living it up
Dallas makes the honor roll as a top place to live after college

For many college students, it’s tough to imagine life after college when they’re cramming for exams and cranking out research papers. Yet the time does come when they’ll venture into the “real world” with their degrees.
Before graduation rolls around, college students often find themselves wondering where to start their after-school journeys. To help with this homework, real estate website Point2 has developed a list of the best places for life after college, and Dallas earns a ranking of No. 21.
Fort Worth ropes the No. 5 ranking, and Austin — home of the University of Texas — comes in at No. 1.
The website looked at an array of factors to come up with its ranking, such as population growth, business growth, median age, household income growth, poverty rate, and housing availability and prices.
Point2 considered only the 86 places that host the country’s 100 most successful colleges and universities, as rated by U.S. News & World Report.
Dallas — of course, home to prestigious University of Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and University of Texas at Dallas — was noted in Point2's study among America’s top most dynamic college towns in terms of population growth (no secret everyone's moving here!), increasing in number of housing units, growth of locals with higher education degrees, and especially, increase in number of businesses.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth — home to Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan, and Tarrant County College — was noted for its population growth, change in business establishments, and number of building permits.
Other Texas communities on the list are:
- No. 17 College Station, home of Texas A&M University.
- No. 24 Waco, home of Baylor University.
- No. 33 Houston, home of Rice University.
“While education and innovation keep these educational institutions on the map, it’s the economic and social conditions in the city that convince students to pursue a career and build a life in their college town. That’s why household incomes, home prices, the number of businesses and startups, and even the city’s poverty rates weigh heavy,” Point2 says.