Everything You Need to Know About Moving to Dallas

Everything You Need to Know About Moving To Dallas

Sure we might be a little biased, but Dallas / Fort Worth is one of the best areas to live in the United States. Why? A fantastic job market, great salaries, decent housing (becoming more expensive but not yet at the top of the bracket!), the professional sports, the Tex Mex food, the weather….

You get the picture. Dallas is a great place to live.

We could go on and on. Our headquarters is located in the heart of Dallas, and we love our city. Since we’re in the business of moving vehicles, that means we are often part of the process of moving people. If you’re moving to Dallas, don’t worry. You’ll never have FOMO again because there’s nothing you’ll ever miss out on around here. These are all the things you’ll have to look forward to if moving to Dallas is in your future.

Transportation

We’ll get the transportation stuff out of the way first. (Hey, we move cars!) Dallas is huge. It’s hard to tell when you’re leaving one city and going to the next; and it is quite spread out. So with all those people, naturally there will be some heavy traffic. It’s not anything like Los Angeles, and most Texans will tell you that Austin is worse, but still – whatever you can do to avoid rush hour, you’ll be glad you took those measures. The city isn’t really walkable except for downtown, and while the public transit system is improving all the time, it’s still not adequate to manage the city’s population and many destinations. It’s worth a check though, to see if there is a DART station near your home or work.

Food Options in Dallas

You will NEVER run out of options for food here. Korean, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese … any fare you’re into, this city has it! Here are just a FEW we might recommend:

Campisi’s (incredible Italian food with several locations across Dallas)

We couldn’t even talk about Dallas food without mentioning tacos. Try one of these for some of the best: Velvet Taco, Torchy’s Tacos, Revolver Taco Lounge, and Fuel City (yes, it’s a gas station but try the tacos, just trust us – and beware, it’s cash only!)

And we can’t go without mentioning some BBQ so head over to Pecan Lodge for some brisket and banana pudding like a true Texan.

Be careful if you love In-N-Out, Texans are pretty passionate about their Whataburger.

Housing in Dallas

Are you into city life? Or would you rather live in the ‘burbs? Dallas has tons of thriving neighborhoods and suburb areas we love.

There are so many neighborhoods it’s impossible to cover them all. D Magazine has an awesome Dallas neighborhood guide (complete with stats on income and average age!) we recommend.

Looking to get away from the hustle and bustle and live a bit further out of Dallas? These are some top ‘burbs:

RICHARDSON
Perhaps the original “suburb,” Richardson is just north of Dallas proper. You’ve got all the benefits of being close to downtown with the advantages of the suburbs. An incredible food scene here, too!

PLANO
Home to major corporations like Toyota, Plano spreads a large part of the north Dallas area from the Dallas North Tollway on the west side all the way to the east beyond highway 75 (a main artery for the city.) Great schools, amazing malls, and even a nature preserve with a citywide trail system.

FRISCO & THE COLONY
OK with living a little further outside the city (like about 30 miles?) Frisco is home to the Minor League Frisco Roughriders team and the Dallas Cowboys training facility. This area exploded within the last decade, and you can take your pick of new housing developments, new schools, and new everything just about everywhere you look. Definitely not the most affordable suburb, but it’s stunning.

CARROLLTON / FARMERS BRANCH
Here you’ll get close proximity to DFW airport, and you’re only about 19 miles from downtown Dallas. Carrollton is an affordable option for living in the Dallas area. Unique food options and an optimal location make this a great place to live.

You’ll definitely want to check out the next section on the overall cost of living in Dallas, but on the housing front, it’s not a surprise that home prices have been rapidly rising across Dallas the last few years. However, when compared nationwide, our home prices still come under the national average with the median home price in DFW at about $254,900 according to a recent article in the Dallas Morning News.

What Does it Cost to live in DFW?

It’s hard to look at things like the “cost of living index” or other charts online to really know what it costs to live in a city. Dallas has something for everybody – apartments and houses at various price points, and overall it’s pretty affordable when compared to large metro areas in the United States. But we love what this Bellhops Dallas Moving Guide reveals about everyday items and what they cost in the DFW area. Check this out:

Item Cost
A tasty sit-down lunch $14
A meal at a fast-food joint $8
A dozen eggs $2.77
Monthly rent for an apartment (expensive) $1,500
Monthly rent for an apartment (moderate) $1,300
Monthly utilities for one person $100
Dinner for two $40
Cocktail at a downtown bar / club $10
Cappuccino $5

The average salary in Dallas is around $60k. If you make around the average, an apartment according to the information above could be anywhere from 25-30% of your gross monthly income. The cost of living in Dallas is about 2% above the national average — not too bad for a big city!

Where can you get bang for your buck? Pay attention to the suburbs. In Dallas, it’s pretty easy to get around (even though the traffic can be a little rough.) It might be worth it to commute every day either with your own vehicle or use the transit system to save on your housing costs and live a few miles outside of Dallas proper.

An extra bonus? There are no state or local income taxes in Texas.

Tips for Moving to Dallas

Making a big move to DFW soon? Check out our moving guides and hit us up for any help you need in making the big move: What to Ask your Movers, Favorite Moving Apps, and Moving on a Budget.

Be sure to let us know if we can help by moving your car to Dallas. We’re the car shipping experts in Texas!

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