Dallas, the 2026 city reportUnited States · population 7.64 million metro · index 7.4 of 10

Dallas in 200 words.

Dallas scored 7.4 on the everycity index in 2026. The headline numbers: rent on a Uptown one bedroom runs 1,850 dollars a month, the monthly all in cost lands at 3,200 dollars for a single resident, the personal income tax position is zero state income tax (federal only, progressive 10 to 37 percent), and the safety score is 6.8 on the same 10 point scale we apply to Houston, Austin, and Atlanta.

The case for Dallas: the no state income tax structure, the corporate headquarters density (AT&T, ExxonMobil, McKesson, Toyota North America, Charles Schwab), and the regional airport that flies direct to almost everywhere. Read Dallas vs Houston for the Texas peer benchmark and Austin vs Denver for the wider context. The case against, when there is one, is named in section 12.

The data feeding this report comes from our methodology page, with primary sources at the bottom of the page. Numbers are May 2026 unless stated otherwise.

One reading note. This is the long form report. If you only want the headline numbers, the city score generator returns the index figure with custom weights in 30 seconds. For the country context, United States places Dallas on the national table. For the regional read, North America sets the broader comparison.

For new readers: this report sits inside Volume 04 of the everycity atlas. The methodology has been refreshed against the May 2026 Numbeo, Mercer, and OECD data drops. The next refresh ships August 2026.

A 10 point read on streets, day and night.

Dallas scored 6.8 overall. The breakdown matters more than the headline.

Compared with the rest of the index, Dallas sits in the upper middle band on overall safety. The safest cities ranking places Tokyo at 9.6 and Singapore at 9.5 at the top. For comparison with London at 7.4 and New York at 6.8, Dallas sits at the same axis as New York. The variation across Dallas neighborhoods is the most important variable: Uptown, Lakewood, Highland Park, and the Bishop Arts District score 7.5 plus; South Dallas zip codes score below 5.0.

Practical notes for new residents: avoid the standard precaution failures, particularly the unattended car parking at night, and carry comprehensive auto insurance from day one. The full safety methodology is on our methodology page. The solo female safety ranking and family safety ranking show how Dallas compares on those axes specifically.

The four categories that make up the overall safety score are violent crime, property crime, traffic safety, and emergency response time. Dallas is strongest on emergency response in the central and northern districts, and weakest on traffic safety where the per capita road fatality figure is among the higher in the US. The Dallas safety deep dive walks the four categories with the underlying data from the Dallas Police Department, FBI UCR, and the Numbeo Crime Index May 2026 release.

One pattern worth naming. Dallas safety scores vary by 4 points or more across zip codes inside a single five mile drive. The Dallas after dark piece walks neighborhood by neighborhood with the actual incident data, and the residents we surveyed in 2026 most often pointed to the Uptown to Knox Henderson corridor as the consistent night safe zone.

Who pays, and how much the tax takes back.

Salary medians are May 2026, sourced from Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and BLS data. Tax figures are from the IRS and Texas Comptroller.

The major employers in Dallas are AT&T, Texas Instruments, Southwest Airlines, McKesson, Comerica, Energy Transfer, Tenet Healthcare, Vistra Energy, Toyota Motor North America, Charles Schwab, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs (largest workforce outside New York), Frito Lay, Caterpillar, Pioneer Natural Resources, and the dense regional offices of every major management consulting firm. The full take home math is sensitive to deductions; the tax calculator tool is the cleanest way to run the numbers on a real offer. For benchmarking against other cities, the highest paying cities ranking and the Dallas vs Houston comparison cover the major destinations on the same chart.

Note on tax: Texas has zero state income tax. The trade off is the property tax bill, which is among the highest in the country at 2.0 to 2.6 percent of assessed value. For renters, the no state income tax benefit is direct. For homeowners, it depends on home value.

Working culture in Dallas is its own variable. The headquarters density, the corporate finance culture, and the energy and aviation sectors all run on a more traditional schedule than Austin's tech sector. The Dallas working culture guide covers the specifics. The shorter version: finance roles in Dallas usually expect 50 to 65 hours a week, energy and aviation 45 to 55, tech 42 to 52. Negotiating a contract before signing applies more here than in most cities.

Career mobility for the relocated worker is worth pricing in before you sign. The career growth ranking tracks the pattern across the cities in this issue, and the visa to citizenship guide covers the multi year naturalization timeline that most worker visa holders eventually consider.

One more lens. The dual income household question. The spouse visa guide covers the 30 most common destination cities.

The system, the cost, the wait.

