Houston vs Dallas for Black Professionals (2022) (food, living, cost, state)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been looking on Google Maps at Many of these neighborhoods in Houston that have been discussed (3rd Ward, Riverside Terrace, Southside, etc.). Loads of potential and plenty of nice homes.
How is the light rail/public transportation in Houston?
I've been looking on Google Maps at Many of these neighborhoods in Houston that have been discussed (3rd Ward, Riverside Terrace, Southside, etc.). Loads of potential and plenty of nice homes.
How is the light rail/public transportation in Houston?
In Houston you'll be miserable without a car. Dallas is the only city in Texas I would even think about living in without my own set of wheels, and even that is really pushing it.
In Houston you'll be miserable without a car. Dallas is the only city in Texas I would even think about living in without my own set of wheels, and even that is really pushing it.
It’s possible in Austin as well, probably about 10,000-20,000 College Students do it since UT’s area is walkable and accessible by Bus. It’s get harder outside of Campus, West Campus and Downtown though, but I know a significant amount of careless people. I even know someone who lives in the far suburbs and takes the train into town because their job’s Remote. But that’s an exception.
I’ve personally done it for the last 4 years in Austin.
The one benefit Austin has over Houston is that even if Houston’s car-free infrastructure improves significantly. It’s far too physically large and it’s too gross-crosse by highways in the center that until some highways get buried this city will feel more and more like islands of walkability.
I think it will stay like that for the foreseeable future. Honestly, even though blacks are the longest living minority in this country, we still have a few places where we can go to feel comfortable; we, just like other races, will gravitate towards those areas. Houston has always been a black friendly city, but as time transitions, the buzz is only going to get bigger and bigger and bigger.
Even though Hispanics are the majority in Houston, the Hispanics don’t dominate here the way they do in San Antonio, El Paso, Miami, etc. There may be a lot of Asians here, but the Asians don’t dominate here they way they do in the Bay, Seattle, etc.
I did some research on Third Ward real estate in zip code 77004. I'm actually surprised by the prices for these homes. I know prices have gone through the roof, but these are really expensive for the market I would assume based on income for Black people in Houston.
Most houses are between $400K to $600k range and some are in the $800k range. I wonder if something radical like a residential property tax freeze for homeowners in Third Ward could be implemented to keep Black homeowners in their homes as these property values continue to rise through the roof?
I'm a Houston native who have lived now in Dallas-Fort Worth over 15 years. Houston has more African-American history because it has two of the 5 largest HBCUs in the country - Prairie View and Texas Southern, thus, it naturally, attracted more black people. However, Dallas voted the first black person as mayor before Houston, Ron Kirk.
Dallas is also a different feel because, while its the key city for its metro area, it's not the only significant city. Fort Worth (900K residents), Arlington (400K residents), Plano(290K) and Irving (260K) are all larger than the next largest city in metro Houston (Pasadena - 153K residents). Black folks are more spread out I think in DFW. Arlington has the largest % of black people -21% but FW and Irving each are at least 14% black. Houston is 22% black. Dallas city is 18%.
per the 2020 US Census, only metro Atlanta added more black residents than DFW. But Houston was 3rd most.
The economies are very different, something anyone looking to relocate should really study first. Houston is Energy industry, Healthcare (largest medical complex in the world), import/export, & manufacturing but ENERGY is king.
DFW's economy is more diverse - Finance, transportation (BNSF Railroad and both American and Southwest are based there), telecommunications (ATT, NTT,) technology, Defense contracting (Lockheed, Bell Helicopter), Retail/Restaurants/Dining enterprises.
Houston is more affordable. Metro Houston has a higher crime rate.
Both towns are major entertainment stops and have major attractions. Houston puts you 40-50 miles from the Beach. DFW has a number of nearby lakes for your water recreation.
Houston's big annual family event is the Livestock Show & Rodeo. DFW has the State Fair of TX. Both events have a day that's basically dedicated to the black family entertainment. One thing though about DFW, because its a combo metro, you basically have two of everything in terms of venues.
Do Houston have more black owned businesses than Dallas?
Based on this thread it seems like Houston is the strong #4 in black American for young professionals. (NYC/DC/ATL being 1-3 no order).
