Seeing dollar signs

4 Dallas-Fort Worth counties rate among 10 wealthiest in Texas, report says

Dallas County ranks seventh.

Photo by Tony Shi Photography/Getty Images

On the heels of a report that named Rockwall County the richest county in Texas based on median household income, another survey shows three other North Texas counties aren't doing too bad, either.

A new ranking from personal finance website SmartAsset lists Collin, Dallas, Rockwall, and Denton counties among the wealthiest in Texas. SmartAsset based its ranking on a county’s per capita income, as well as its median home value and per capita investment income.

"We calculated a Wealth Index for all U.S. counties based on a combination of these three metrics and ranked them accordingly to provide a holistic view of what areas of the U.S. are accumulating the most wealth," SmartAsset says.

Taking those factors into account, all four North Texas counties land in top-10 places on SmartAsset’s wealth index.

The Texas rankings are as follows:

Midland County (Midland area). Per capita income: $126,631; median home value: $279,569; Per capita investment income: $59,283.
Travis County (Austin area). Per capita income: $74,032; median home value: $519,353; per capita investment income: $38,381.
Kendall County (San Antonio area). Per capita income: $84,853; median home value: $437,320; per capita investment income: $29,250.
Collin County (Dallas-Fort Worth). Per capita income: $71,246; median home value: $448,781; per capita investment income: $15,499.
Gillespie County (Hill Country). Per capita income: $68,885; median home value: $360,317; per capita investment income: $27,325.
Glasscock County (east of Midland-Odessa). Per capita income: $87,334; median home value: $287,852; per capita investment income: $13,887.
Dallas County (Dallas-Fort Worth). Per capita income: $65,401; median home value: $274,136; per capita investment income: $38,445.
Rockwall County (Dallas-Fort Worth). Per capita income: $64,943; median home value: $379,075; per capita investment income: $15,668.
Denton County (Dallas-Fort Worth). Per capita income: $63,283; median home value: $398,339; per capita investment income: $12,837.
Comal County (San Antonio area). Per capita income: $62,994; median home value: $387,251; per capita investment income: $15,509.

Midland County, where the oil boom has created a gusher of wealth, holds the No. 1 spot. And, with many tech workers in Central Texas hauling in more than $100,000 a year and home values soaring, it stands to reason that Austin's Travis County (No. 2) is flush with cash.

“Austin was the nation’s most popular pandemic-fueled migration destination in early 2021 as remote workers flocked from pricey coastal job centers to comparatively affordable parts of the country — but now many buyers are priced out,” the a recent Redfin report said.

Of course, DFW has seen a population boom, too. Rockwall and Denton counties both ranked as top U.S. metro counties with the most growth in new housing units from 2010 to 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released last fall.

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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