Planting roots

Dallas area dominates list of best Texas cities for the middle class

Dallas skyline Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

The Dallas area boasts five of Texas' top 10 places for middle-class families.

Photo courtesy of Dallas CVB

Middle-class families looking for the perfect place to call home may find just what they're looking for in Dallas, according to a new study.

Personal finance website Simple Thrifty Living ranked the best cities for middle-class families in every state, declaring Dallas the second best out of 100 Texas cities. The study analyzed each city based on socioeconomic factors that are important to families, such as local median income and home value (compared to the state as a whole), real estate taxes, unemployment rate, college educated residents, schools, and job availability.

Dallas, with a median household income of $47,285 (compared to the statewide median of $57,051) stands out with its affordable homes (the local median of $183,000 isn't far off from the state's median of $169,500) and near-perfect job score, with 18,377 openings within a 10-mile radius. The strong employment market shouldn't come as a surprise for Dallas, as the Metroplex was recently recognized for record job growth over the last decade.

Outside Dallas proper, DFW dominates with four additional cities landing in the top 10, including the somewhat curious entries of affluent University Park and Highland Park, which rank the No. 3 and 4 best cities for middle-class families. (Despite having median household incomes ($200,000-plus) and home values ($1 million-plus) well outside the norm, the two aspirational neighborhoods receive exceptional scores for their highly educated residents, job availability, and real estate tax rates.)

Irving and Fort Worth also chart top spots, at Nos. 5 and 10, respectively. Households in Irving earn more than the state median, $58,196, while home values are relatively the same, $169,800. Fort Worth households also earn more than the Texas median, $57,309, but homes there are even more affordable, at $155,200.

The No. 1 city on the list is Houston, with a median income of $49,399, median home value of $169,600, and impressive 19,981 job openings. Two other Houston-area spots land in the top 10: West University Place, No. 7, and Richmond, No. 9.

Austin, No. 6, with a median income of $63,717, and the West Texas enclave of Canyon, No. 8, round out the top Texas cities for middle-class families.

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Weed News

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Dallas over decriminalization of marijuana

Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife

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The City of Dallas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

According to a release, Paxton has sued the city for adopting a city charter amendment that would decriminalize marijuana-related offenses and prohibit police from enforcing Texas law.

That amendment was Proposition R, or Dallas Freedom Act, which decriminalizes possession of four ounces of marijuana or less. Voters passed the amendment in the November 5 election, with 67 percent voting in favor.

The lawsuit, filed against the Dallas City Council, alleges that Proposition R is unconstitutional and violates Texas drug laws criminalizing any amount of marijuana.

Paxton says that cities can't "pick and choose which state laws to follow." He's proposing a permanent injunction to stop Proposition R from going into effect.

"The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them," says Paxton in a statement. "This is a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution, and any city that tries to constrain police in this fashion will be met swiftly with a lawsuit by my office.”

Before the recent election, possession of two to four ounces of marijuana could result in a punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Ground Game Texas, the activist nonprofit that has also helped get marijuana decriminalization on the ballot in elections across Texas, first got the issue on the ballot in July with the necessary 50,000 signatures.

Dallas is not the only city to be sued; Paxton also filed lawsuits against five other cities in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos in January for their ballots and policies decriminalizing marijuana.

Both Austin and San Marcos had a judge overturn their cases, according to a FOX 4 report.

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