Opt for Optimism

Frost Bank bids high on community improvement at arty Dallas fundraiser

Frost Bank and CultureMap surprised attendees at the Bold Strokes art market and auction.

Courtesy photo

When the Dallas nonprofit Heart House joined forces with local artists and artisans for a market and silent auction, all to make an impact and give back to the community, Frost Bank and CultureMap knew that being involved was a must.

So we popped up at the Bold Strokes event on November 17 at Common Desk in Deep Ellum, ready to #frostitforward by spreading good vibes and big smiles.

Among masterpieces up for bidding and some 20-odd booths from such local social-impact vendors as Gaia Empowered Women, Carrie Song Art, and Symbology Clothing, we passed out $10 Frost cash cards and encouraged the recipients to pay it forward by using the money on someone else.

Since the 1990s, Heart Dallas has provided safety, education, and opportunity to refugee and underprivileged children, as well as interventions and support services to move students from a mindset of chaos to an oasis of calm.

This surprise visit to Bold Strokes, which you can take a peek at in the video above from WingedSun Productions, was the latest in a series of pop-ups that are helping Dallasites show generosity and spread optimism. It's all part of CultureMap's partnership with Frost Bank and in celebration of our comprehensive CultureMap Charity Guide, which is your one-stop destination for area nonprofits and charities.

CultureMap and Frost Bank will be hosting another round of pop-ups to close out 2018, surprising and delighting folks across the state. Want to know where we might show up next? Follow along on Instagram and Twitter for hints about our next stop.

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Money Matters

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Texas in 2026

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Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

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A new national report looking at the income it takes to live comfortably in each of the 50 states has revealed Texans need to earn slightly less now than a year ago.

SmartAsset analyzed what a single individual, as well as family of four, must earn to cover minimum basic needs adjusted using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. The resulting estimate represents the annual, pre-tax income needed to live comfortably in every U.S. state.

A single, full-time worker needs to make $90,563 to live comfortably in the Lone Star State, the report found, which is down a meager 0.2 percent from last year ($90,771).

Under the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy, that means a single Texas earner would have $45,282 to spend on necessities like housing and utilities, $27,169 for discretionary spending, and $18,113 for emergencies or retirement savings.

Texas ranked 34th nationally in SmartAsset's list of states with the highest income needed for a single adult to live "in sustainable comfort" in 2026. Only five other states — Tennessee, Maryland, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi — saw a decline in the income needed to live comfortably this year.

For a family of four to live comfortably in Texas, income requirements change significantly, according to the findings. To support a two-child household, a family needs $203,424 in combined total household income to be considered financially stable. This is down slightly from 2025, when SmartAsset reported a family of four in needed $204,922 to live comfortably in Texas.

This is a comfortable lifestyle for a family of four in Texas, according to the report:

$101,712 dedicated to necessities and living expenses
$61,027 dedicated to discretionary spending
$40,685 dedicated to emergencies, savings, or debt repaymen

According to the report, a family of four now needs to make at least $200,000 to live comfortably in 40 U.S. states, a figure that is far out of reach for many American families.

"As housing, grocery, transportation and other essential costs pressure household budgets, earning a six-figure salary no longer guarantees financial comfort in much of the U.S.," the report said. "A single adult now needs at least $80,000 a year to live comfortably in every state, while the threshold exceeds $100,000 in nearly half of states. For a family of four, the income needed to live comfortably is as much as $329,000."

Still, earning the minimum income to live comfortably in Texas doesn't guarantee financial stability in the Lone Star State's major cities. Earlier this year, SmartAsset determined single residents in Dallas need to make nearly $97,000 to qualify as financially stable, while families of four need about $214,500.

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