work life

Dallas logs on as one of best U.S. metros for remote workers in 2023, Forbes says

Daily commute: about 30 seconds from the bedroom to the office.

thumbor.forbes.com

With many companies encouraging - or commanding - remote workers to return to the office in 2023, more and more Americans are seeking employment opportunities that will give them the freedom to work elsewhere.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is (remotely) clocking in as the No. 15 best metro area for remote workers in 2023, according to a new study by Forbes Advisor. And that'll probably only get better in this booming Texas region.

The study examined 100 U.S. cities and metro areas, and ranked them based on the earning potential of remote workers, internet access, lifestyle amenities, worker friendliness, living costs, and more.

Reliable wifi during office hours and having great lifestyle amenities are perhaps a remote worker's most important toolset. Flexible workdays coupled with the wide variety of recreational activities around the city earned Dallas No. 4 in the category for "cities with the best access to arts, entertainment, and dining establishments."

Dallas was the only Texas city to make it into the top five in the entertainment access category, with Houston falling behind in No. 8.

While Dallas-Fort-Worth Arlington tied with Wichita, Kansas for the No. 15 spot, the Metroplex reigns as the second-best metro area in Texas for remote workers, behind San Antonio-New Braunfels (No. 6). Surrounding Dallas suburbs like Frisco and Plano have been high on similar lists in the past.

"Remote work saves workers time and money on commuting and office clothing, while keeping their morale and productivity levels high," the report said. "Ideally, you’d live in a place with an affordable cost of living, high earning potential, reliable internet connection, low taxes, a low unemployment rate, and various entertainment options."

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin-Round Rock fell way behind on the overall ranking into No. 39. Surprisingly, Houston (No. 49) barely made it into the top 50, outranked by El Paso (No. 46). McAllen-Edinburg-Mission ranked No. 85.

The top 15 U.S. metro areas for remote workers are:

No. 1 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida
No. 2 – Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana
No. 3 – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska-Iowa
No. 4 – Tulsa, Oklahoma
No. 5 – Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan
No. 6 – San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas
No. 7 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 8 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
No. 9 – Tucson, Arizona
No. 10 – Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio
No. 11 – Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas
No. 12 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
No. 13 – Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, South Carolina
No. 14 – Rochester, New York
No. 15 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Wichita, Kansas (tied)

The study can be found on forbes.com.

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Entrepreneur news

6 Dallas-Fort Worth cities among best U.S. places to start a business

Photo by Zack Brame on Unsplash

Dallas loves big business.

Dallas-Fort Worth's track record for developing entrepreneurial powerhouses has been recognized in WalletHub's just-released list of the "Best Large Cities to Start a Business" for 2025. DFW contributed six cities among the top 50, with Dallas proper landing in the No. 16 spot.

The annual report ranked 100 U.S. cities based on 19 metrics across three main categories: business environment, access to resources, and costs. Factors considered in the report include five-year business survival rates, job growth comparisons from 2019 and 2023, office space affordability, and more.

The central Florida city of Orlando came in at No. 1, topping the list as the best large city for starting a business this year.

Dallas' business climate has slipped slightly since 2024, when the city previously ranked No. 14.

Dallas scored highly in the "national business environment" category, ranking No. 13 out of all 100 cities in the report. But it got much lower marks in categories such as access to resources and business costs.

And it earned a dubious prize: Dallas workers have the second-longest workweeks nationwide.

"Starting a business can be very scary, considering one in every five startups doesn’t make it past the first year," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "That’s why it’s especially important to live in a city that provides an environment where new businesses can thrive, with enough capital, workers and customers to keep it going long-term."

Despite this study's less-than-stellar review of the city's entrepreneurial spirit, there are many Dallas-based businesses that reigned superior on Fortune’s 2025 list of "America’s Most Innovative Companies." Dallas is also getting its own regional Nasdaq headquarters, so the metro clearly loves big business.

Across the Metroplex, Fort Worth ranked the highest out of all six DFW cities in the report at No. 11, followed by Arlington (No. 15), Irving (No. 22), Garland (No. 29), and Plano (No. 43).

Elsewhere in Texas
Austin was the only Texas city to rank among the top 10 best big cities to start a business in 2025, climbing up into the No. 3 spot.

Other large Texas cities that were named among the best places to start a business in 2025 include Lubbock (No. 33), Houston (No. 34), Laredo (No. 44), San Antonio (No. 64), El Paso (No. 67), and Corpus Christi (No. 70).

The top 10 best large cities to start a business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Orlando, Florida
No. 2 – Tampa, Florida
No. 3 – Austin, Texas
No. 4 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 5 – Miami, Florida
No. 6 – St. Petersburg, Florida
No. 7 – Boise, Idaho
No. 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – Hialeah, Florida

innovation wallethub rankings business entrepreneurship dallas fort worth plano garland irving arlington