Brain Power

This Dallas ZIP code clocks in among the smartest spots in Texas

One ZIP boasts big shares of residents with postgrad and professional degrees.

The Dallas area is bursting with brain power, particularly in one part of town. One ZIP code in the region ranks among the top 10 in Texas with the highest share of residents Texans who've earned a master's, professional, or doctoral degree, according to a new list from UnitedStatesZipCodes.org.

"When deciding where to live, neighborhoods full of residents with postgraduate degrees are … increasingly attractive," reads UnitedStatesZipCodes.org, which based its ranking on U.S. Census Bureau data. "Well-educated communities — full of leaders in technology, medicine, business, and more — can bring new industries and revenue."

The postgraduate category includes PhDs and MBAs, while the professional category includes JDs (law degrees) and MDs (medical degrees).

Coming in as the smartest ZIP code in Dallas — and No. 7 in Texas — is 75205. This Park Cities ZIP code is home to the Southern Methodist University campus. Here, 37.7 percent of adults hold a postgraduate or professional degree.

Just outside the top 10, at No. 11, is adjacent 75225, where 35.1 percent of adults have a postgraduate or professional degree. Other Dallas-area ZIPs that make the top 50 are 75063 in Irving (No. 19), 75039 in Irving (No. 21), 75201 in Dallas (No. 26), Plano's, 75025 and 75024 (No. 33 and 34, respectively), Colleyville's 76034 (No. 35), Richardson's 75082 (No. 36), 75018 in Coppell (No. 38), 75093 in Plano (No. 39), 75013 in Allen (No. 40), Southlake's 76092 (No. 41), and Dallas' 75204, 75230, and 75214 (No. 42, 46, and 48, respectively).

The three smartest ZIPs in Texas are all in Houston, according to the study. Houston's 77030, which houses the Texas Medical Center, ranks No. 1, with more than half (51.7 percent) of adults 25 and over holding a postgraduate or professional degree.

No. 2 is Houston's 77005, where 48.5 percent of adults hold a postgraduate or professional degree, and No. 3 is 77401 — Bellaire — with 47.6 percent of adults landing in the category.

The other Texas ZIP codes in the top 10 for postgraduate or professional degrees are:

No. 4 — 78703, Austin, 41.5 percent.
No. 5 — 77098, Houston, 39.2 percent.
No. 6 — 77025, Houston, 39.15 percent.
No. 8 — 78746, Austin, 37.2 percent.
No. 9 — 78731, Austin, 37.1 percent.
No. 10 — 77024, Houston, 35.4 percent.

Federal data shows the unemployment rates for people with master's, professional, and doctoral degrees are lower than for other groups, such as people whose bachelor's or associate's degrees are their most advanced degrees. In addition, people with a postgraduate or professional degree typically earn more money.

"Graduates with the right knowledge and skills have the ability to demand higher salaries, as they are equipped to make significant contributions to the revenue and growth of the companies they work for," the Digital Marketing Institute says.

---

A version of this story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

rankings texas colleges education

happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

undefined

A new happiness study has ranked Plano one of the happiest cities in America this year, and it once again landed on top as the happiest city in Texas.

Plano has moved up on the list and ranks as the 16th happiest U.S. city in 2026. Last year, it was 17th.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Plano across the three key dimensions:

No. 15 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 22 – Community and environment
No. 72 – Income and employment

Plano and its residents have continued improving their city year after year, whether its through opening new bakeries and restaurants, inviting fun pop-ups for locals, or having a strong job market.

Plano's happiness far outshines the rest of North Texas; according to WalletHub, Irving is the 70th happiest city in the country, the third-happiest in Texas, and the second-happiest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Garland ranked farther behind as No. 92 nationally, and more DFW cities ranked even lower: Grand Prairie (No. 106), Dallas (No. 111), Fort Worth (No. 113), and Arlington (No. 119).

The report additionally found that Dallasites spend the third-most amount of time at work in the nation. The city ranked No. 180 in the national analysis of U.S. cities with the "fewest work hours."

WalletHub also emphasized that money doesn't buy happiness — after a certain point.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Six-figure earners in Plano aren't necessarily as happy as those who don't make as much, as a separate financial study from SmartAsset revealed these big earners are only taking home about $72,653 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 39 – Austin
No. 128 – Houston
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

wallethub plano reports

Brain Power

This Dallas ZIP code clocks in among the smartest spots in Texas

This is the income it takes to be middle class in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2026

Scenic Dallas-area campsite named one of America's best in 2026

Build-your-own tacos restaurant Barrio makes Texas debut in McKinney

happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America