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Dallas neighbor has the largest gender pay gap in the U.S., per report

It's 2024 and women are still making less money than men.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Achieving equal pay between men and women is still a long ways off, especially in one North Texas city. According to a new earnings study by Chamber of Commerce, the No. 1 city in the U.S. with the worst gender pay gap is none other than Frisco.

Frisco topped the list, which examined earnings for full-time workers in 170 of the most populous cities in the United States.

The study found that, in 2024, men in Frisco are currently making a staggering $52,216 more than women — representing an increase of $12,357 from 2023, when Frisco came in at No. 2 on the list.

The pay gap in Frisco is also dramatically higher than the national wage gap, which is a little over $11,000.

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, McKinney remained in the No. 5 spot for the second consecutive year. McKinney men make $24,568 more than women, which is a $4,400 decrease year-over-year.

Plano's gender wage gap has worsened since 2023: The suburb is now listed among the top 10 worst pay gaps in the U.S., climbing to No. 6. The study says the Plano's wage gap is now $23,415, or nearly $2,300 more than last year.

In 2023, Dallas had one of the smallest gender pay gaps in the nation. But the city's tone has changed over the last year, and the gender pay gap is now $6,500 in 2024.

Things are much better in Garland where women make $1,377 more than men.

Here's how other North Texas cities fared, along with their gender pay gaps:

No. 33 – Irving ($13,592)
No. 65 – Grand Prairie ($9,792)
No. 81 – Fort Worth ($8,699)
No. 125 – Arlington ($6,228)

Statewide gender pay gap
Chamber of Commerce found Texas' gender pay gap has increased since last year: The 2023 study found women made nearly $11,000 less than men, and that number has increased in 2024 to nearly $12,000.

However, Texas' ranking has improved 10 spots from No. 29 last year to No. 19 this year.

For added context, New Hampshire has the No. 1 worst pay gap in the nation, with men making over $18,000 more than women.

Other Texas cities that earned spots in the report are:

No. 20 – Amarillo
No. 22 – Laredo
No. 24 – Austin
No. 30 – Corpus Christi
No. 31 – Pasadena
No. 52 – Lubbock
No. 59 – El Paso
No. 121 – San Antonio
No. 142 – Houston
No. 167 – Brownsville

dallas frisco mckinney reports

innovation hub

Plano is the 7th best U.S. city to find a job in 2026, report finds

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

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Dallas neighbor Plano has worked its way into 7th place in WalletHub's new study ranking the best places to find a job in 2026.

The just-released "Best Cities for Jobs (2026)" report compared 182 U.S. cities based on 31 relevant metrics "that shape the strength of local job markets" across two main categories: a socioeconomics rank and a job market rank.

WalletHub determined the top three best U.S. cities to find a job in 2026 are Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1); Columbia, Maryland (No. 2); and Portland, Maine (No. 3).

The report found Plano's job market ranking — which covered job opportunities, employment growth, unemployment rates, job automation risk, and more — is the 6th best in the U.S.

Plano also ranked No. 40 in the nationwide socioeconomic category, which analyzed housing affordability, median annual income, average work and commute times, transit accessibility, and many other factors.

While these employment indicators are important to consider when researching the best place to find work, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the quality of the jobs available matters just as much as the quantity of available jobs in a city.

"There are plenty of secondary factors to take into account as well, from how easy a city makes commuting to jobs to whether it’s a good place for raising a family or engaging in recreational activities outside of work," Lupo said.

Plano is home to the headquarters and regional offices for major corporations including Toyota, J.C. Penney, Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Capital One, Ericsson, and soon, AT&T.

Plano was dubbed the No. 6 best city for remote workers in 2025, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metro recently ranked No. 3 a separate national ranking of the best cities for startups.

Elsewhere in Texas, 10 more cities made it into the top-100 best places for finding a job: Austin (No. 9), Irving (No. 18), Grand Prairie (No. 24), Amarillo (No. 32), Garland (No. 48), Dallas (No. 54), Arlington (No. 60), Fort Worth (No.77), San Antonio (No. 78), and Corpus Christi (No. 100).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for finding a job in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 2 – Columbia, Maryland
No. 3 – Portland, Maine
No. 4 – South Burlington, Vermont
No. 5 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 6 – Orlando, Florida
No. 7 – Plano, Texas
No. 8 – Washington, D.C.
No. 9 – Austin, Texas
No. 10 – Huntsville, Alabama

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