to public transportation? Look in suburbs like Irving and Carrollton. You want only new construction? Look in suburbs like Midlothian, Mansfield, Rowlett, Sachse.
You see, even though Dallas DOES have A LOT of suburbs surrounding it, each suburb is very different and unique. If you don’t believe me, subscribe to my channel and check out my vlog tours playlist. We have some 70+ vlog tours on there.
Next up Lie #5 The housing prices in Dallas are too high
When it comes to Texas, I checked out the regional price parities with the Bureau of Economic Analysis and you’re going to find Texas is just below the national average. There are 18 states that have more expensive housing and 31 that have less expensive housing. So, while we may be right up next to New York City and Los Angeles when it comes to diversity, we’re nowhere near there in terms of housing costs.
Now you may hear one thing or the other, some will say you should move to Dallas because of the low cost of living and some will say you shouldn’t move to Dallas because of the high cost of living. It all depends on where you’re coming from and what you’re comparing it to. If you are coming from one of those lesser expensive 31 states, Dallas may very well be quite pricey compared to what you’re used to.
But don’t forget about the suburbs! Lucky for you, even though many areas in the metroplex are pretty expensive, not all of them are. In fact, some are really very affordable. As a general rule, the South Dallas and Ellis County areas tend to be far more affordable than North Dallas and Collin County. South Dallas also has lower grocery prices and just in general a lower cost of living. I did an entire video comparing north Dallas and south Dallas and if you’re interested you can find it right here.