Moving to DFW, will work in Wilmer, TX (Dallas, Arlington: rental, new construction)

[BonJaker81]

Hello. I recently took a position in Wilmer, Tx and will be starting soon. I will be relocating with my family from Virginia. We are looking for suggestions on good areas to live...planning on renting for a year so we can find the right place for us. I know Wilmer is far south so I am already planning on having a commute. Suggestions we have received so far include West Plano, Allen, Frisco, etc. Schools and amenities are important...I would like to shorten the commute as much as possible but understand if that's not possible. Living in a great community for my family outweighs my frustration with traffic. Thanks in advance!

[TurtleCreek80]

What's your budget, what do you expect to get for that budget, and how many minutes do you want to drive each way? Can't help you without that crucial info.

I can tell you that West Plano, Allen, and Frisco are absolutely NOT an option. That would be a 40-50 mile commute, each way, going with the flow of rush hour traffic into downtown Dallas. You're probably talking 1 hr 20 min - 1 hr 40 minutes EACH WAY....so 3-4 hours in a car every day. Trust me, we can point you in a much better direction!!!

[BonJaker81]

Well would like to keep the rental budget between 1600-1800. I was planning on trying to stay under an hour in the car one way.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by BonJaker81

Well would like to keep the rental budget between 1600-1800. I was planning on trying to stay under an hour in the car one way.

I'd check into Cedar Hill, South Arlington (zoned to Arlington Martin HS), and maybe Ennis or Waxahachie. Ennis and Waxahachie are towns south of Dallas metroplex but only about 20 minutes from Wilmer. I don't know a lot about their schools (good or bad) but it sure would make your life easier!

[WorldKlas]

I get so frustrated with people who relocate to the DFW area and are steered to the far NE Collin county towns. You are inviting torture unnecessarily by choosing those places. There are so many wonderful, family friendly communities with great schools in the southern section.

Highest rated schools nearest to Wilmer is Midlothian. It is a town that has lots of new construction and a real town center. It had a bad reputation because many years ago it has a bad air pollution issue because it has much local concrete manufacturing industry. The air quality is said to be resolved but you would need to read up on all that.

Another acceptable choice is Mansfield. But it would be about a 35 min. commute....but not nearly as stop and go as coming in from the NE.

As mentioned by another poster, SW Arlington in zip codes 76016 and 76017 that is zoned to Martin HS is another possibility...highly rated schools in this area. About a 35-40 min commute, I am guessing.

other communities like Cedar Hill, Ennis, Lancaster and DeSoto are worth looking into. However the places mentioned above have more highly rated schools.

[Grainraiser]

Sunnyvale would also be a option. Commute time would be around 30 minutes.

Reggie