Is something wrong with DeSoto? (Dallas: quality of life, live, move to)

[Wrecked]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

If you had read the previous posts, you'd see the SAT scores being referenced were comparing only white students in all districts mentioned, not the whole school.

Small sample sizes are small sample sizes.

The white student population is significantly smaller in the southern Dallas burbs. There are ~41(thats ~10 per grade if every grade had equal white enrollment) white students in the entirety of Cedar Hill Collegiate. There are ~1500 white students(750 seniors) at Plano West.

10 people who were screened to attend a school vs ~750 people who were not screened out. Not every child is a special snowflake like many on here believe. Most children are average even in Plano, and the northern burbs. So you have 10 above average white kids vs 750 mostly average white kids, with some that are above average and some that are below average.

Same goes for DeSoto and Duncanville. Their white student population is substantially smaller than Plano.

I mean ~180 whites at DeSoto HS. Thats ~60 per grade(10-12). 60 vs 750 again is a huge difference. Duncanville HS has ~400 white students, ~100 per grade. Again 100 vs 750.

The stats you are using do not prove anything you assert. The bottom line is the southern burbs are no where near the overall caliber of the northern burbs. The only thing it comes close to proving is just how racially biased the SATs are.

The future of the southern burbs of Dallas will be interesting. There was a dramatic demographic shift in some of them between 2000 and 2010. That trend appears to be continuing, so there is a good chance the white student population will be even more insignificant by 2020.

[Acntx]

A reminder that this thread is beginning to veer off-topic. The OP asked about DeSoto and planned to home school their children.

[HockDad]

Originally Posted by Acntx

A reminder that this thread is beginning to veer off-topic. The OP asked about DeSoto and planned to home school their children.

Umm, the Original Poster is the one who brought up the schools and suggested they could hire tutors if the schools were bad. This is the OP's 3rd post:

"The school argument has always been baffling to me. I could hire Ph.D. candidates to privately tutor my children in the subjects of math, science, music, and humanities - and not even come close to the price differential for a place in the southern 'burbs versus the equivalent property 20 miles north.

Demographics? Everyone has their own priorities, but it seems like a heck of a lot of money to spend so that all of your neighbors look like you do.

I guess I just can't fathom why a $400k home south of I-20 would be a $1.4M home near the airport."

The OP inquired why the houses down south are cheaper. The number one reason is the quality of the schools. The two topics are intertwined. You can't discuss one topic without addressing the other. As a Desoto homer you might not like people addressing the school issue, but you have to address it if you want to discuss the disparity in prices.

[synchronicity]

OK, looking at another issue, "safety", C-D lists crime stats for cities and has a "crime rate" rating which somehow aggregates the rates for various types of crimes and gives a total. The US average is 301.1 http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-DeSoto-Texas.html

DeSoto's crime rating per C-D in 2012 was 282.2. Lancaster's was 280.6, Cedar Hill's was 258.9. Dallas was 450.8 (Hello!)
Going north, Mesquite was 328, Garland was 277. Richardson was 199.3. Plano was 160.2. Addison was 377.8 in 2011 (!!) (C-D doesn't have 2012 data). Recent data for Frisco isn't available; back in 2003 it was at about 224.

Carrollton was 185.2, Farmer's Branch was 173.6.

Going NW, Coppell was 102.1, Grapevine 184.9. Lewisville doesn't have 2012 data but appears to be in the lowish 200's.

Uber affluent UP and HP were about 98 and 126, respectively. Southlake was at 97.2 (that 2012 "whacking" at Town Square was their first murder in ages, but the rating was generally in the lowish 100's since 2000). Colleyville is at an idyllic 45.2. I may have chosen the wrong 'burb to live in. :-)

Among other mid-cities burbs, Hurst is 373.1, Euless is 218.4, Bedford is 222.5.

So DeSoto/Cedar Hill/Lancaster have more crime overall than many northern burbs, but it's not like it's some massively unsafe area. Heck, people live in Addison AND IT GETS RECOMMENDED HERE AS A DESTINATION WITHOUT RESERVATIONS. Someone can correct me but I'm also going to guess that much like Dallas city proper, which has a MUCH higher crime rating overall, that much the crime in DeSoto falls within certain areas and the remainder of the area is about as safe as anywhere else. Garland and Mesquite have similar and higher crime stats, respectively.

I could break out the "violent crime" stats, which is what people are often more worried about. All stats are from C-D for 2012 and I'm just rattling off random burbs: Bedford 166.8, Euless 106.5, Hurst 305.3, Colleyville 13.5, Southlake 24.3, Grapevine 93.0, Coppell 39.7, Farmer's Branch 53.4, Carrollton 80.4, Plano 79.1, Addison 248.0, Richardson 97.6, Garland 138.2, Dallas 376.1, Duncanville 169.0, DeSoto 154.0, Cedar Hill 135.4, Mesquite 170.4.