Healthcare scored 7.6 on a 10 point scale. The methodology weights access, cost, and outcomes equally.

employer linked insurance is the dominant funding model, with Texas Health Resources, Baylor Scott and White, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Children's Health anchoring the private hospital network; premium private hospital admission runs 4,200 to 38,000 dollars per stay depending on procedure and insurance, with deductibles in the 1,200 to 5,200 dollar band. Outcome metrics for Dallas place it in the top tier of US cities for cardiovascular care and oncology. The fastest route for routine specialist care under insurance is in network primary care plus referral; the cost runs 35 to 220 dollars for a co pay.

For new arrivals: the gap between employer coverage and start date is the most common headache. Pick up an interim international policy from SafetyWing or Cigna Global while your enrollment processes. The expat insurance guide covers the trade off. The best healthcare cities ranking places Dallas on the regional table.

Dental and vision typically sit outside the main coverage. Dental cleaning runs 95 to 240 dollars, a filling 185 to 480, an annual eye exam 65 to 220. Cross check the Dallas dental care guide before you book. For prescription medication, the local pharmacy network plus mail order is the standard. The cost differential between US prices and global prices is the largest variable in the household budget.

Mental health services have a moderate wait. Expect two to six week waits for a new patient appointment with a psychiatrist in network; out of network with insurance reimbursement collapses that to one to two weeks at 180 to 360 dollars per session. The expat mental health guide covers what private and public look like across our top 50 cities.

Medical tourism is a separate variable. Dallas residents who pay out of pocket sometimes consider Mexico for elective procedures. The Americas medical tourism guide covers the dental implant, knee replacement, and elective surgery cost differentials.

Walk, ride, or drive.

Walkability 5.2, transit 5.4, bike 4.2. Car needed: Yes.

the DART light rail covers 64 stations across the Red, Blue, Green, and Orange lines, fare 3.00 dollars per ride and 96 dollars for a monthly pass; the Trinity Railway Express connects Dallas to Fort Worth with 10 stations on the corridor. Service is regular within the network but the system covers a smaller share of the metro than DC or New York. The bike network has expanded along Katy Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and into Bishop Arts. For relocation scouting and the first two weeks before your vehicle arrives, a rental from Discover Cars covers most needs at 35 to 78 dollars a day. Beyond that, a car in Dallas is effectively required for any address outside Uptown. The best public transport cities ranking places Dallas on the global chart.

Airport access is the variable most travelers underweight. From a central Uptown one bedroom to DFW International, expect 22 to 55 minutes by car and 45 to 80 minutes by DART (Orange Line). Dallas Love Field for Southwest Airlines flights is 15 to 30 minutes from central neighborhoods. The Dallas airport access guide walks the routes with the actual costs and times.

The walkability score lands where it does because Dallas is a car city by design. Uptown, Bishop Arts, Deep Ellum, and the Knox Henderson corridor are exceptions; the rest of the metro is built around the highway grid. The most walkable cities ranking places Dallas on the global walkability chart.

Internet, visas, and where to plug in.

Median internet speed 210 Mbps. Coworking density: 142 spaces. Visa: H1B, L1, O1, EB visas for the working immigrant; ESTA Visa Waiver Program for 90 day visits.

The remote work rating for Dallas sits in the top tier. The internet speed of 210 Mbps comfortably beats most peers, particularly with Spectrum, AT&T Fiber, and Frontier fiber coverage across the core neighborhoods; the coworking density is among the highest in any US metro outside New York and San Francisco; and the time zone (Central Standard) is workable for both East and West Coast meetings. For a privacy layer on local networks, NordVPN remains the cleanest option we have tested. The best cities for remote work ranking covers the full table.

For nomads: the visa story is the biggest variable. No dedicated digital nomad visa for the US. The H1B, L1, and O1 are the working visa categories; the EB green card categories are the standard immigration routes; the ESTA Visa Waiver Program covers 90 day visits for citizens of 41 eligible countries. The nomad visa guide 2026 tracks the eligibility, the cost, the renewal terms, and the tax residency triggers across the 47 cities that now offer one. Watch the 183 day rule.

For coworking specifically, the density figure of 142 spaces hides a wide quality range. The premium operators (WeWork, Industrious, the Common Desk, Mindspace) run 480 to 880 dollars a month for a hot desk and 880 to 1,720 for a private booth. The mid market option runs 220 to 460 dollars a month for unlimited access plus mail handling. The Dallas coworking guide tracks the specific operators with the floor plans and the monthly numbers. The best cities for digital nomads ranking keeps the macro view, with Dallas placed on the same axis as Austin, Atlanta, and Denver for direct comparison.

The other variable nomads underweight is internet reliability rather than peak speed. The cities with best internet speed piece breaks the Speedtest Global Index April 2026 data by outage hours rather than peak Mbps. Dallas sits in the top decile of cities for reliability.