women innovators

Here's where Dallas clocks in among best U.S. cities for women in tech

Dallas ranks 32nd on a new list of the best and worst cities for women in tech.

North Texas is in the middle of the pack for women in tech, a new report says.

Dallas ranks No. 32 nationwide, sandwiched between Fort Worth (No. 26) and Arlington (No. 38) in SmartAsset's new report, "Best and Worst Cities for Women in Tech — 2026 Study."

The study compared the 50 biggest U.S. cities across four metrics:

Gender pay gap — women's median earnings as a percentage of men’s median earnings in tech
The share of all tech workers that are women
The overall concentration of employment for tech workers, defined as "tech workers as a share of the local workforce"
Women tech workers’ median earnings, adjusted for regional price parity

For the purpose of the study, tech workers are defined as "city residents employed in computer and mathematical occupations."

The study's findings show that nearly 6,500 tech workers in Dallas are women, or 25.5 percent of the total tech workforce in the city. Tech workers in general make up only 3.6 percent of the total Dallas workforce.

Women tech workers in Dallas have a sizeable gap to cross to receive equal pay compared to their male counterparts in the same industry, the study says. Women tech workers make more than $83,000 in median earnings after adjusting for regional price parity, which is about 88 percent of what male tech workers make, SmartAsset found.

There are only two U.S. cities where women in tech earn more than what their male counterparts: Miami and Memphis, Tennessee. Women tech workers in Miami make an adjusted $88,650 in median earnings, or 101.7 percent of what men in tech make. In Memphis, women make $84,718 in adjusted earnings, or 101.5 percent of what men in tech earn.

This is the profile for women tech workers in Fort Worth and Arlington:

Fort Worth:

Women tech workers: 4,622
Women tech workers, share of tech workforce: 28.7 percent
Women tech workers’ estimated median earnings (adjusted): $87,174
Women tech workers’ earnings as a share of men’s: 89.2 percent
Tech workforce concentration: 3.2 percent

Arlington:

Women tech workers: 2,110
Women tech workers, share of tech workforce: 29.9 percent
Women tech workers’ estimated median earnings (adjusted): $76,319
Women tech workers’ earnings as a share of men’s: 83.5 percent
Tech workforce concentration: 3.2 percent

The study asserted that women remain underrepresented in the nation's overall tech sector, despite making up nearly half of the total workforce. Only 22.6 percent of the country's tech labor force is made up of women, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"Opportunities for women in tech can vary considerably by location, and these differences shape access to jobs, career advancement and earning potential," the report's author wrote. "In some places, women account for a larger share of tech workers, face narrower pay gaps and enjoy a stronger local labor market. In others, they may encounter a more challenging career environment."

The four other Texas cities that earned spots in the report are Austin (No. 6), Houston (No. 15), San Antonio (No. 42), and El Paso (No. 49).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for women in tech are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Seattle, Washington
No. 3 – San Francisco, California
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – Baltimore, Maryland
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – Oakland, California
No. 8 – Portland, Oregon
No. 9 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 10 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

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SWEET comeback

DFW developers rescue legendary Texas candy brand from closing

Courtesy of Lammes Candies

Lammes Candies’ neon lamb sign announces the Austin candy maker’s return after it appeared to be closing for good.

A Fort Worth-based hospitality duo has stepped in to rescue one of Texas' oldest and most beloved candy brands.

Austin's Lammes Candies looked like it had reached the end of its 141-year run in April, when the confectionery announced it would close. But its death was short-lived.

Craig Cavileer and Kayla Wilkie-Kinne of Fort Worth's Delightful Development Co., known for leading the revival of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, have acquired Lammes in partnership with the Lammes Candies family.

Craig Cavileer and Kayla Wilkie-Kinne of Fort Worth-based Delightful Development Co.Photo courtesy of Lammes Candies

The Lamme family will remain involved in the transition and preservation of the company’s recipes and traditions, according to a release. The first sweets are already on their way back: Sherbet Mints, Longhorns, and Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines in legacy boxes.

“Our vision isn’t to change what Lammes Candies is known for,” Wilkie-Kinne said in the announcement of the sale. “It’s to bring back the legacy recipes, traditions and heritage that made Lammes so special for 141 years.”

For now, Lammes’ return is happening solely online. A separate Austin developer purchased the former Lammes building this spring.

Preorders opened September 29, with nationwide shipping set to begin November 1. A fuller relaunch is planned for spring 2027, although no brick-and-mortar plans have been announced yet. Texans will be able to buy products from retail locations around the state.

Lammes’ holiday Sherbet Mints are among the first sweets returning in a limited legacy-box run.Photo courtesy of Lammes Candies

For generations of customers, Lammes was tied not just to candy, but to holiday gift boxes, Valentine’s chocolate-covered strawberries, chewy pralines, and the familiar candy cane pole outside its Airport Boulevard shop.

Lammes’ history began in downtown Austin. David T. Lamme Sr. opened his first candy shop at Eighth and Congress in 1885, later moving to 919 Congress and establishing the Red Front Candy Shop. The company’s chewy pecan pralines date to the 1890s, when Lamme used pecans from trees along the Colorado River. The lamb logo was adopted so customers would know how to pronounce the family name.

Over the decades, Lammes grew from a downtown candy shop into one of Austin’s most recognizable legacy businesses. Its Airport Boulevard factory opened in 1956, marked by the neon lamb sign and striped candy cane pole. Three generations of the Lamme family ran the business there.

Although the brand is most closely associated with Austin, where it maintained its production facilities and retail stores, the pralines and other candies are widely available at spots like Spec's, Walmart, and Central Market throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.

Cavileer and Wilkie-Kinne headed the modern redevelopment of the Fort Worth Stockyards, including Mule Alley and Hotel Drover. Delightful Development has also purchased the historic Williamson County Jail in Georgetown, another landmark property being considered for adaptive reuse. Their new company was founded in 2025 to develop hospitality destinations and build on legacy brands in Texas.

“Lammes Candies is more than a confection and candy company,” Wilkie-Kinne says in the release. “It’s a significant piece of Texas history that Craig and I will honor, preserve and celebrate with future generations of Texans and customers around the country.”

Lammes Christmas and Easter Sherbet Mints will be available at select Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations nationwide. Details on future restocks and new releases have not yet been announced. Updates will be posted at lammes.com and on Instagram.

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