Reducing the Rent

Where can sharing an apartment save you the most money in DFW?

One of the biggest benefits of a roomie is saving some serious cash on rent.

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A roommate undoubtedly can provide companionship — going halfsies on a pepperoni-and-mushroom pizza, watching Game of Thrones together, crying on each other’s shoulders over a breakup. But let’s be honest: One of the biggest benefits of a roomie is saving some serious cash on rent.

So, if you’re looking to share an apartment with a roommate, which spot in Dallas-Fort Worth delivers the most bang for the rental buck? The data scientists at RentHop, an online marketplace for apartment rentals, have the answer.

According to their new study, Arlington yields the most savings when splitting the rent for a two-bedroom apartment versus occupying a one-bedroom apartment by yourself. The study shows there’s a savings of 40.1 percent in Arlington between the solo one-bedroom option ($1,210 a month) and the shared two-bedroom option ($1,450 a month, divided in half).

Here are the areas in DFW that rank right behind Arlington in terms of savings between the solo one-bedroom option and the shared two-bedroom option:

Glencoe Park — 38.7 percent savings; $1,489 for a one-bedroom, $1,825 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)
Tarrant County — 38.67 percent savings; $938 for a one-bedroom, $1,150 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)
Fort Worth — 36.24 percent savings; $1,198 for a one-bedroom, $1,527 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)
Vickery — 34.82 percent savings; $806 for a one-bedroom, $1,050 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)

For all the DFW neighborhoods covered by the RentHop study, the typical savings was 34.9 percent.

The savings were substantially lower in a number of DFW neighborhoods, though. The study shows there’s only a 7.09 percent difference in rent between the solo one-bedroom option ($1,318 a month) and the shared two-bedroom option ($2,449 a month, divided in half) in the City Center District.

Other less desirable DFW neighborhoods for saving money on the solo one-bedroom option versus the shared two-bedroom option are:

Henderson — 7.45 percent savings; $1,050 a month for a one-bedroom, $1,944 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)
North Oaklawn — 10.04 percent savings; $999 for a one-bedroom, $1,798 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)
La Villita — 17.06 percent savings; $1,055 for a one-bedroom, $1,750 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)
Victory Park — 18.61 percent savings; $1,500 for a one-bedroom, $2,441 for a two-bedroom (divided in half)

The only other Texas metro area included in the RentHop study is Houston. Compared with DFW, the opportunities to save money on a solo versus a roommate arrangement are more numerous and more lucrative.

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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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