Dollars and sense

This Dallas community makes the grade as Texas’ smartest town

University Park's new ranking might just have something to do with its proximity to SMU.

With a median household income of $211,741, University Park reigns as one of the wealthiest communities in Texas. It also happens to be the most educated in the state, too. In other words, University Park has got both brains and bucks.

A new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by Business Insider shows 87.2 percent of adults 25 and over in University Park hold at least a bachelor’s degree. That’s the highest percentage of any Texas town with at least 1,000 residents.

Business Insider based its analysis on a review of estimates from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2012 to 2017.

While Business Insider didn’t offer an explanation as to why University Park ranks No. 1 among the most educated towns in Texas (and No. 8 in the entire country), that status is undoubtedly related to the community’s proximity to Southern Methodist University.

The 234-acre SMU campus encompasses parts of University Park, Highland Park, and Dallas. Most certainly, it doesn’t hurt that many of the more than 760 faculty members at SMU — nearly three-fourths of whom hold doctoral degrees — live in University Park.

Last year, personal finance website WalletHub ranked University Park as the 14th best place to live in Texas. It landed at No. 1 in the “family life and fun” category and No. 4 in the “education, health, and safety” category.

Not surprisingly, University Park boasts some of the best public schools in Texas. In 2018, education website Niche.com ranked it No. 3 on a list of places in Texas with the best public schools.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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