Range of residents

This is how racial diversity in Dallas compares to other U.S. cities

A central location and business-friendly environment help account for Dallas' population growth.

Photo courtesy of DCVB

Texas already is what’s known as a minority-majority state, meaning that more than half the state’s residents are non-Hispanic white. And Hispanics are projected to make up the majority of Texas’ population within about 25 years.

The state’s shifting demographics are reflected in the diversity found in three major metro areas in Texas. Based on a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, the Bloomberg news service ranks Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin among the 20 most racially diverse metro areas in the country.

DFW lands at No. 11 on the list, with Houston at No. 5 and Austin at No. 19.

“Rich natural resources, abundant land, a central location within the United States, and a business-friendly environment have long attracted both immigrants and U.S. natives to Texas. As a result, the state has grown faster, with a younger and more diverse population, than the nation,” according to an article in the Texas Business Review. “The key challenge Texas faces now is to reduce the economic and educational disparities prevalent among the state’s ethnic groups as the population continues to grow and evolve.”

Here are the population breakdowns for DFW, according to Bloomberg:

White — 48.3 percent
Hispanic — 28.2 percent
Black — 16.8 percent
Asian — 6 percent

By comparison, here are the population breakdowns for the Houston area, according to Bloomberg:

White — 37.8 percent
Hispanic — 36.3 percent
Black — 16.8 percent
Asian — 7.2 percent

And here are the population breakdowns for the Austin area, according to Bloomberg:

White — 53.3 percent
Hispanic — 31.9 percent
Black — 7 percent
Asian — 5.2 percent

Bloomberg’s findings align with a ranking released last year by personal finance website WalletHub. On that list, Houston appeared at No. 3 among the country’s most diverse cities, with Dallas at No. 4, Arlington at No. 14, and Austin at No. 25.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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