The Dallas metro area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties · Population 7,985,590 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Dallas area
Household size in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.83 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.89 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.87 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
The typical household in the Dallas area holds 2.87 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.83, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.6 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.3 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.2 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of the Dallas area is 36.7 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 34.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Few large metro areas are younger: only nine of 100.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are just as common in the Dallas area as they are nationally: 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in Texas overall (12.9%). The single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Dallas area
Renters in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.5% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.9% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in the Dallas area rent their homes (39.9%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among owners, 38.5% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest. The renter share is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in the Dallas area than nationally: 7.2%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has fallen 3.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in the Dallas area is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1992, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1984 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,058 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,135 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,349 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,865 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$807 | +$639 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the Dallas area costs $1,865 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $807 a month since 2006–10, up 76%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the southeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Dallas area
Bachelor's degrees in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.5% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in the Dallas area (39.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.5% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.4% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.6% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in the Dallas area never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Even so, the rate is higher than in Texas overall (85.8%). The share with a diploma is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Dallas area
| Period | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Dallas area runs below the national rate: 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 2.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Dallas area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas area (all) | 2.87 | 36.7 | 11.6% | 39.9% | 7.2% | 1992 | $1,865 | 39.5% | 87.6% | 4.6% |
| Fort Worth | 2.89 | 34.7 | 14.3% | 44.5% | 9.3% | 1986 | $1,669 | 29.6% | 82.7% | 5.1% |
| Arlington | 2.84 | 35.3 | 14.6% | 45.6% | 8.0% | 1987 | $1,773 | 32.7% | 85.0% | 5.7% |
| Plano | 2.64 | 41.4 | 8.0% | 42.6% | 5.9% | 1993 | $2,130 | 60.4% | 94.0% | 4.0% |
| Irving | 2.80 | 33.7 | 11.4% | 61.9% | 8.0% | 1985 | $1,694 | 43.0% | 81.3% | 4.3% |
| Garland | 3.04 | 35.6 | 13.2% | 40.5% | 6.4% | 1981 | $1,762 | 26.4% | 79.6% | 4.8% |
| Frisco | 2.93 | 38.6 | 7.6% | 34.2% | 4.6% | 2009 | $2,477 | 67.8% | 96.8% | 4.4% |
| McKinney | 2.88 | 37.3 | 10.2% | 34.6% | 5.6% | 2006 | $2,210 | 54.9% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
| Grand Prairie | 3.04 | 35.1 | 14.3% | 41.6% | 6.1% | 1990 | $1,807 | 31.4% | 82.7% | 4.9% |
| Mesquite | 3.10 | 34.4 | 20.0% | 37.5% | 8.0% | 1982 | $1,799 | 19.3% | 80.3% | 5.5% |
| Denton | 2.63 | 34.0 | 9.9% | 52.1% | 7.3% | 1995 | $1,714 | 40.7% | 91.2% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Atlanta area · Miami area · Philadelphia area · Washington area · Houston area · Chicago area · Los Angeles area · New York area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Dallas area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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