Hometown glory

Irving edges out New York and San Francisco as the most diverse area in thecountry

The Academy of Bangla Arts and Culture in Irving is one of the city's manydiverse offerings.
Photo courtesy of Susruta Chatterjee
The Academic Decathlon team at MacArthur High School in Irving is anotherexample of the area's diversity.
Photo courtesy of Irving ISD
The 75038 zip code in Irving was recently rated the most diverse neighborhood inthe country with no group out of four garerning more than 26 percent of thepopulation.
Courtesy photo

Texas stereotypes just got a little more outdated. Not only are our cities largely devoid of cowboys and cattle ranchers, but they're also more culturally diverse than New York and San Francisco.

Real estate website Trulia has declared Irving's 75038 zip code as the most diverse neighborhood in America. The study, as reported in Forbes, looked at the 100 most populous metros in America.

The 75038 zip code in Irving has no ethnic majority; the area has a near even breakdown across four races.

Just east of DFW Airport and under Highway 114, the zip code includes the neighborhoods of Broadmoor Hills and Song. The area has no ethnic majority and basically has an even breakdown across four races.

Trulia’s report lists the ethnic makeup in a swath of Irving as 26 percent Asian, 25 percent black, 23 percent Hispanic and 23 percent white.

Diverse neighborhoods tend to spur higher population growth and a faster rate of price growth than more homogeneous neighborhoods, the report found. Most of the diverse neighborhoods were not in the heart of the city or particularly well-known to outsiders. What’s more, they’re not typically dense neighborhoods.

Behind Irving, Queens in New York and the Treasure Island neighborhood of San Francisco finished out the top three.

The only other Texas representative, Lakemont, was No. 4 on the list. Houston also ranked fourth in overall metro diversity, though California carried the top 10 with four cities (including No. 1 San Jose).

The South is considerably varied, especially compared with New England and parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

On the least diverse side, Pittsburgh had the highest concentration of whites at 87 percent. El Paso got Texas on the list with the least diverse metro with a non-white majority. The West Texas city is 82 percent Hispanic.

Overall, California and Hawaii were the most diverse states. But the South is also considerably varied, especially compared with New England and parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania, which were found to be the least diverse.

Ironically, the Trulia report says that as diverse neighborhoods grow and prices increase, it could actually result in less diversity. On average, blacks and Hispanics have lower incomes than whites and could be pushed out of areas where rent and home values go up suddenly.

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love on a budget

Texas makes top 10 for most affordable date nights in the U.S.

Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen

Going on a date doesn't have to be expensive.

Finding love on a budget has never been easier in Texas, which was just ranked one of the top 10 states with the most affordable date costs in the country.

Texans spend about $81 on average for a typical date night, which is the 10th cheapest cost out of all 50 states, according to a new study from dating advice platform Muse.

The report compared statewide costs for a date based on the average price of a restaurant meal for two and the average price of a soft drink, domestic beer, and a bottle of wine. Muse additionally extrapolated total costs across "basic," "standard," and "premium" dinner date tiers. Pricing data was provided from consumer pricing database Numbeo on February 2, 2026.

Texas' typical dinner date cost is nearly $11 lower than the $91.75 national average.

This is how the analysis broke down the average price of a dinner date in Texas:

Mid-range restaurant meal for two: $66.67
Soft drink: $2.47
Domestic beer: $6
Bottle of wine: $13.41

Based on these figures, Muse determined that the cost of a "basic" date in Texas – defined as "a three-course meal for two and two soft drinks" – adds up to $71.61. Texans spend an average $78.17 for a "standard" date, meaning the same three-course meal but sub in two domestic beers instead of soft drinks. "Premium" dates for couples, who splurge on a bottle of wine with their meal, will rack up a $93.49 bill at the end of the night, the data says.

North Texans have extra bragging rights considering Dallas was crowned the No. 1 most affordable city for dining out in 2025, and the city is conveniently home to one of the most romantic restaurants in America.

States with the most and least expensive date costs
West Virginia topped the list with the most affordable date nights in the U.S., with the typical date costing $60.22, far lower than the national average. Hawaii, on the other hand, is the most expensive state for dinner date in the nation. The average cost for a date in the Aloha state will set couples back by $144.24.

"People often assume it’s the drinks that make date nights expensive, but it’s really the meal that changes everything," a Muse spokesperson said. "Depending on where you live, the same dinner for two could cost twice as much, and that adds up fast when you're planning something special for Valentine’s Day. No matter the price tag, what matters most is the time spent together, but knowing where your dollar stretches further never hurts."

Celebrating love doesn't have to revolve around going out for dinner. There are many ways to surprise your sweetheart that don't involve going out to eat, like listening to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, watching an Avant Chamber Ballet show, or going on a romantic retreat elsewhere around Texas.

The top 10 most affordable states for a dinner date with their average costs are:

No. 1 – West Virginia ($60.22)
No. 2 – North Dakota ($65.67)
No. 3 – Minnesota ($68.33)
No. 4 – Alabama ($69.74)
No. 5 – Mississippi ($74.37)
No. 6 – Illinois ($74.97)
No. 7 – Kansas ($75.14)
No. 8 – Georgia ($76)
No. 9 – Wyoming ($78.50)
No. 10 – Texas ($81.09)

texas reports dating restaurants