I do have big reservations on the state government/politics however. Personally, I would not move to Houston or Dallas because of the state government, regardless of how nice the cities are. I wonder if any other black professionals here feel the same.
In a general response, I noted for 2010-2020, DFW and Houston added more black residents than any other metros other than Atlanta. Texas in terms of total black residents is now first in the nation. That's as good an indication as any of preferences.
Does anyone know about any Black cultural events, festivals, block parties, Black owned business focused markets in Dallas? I haven't seen much at all about Dallas in this thread.
Check out DFW Black-owned Restaurants on FB.
There is an African-American Museum on the State Fair Grounds.
I'm a Houston native who have lived now in Dallas-Fort Worth over 15 years. Houston has more African-American history because it has two of the 5 largest HBCUs in the country - Prairie View and Texas Southern, thus, it naturally, attracted more black people. However, Dallas voted the first black person as mayor before Houston, Ron Kirk.
Dallas is also a different feel because, while its the key city for its metro area, it's not the only significant city. Fort Worth (900K residents), Arlington (400K residents), Plano(290K) and Irving (260K) are all larger than the next largest city in metro Houston (Pasadena - 153K residents). Black folks are more spread out I think in DFW. Arlington has the largest % of black people -21% but FW and Irving each are at least 14% black. Houston is 22% black. Dallas city is 18%.
per the 2020 US Census, only metro Atlanta added more black residents than DFW. But Houston was 3rd most.
The economies are very different, something anyone looking to relocate should really study first. Houston is Energy industry, Healthcare (largest medical complex in the world), import/export, & manufacturing but ENERGY is king.
DFW's economy is more diverse - Finance, transportation (BNSF Railroad and both American and Southwest are based there), telecommunications (ATT, NTT,) technology, Defense contracting (Lockheed, Bell Helicopter), Retail/Restaurants/Dining enterprises.
Houston is more affordable. Metro Houston has a higher crime rate.
Both towns are major entertainment stops and have major attractions. Houston puts you 40-50 miles from the Beach. DFW has a number of nearby lakes for your water recreation.
Houston's big annual family event is the Livestock Show & Rodeo. DFW has the State Fair of TX. Both events have a day that's basically dedicated to the black family entertainment. One thing though about DFW, because its a combo metro, you basically have two of everything in terms of venues.
No you don’t. That’s the same argument you made in the other one recently. The majority of the venues you mentioned have a side by side equivalent. Fort Worth doesn’t have an NBA team or team of any major sport. Yes there are things you may find in DFW that you don’t in Houston (I.e. Six Flags) but venues doubling up because it’s a two sided metro? Negative.
So now let me ask you this. If what you just said is true about those of us on City-Data being urbanists and our focus being on those "few" Black professionals that are also urbanists, why wouldn't our focus be on Black urban spaces and their improvement? Why wouldn't that be important for every city?
I think Black people on City-Data have a defeatist attitude when it comes to Black urban spaces because there are barely any vibrant and booming examples of them. Why do you think Harlem is so well regarded? Instead of focusing on their creation, we're moving to suburban car-oriented neighborhoods without retail because they are the only places we can afford to live that are nice.
I don't understand how you can say "suburban car-oriented neighborhoods without retail". Suburban markets generally have higher median incomes, i.e. retailers take notice and gravitate to address the needs of those consumers. I work in commercial finance and live in the Dallas area. One area where for awhile you had middle class black folks in the suburbs that I thought lacked decent retail was southwest Dallas county. But within a few years of moving here, I saw major infill with new retailers to support the populace.
The cities we’re talking about are though. Houston is, Dallas is, and Austin definitely is. I can’t think of a city that isn’t to be honest. The difference is cities aren’t investing in Black neighborhoods. They are waiting for the private sector to do it which isn’t happening so nothing gets built for Black people.
We should be outraged that we have to move to neighborhoods without many Black people for amenities across America. Even Black suburbs struggle to offer amenities to their residents. How many amenities exist in the middle class Black suburbs of Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, DC, Chicago, New York, Charlotte, Miami, etc. etc.?
What amenities are you talking about? Restaurants, grocers, movies, water parks, bowling, comedy clubs? Check out Arlington, Cedar Hill, Plano, Lewisville, Katy and Sugarland, TX.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
