Tricks and Treats

It’s scary how well Dallas ranks among best U.S. cities for Halloween

Prepare your candy buckets, boys and ghouls: Dallas is now one of the sweetest places to be on All Hallows’ Eve. Real estate site Zillow released its seventh annual list of the best U.S. cities for trick-or-treating, and Dallas cracks the top 20 for the first time.

While Dallas sneaks in at No. 17, San Francisco dominates Zillow’s Trick-or-Treat Index for the fifth year in a row, with San Jose (No. 2) and Los Angeles (No. 3) creeping up from behind.

Zillow’s research team calculated the safest place for trick-or-treaters to scare up the best candy in the shortest amount of time by considering four variables: value of single-family homes, proximity of houses, age of residents, and local crime data.

More important for Dallas candy collectors, Zillow also nailed down the best neighborhoods for trick-or-treating in the city. The real estate site placed North Dallas in the lead, followed by Bluffview, Lake Highlands, Oak Cliff, and Preston Hollow, respectively.

In similar news, Dallas also ranks highly on WalletHub’s list of the best cities for Halloween, landing at No. 14. The criteria for this roundup were a little different; the finance site wanted to know which places promised a hauntingly good time without frightening your wallet.

Researchers compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 16 key metrics, ranging from the number of costume stores per capita to the average cost of a Halloween party ticket to the best and worst weather forecasts for Halloween. Turns out North Texas in general is a good place to be on Halloween, because three cities claim top 10 spots: Irving (No. 6), Garland (No. 8), and Plano (No. 10).

Arlington slides in at No. 19, giving Dallas-Fort Worth a total of five in the top 20. Boo.

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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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Fun times in the city

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