Houston vs. Dallas (Austin, Portland, Canadian: 2014, homes, neighborhood)

[J_Treehorn]

Originally Posted by R1070

Is that metro or city? I could definitely see incomes being higher in city vs city as Houston has a lot more suburban areas of the metro within it's city limits.

As I've said before, and has been amply displayed on these forums, the Houston metro economy is significantly larger and richer than the DFW metro economy, despite having less people. Among many reasons, it is the epicenter of one of the world's major industries and a major seaport - things that exist in only one Texas city.

More wealth + less people = 17% higher per capita income.

Now in terms of Pottery Barns, chain restaurants, mega-churches or leased Land Rovers per capita, I really don't know the score. Those seem to be the details worth chatting about - you can close the door on the macroeconomic arguments, though (Houston wins).

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by J_Treehorn

As I've said before, and has been amply displayed on these forums, the Houston metro economy is significantly larger and richer than the DFW metro economy, despite having less people. Among many reasons, it is the epicenter of one of the world's major industries and a major seaport - things that exist in only one Texas city.

More wealth + less people = 17% higher per capita income.

Now in terms of Pottery Barns, chain restaurants, mega-churches or leased Land Rovers per capita, I really don't know the score. Those seem to be the details worth chatting about - you can close the door on the macroeconomic arguments, though (Houston wins).

What about in terms of 30K millionaires who wins? I think we all know the answer to that one.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

What about in terms of 30K millionaires who wins? I think we all know the answer to that one.

Smug, but true, although Houston is catching up quick with its' own surge of 30k millionaires in Midtown, Washington Ave. Corridor, and Rice Military.

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by R1070

Is that metro or city? I could definitely see incomes being higher in city vs city as Houston has a lot more suburban areas of the metro within it's city limits.

Here's the data for both Houston and DFW from 2003-2012. Houston has pretty much always been a richer metro on a per capita basis, but also caught up on an absolute basis around 2008 or so. If you'll notice, the per capita personal income statistics cited on this thread match those shown for 2012 of the attached .jpeg file.

This was pulled from the BEA website. (http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm...029=20&7090=70)

[dollaztx]

Originally Posted by majicdonjuan

Here's the data for both Houston and DFW from 2003-2012. Houston has pretty much always been a richer metro on a per capita basis, but also caught up on an absolute basis around 2008 or so. If you'll notice, the per capita personal income statistics cited on this thread match those shown for 2012 of the attached .jpeg file.

This was pulled from the BEA website. (http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm...029=20&7090=70)

Yes, I noticed that too. I wonder if that is in direct relation to the oil industry. If I recall correctly 2008 is the year when oil prices per barrel peaked to an all time high. That could have given the final push to surpass DFW. Personally I don't see that reversing anytime soon. There are currently no signs of an oil bust and people keep flocking to Dallas.

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by dollaztx

Yes, I noticed that too. I wonder if that is in direct relation to the oil industry. If I recall correctly 2008 is the year when oil prices per barrel peaked to an all time high. That could have given the final push to surpass DFW. Personally I don't see that reversing anytime soon. There are currently no signs of an oil bust and people keep flocking to Dallas.

I think that the price of oil is part of it, but also the fact that domestic energy production really started ramping up around the end of the last decade and Houston obviously benefited immensely from the amount of new activity in O&G.

Both Houston and DFW are more protected from an oil price crash now than they were 30 years ago, and I actually think a moderate drop (~10-15 dollars a barrel) in the price of oil wouldn't hurt either metro too much due to the fact that in DFW's case O&G isn't a big direct player (most employment is tied to activity elsewhere), and in Houston while O&G is the biggest player, the fundamentals of the industry are different now. Much more focus on exploration and support services than on production, and those jobs aren't going away except in the case of a huge decrease in price.

Given the growing energy demand from emerging markets, it's hard for me to see how an 80's style bust could happen in the near future, and I see both areas continuing to grow robustly for the foreseeable future. However, Houston will probably grow faster in terms of personal income as long as O&G continues to do well. DFW's more stable, more diverse economy will do better in down times though as the data shows.

[TexasTallest]

its about freaking time...

Officials narrowing options for commuter rail lines - Houston Chronicle

[dallasboi]

Steve Brown: More teardowns coming in Dallas

[curbur]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

Uptown isn't sprawled.

I was talking about Houston and Dallas metro areas as a whole. The two I quote always go back and forth as to which place is 'better'. When did I specify uptown?

[dallasboi]

Battle of the big-box store just beginning around downtown Dallas | Dallas Morning News