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.

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

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Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."