NO SPACE TO WASTE

This is how big an apartment renters get for $1,500 across Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas renters can find apartments that span 805 square feet for $1,500 a month.

Photo courtesy of Simpson Property Group

We all know what renters dream about when they’re not thinking about the logistics of owning a home: low rent prices with the perfect amount of space. In cities across Dallas-Fort Worth, that’s getting harder and harder to come by.

In fact, for renters who have a budget of $1,500 a month, the average apartment size they can get in Dallas spans about 805 square feet. That’s according to a new study by apartment rental marketplace RentCafe.

If you head to a suburb like Mesquite, Garland, or Arlington, residents can get the most bang for their buck with an average apartment size well into the 900-square-foot range.

Mesquite residents, by far, get the most space, at 999 square feet, whereas renters in the latter two cities get an average of 937 and 928 square feet for the same budget.

Renters might consider looking to Fort Worth as well, where they can get an apartment that’s an average of 909 square feet (almost 100 more than Dallas) with $1,500 a month.

The worst offenders that have the smallest space for the price are Plano and Frisco. Plano renters have to make do with an average apartment size of 766 square feet, while Frisco renters get even less space, at 740 square feet. That’s more than 200 square feet less than an apartment in Mesquite.

RentCafe’s study looked at data from their sister site, Yardi Matrix, to determine the average size and price per square foot for a $1,500 monthly budget in 200 of the largest American cities.

Here’s how much space you can rent for $1,500 in other Dallas-Fort Worth-area cities:

Grand Prairie – 873 square feet
Denton – 868 square feet
Irving – 848 square feet
McKinney – 809 square feet

Elsewhere in Texas, apartments in the Rio Grande Valley have the best price per square foot in the state. McAllen residents get the most space out of any other Texas city with an average apartment size of 1,471 square feet. Renters in Brownsville, which is 60 miles east on the border, can get a similarly sized apartment that’s 1,307 square feet for the same $1,500 a month budget.

Much like Mesquite, Houston residents can find apartments that are just under 1,000 square feet for the same budget. But that doesn’t go nearly as far in Austin, where renters can find apartments that are an average of 714 square feet.

The full report can be found on rentcafe.com.

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RIP, Henry

Dallas real estate visionary Henry S. Miller III dies at 79

Photo courtesy of Henry S. Miller

Henry S. Miller III died February 28 at the age of 79.

Henry S. Miller III — part of an iconic multigenerational Dallas real estate family and the visionary developer behind West Village — died February 28 of health issues. He was 79.

Born November 16, 1946, to Juanita and Henry S. Miller Jr., Miller grew up in a real estate legacy that began with his grandfather in 1914 and made the name “Henry S. Miller” synonymous with Dallas. Miller helped shape modern Dallas development while maintaining a strong emphasis on neighborhood-scale retail with West Village, a concept ahead of its time.

Long before mixed-use, walkable districts became common in North Texas, Miller erected an urban village in Uptown where shopping, dining, and residences came together to create a place to live and play. West Village opened in 2001.

“He envisioned a dense, walkable urban village where streets and plazas were alive with people, shops, restaurants, and residences — a neighborhood that blended modern city living with a human scale rarely seen in Texas at the time,” the family announcement said.

Walkability was a concept that didn’t exist in Dallas then. The approximately 400,000-square-foot development introduced a dense, walkable model that integrated retail, restaurants, multifamily housing, and public plazas at a time when Dallas development was still largely auto-centric. West Village became a template for later mixed-use projects across the region.

His family says Miller was incredibly hands-on throughout the project, working alongside co-developers, architects, planners, and community stakeholders. He viewed the development not simply as a commercial venture but as a long-term contribution to the city’s evolving urban fabric.

Henry S. Miller III Henry S. Miller, Jr (left) with Henry III on the roof of Highland Park Village, circa early 1980's.Photo courtesy of Miller family

Miller also played a key role in the evolution of Highland Park Village. His father and family purchased the historic shopping center in 1976. Henry III and his father led a re-tenanting and revitalization of Highland Park Village that elevated its national retail profile while maintaining its neighborhood identity.

With his connections in fashion retail, Miller helped Highland Park Village attract luxury brands such as Prada, which did not yet have a retail presence in Dallas. The family sold the property to Ray Washburne in 2009.

His approach to neighborhood retail also shaped Preston Royal Shopping Center, originally developed in 1958 by Henry S. Miller Jr. and Trammell Crow, and was sold in 2012.

“There, he applied the same thoughtful approach — prioritizing stability, daily-use tenants, and a sense of familiarity that has served generations of families,” a family statement read. “Rather than chasing short-term trends, Henry believed centers like Preston Royal should reflect and support the surrounding neighborhoods, ensuring they remained places of convenience, connection, and community life.”

Miller earned his undergraduate degree from SMU and later completed the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard Graduate School of Design. Over his career, he led ventures including Henry S. Miller Partners/Urban Partners and Henry S. Miller Interests Inc., and he was involved in international projects such as the Loreto Bay Company in Mexico.

Miller’s grandfather, Henry S. Miller, founded the family real estate firm as a one-man show in 1914 in Dallas. The patriarch’s son, Henry S. Miller Jr., expanded the business significantly and was involved in major retail developments such as Preston Royal and Highland Park Village. Henry S. Miller III led West Village and stewarded a revitalization of Highland Park Village with his father.

Beyond development, Miller served on the boards of the Child and Family Guidance Foundation, NEXUS Recovery Center, SPCA of Texas, The Family Place, and the Center for Performing Arts. He also mentored emerging real estate professionals through the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board.

Miller is survived by his four children, Kathryn Miller Rabey; Henry S. Miller IV and his wife, Lydia; Michael Alexander Miller and his wife, Lindsey; and Alexander Lewis Miller. He is also survived by his sisters, Patsy Miller Donosky and Jacqueline Miller Stewart. His grandchildren include Nicholas, Maximilian, and Olivia Rabey; Henry, Jack, Owen, and Mimi Miller; and Layton Garrett, Miles, and Samuel Miller. He was preceded in death by his brother, Vance C. Miller, his father Henry S. Miller Jr., and his mother Juanita Miller.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

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This story, by Candy's Dirt executive editor Shelby Skrhak, originally appeared on CandysDirt.com and was republished with permission.

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