HP is 17.9, UP is 28.5, and at the other end of the spectrum, Cockrell Hill is 551.2. Frisco and Allen don't have recent data so I'm excluding them but Frisco was 78ish back in 2003, for what that's worth.

So the short answer is that DeSoto has some more crime than many of the usual suspect northern burbs but not enough to cause someone to bar the doors and gates and hunker down. I have yet to hear a "don't go near Bedford" comment on C-D, but it had higher violent crime in 2012 than DeSoto. People who live in the area can probably point to the few areas to avoid and the rest of the city is likely just about as safe as anywhere else. That said, that is part of the reason why home prices are lower than in various other suburbs. Of course if you're looking at homes in the nicest parts of the city, the crime rates are going to be far lower than the average for the entire area.

IIRC, the OP stated that they'd grown up in some really rough areas. The numbers don't paint DeSoto as anything remotely approaching that.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by HockDad

Umm, the Original Poster is the one who brought up the schools and suggested they could hire tutors if the schools were bad. This is the OP's 3rd post:

"The school argument has always been baffling to me. I could hire Ph.D. candidates to privately tutor my children in the subjects of math, science, music, and humanities - and not even come close to the price differential for a place in the southern 'burbs versus the equivalent property 20 miles north.

Demographics? Everyone has their own priorities, but it seems like a heck of a lot of money to spend so that all of your neighbors look like you do.

I guess I just can't fathom why a $400k home south of I-20 would be a $1.4M home near the airport."

The OP inquired why the houses down south are cheaper. The number one reason is the quality of the schools. The two topics are intertwined. You can't discuss one topic without addressing the other. As a Desoto homer you might not like people addressing the school issue, but you have to address it if you want to discuss the disparity in prices.

All I asked was for everyone to stay on topic because this thread has turned away from being a discussion about DeSoto, which was the city the OP inquired about. As a moderator, that is what I have been asked to do. I didn't threaten to close the discussion or prevent you from posting your comments. If you felt differently about that, you could have made your point without labeling me a "homer" and questioning my intentions. I've never been disrepectful to you.

Yes, I grew up in DeSoto and share my opinions about the city when it is brought up. I'm probably the only regular poster who has lived there, so I offer my perspective just as you do.

[HockDad]

Originally Posted by Acntx

All I asked was for everyone to stay on topic because this thread has turned away from being a discussion about DeSoto, which was the city the OP inquired about. As a moderator, that is what I have been asked to do. I didn't threaten to close the discussion or prevent you from posting your comments. If you felt differently about that, you could have made your point without labeling me a "homer" and questioning my intentions. I've never been disrepectful to you.

Yes, I grew up in DeSoto and share my opinions about the city when it is brought up. I'm probably the only regular poster who has lived there, so I offer my perspective just as you do.

Fair point and I apologize.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by HockDad

Fair point and I apologize.

Understood and accepted.

[mrsclark]

When I was house hunting a year ago a friend told me not to buy in Lancaster, Desoto area, cuz it was "dark". I went to see a couple houses and found one inLancaster that was in a good neighborhood, established, working families, unpretentious and would be an amount that would still allow us to live a great lifestyle without being house poor. That was more important to me than whaat color my neighbor is. Sometimes at the store I will be the only white person but noone in this town or Desoto has ever worried about my skin color. Plus, if white people won't move south cause there are no white people, then there never will be.

As for prices and increasing values, there is so much growth out here, forclosures have decreased out here and house prices have certainly increased in the last year,I have been watching the housing listings ever since we bought.

I have not regrtted buying down here for one second.

[Squirl]

Originally Posted by mrsclark

When I was house hunting a year ago a friend told me not to buy in Lancaster, Desoto area, cuz it was "dark". I went to see a couple houses and found one inLancaster that was in a good neighborhood, established, working families, unpretentious and would be an amount that would still allow us to live a great lifestyle without being house poor. That was more important to me than whaat color my neighbor is. Sometimes at the store I will be the only white person but noone in this town or Desoto has ever worried about my skin color. Plus, if white people won't move south cause there are no white people, then there never will be.

As for prices and increasing values, there is so much growth out here, forclosures have decreased out here and house prices have certainly increased in the last year,I have been watching the housing listings ever since we bought.

I have not regrtted buying down here for one second.

Glad to hear that! I remember when you were house hunting. And I remember what a charming place you found.

[lilyskid]

I hope it is ok to post this question here.....my husband, son, and I are considering a move to Desoto or surrounding area. We currently reside in Iowa. Our son has Autism and severe MR. He is 30 yrs old and lives with us. Is it difficult to obtain services for the disabled there? Our son is our top priority, and we want to make sure there will be no drastic change in his quality of life. Are there any other parents out there with adult children who have special needs? Would appreciate any information. Thank you.