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I’ve called Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) my home my whole life, but the version I grew up with is harder to find than ever. Over the last five to seven years, the Metroplex has boomed. It’s brought jobs, people, money, and opportunity — alongside higher costs, longer commutes, and the quiet disappearance of the places and rhythms that made it feel like home. For me, it raises an important question: Is bigger always better, even in Texas?
When I first moved out of my parents’ house at 25, living here felt manageable — almost easy, even on less than $25,000 a year. At the time, I rented a three-bedroom, one-bath, 1,200-square-foot house with two friends for $1,200 a month in Irving. Water and lawn care were included, thanks to a generous landlord, so the utilities we had to pay for were gas and electricity. When rent eventually rose to $1,400 a month as property taxes increased, it still felt like a good deal. I lived in that house for three-and-a-half years before moving into my 350-square-foot micro apartment, where I paid roughly the same amount in rent for a third of the space.
That version of DFW feels so far away. Redfin’s migration data tracks where people want to move, while the U-Haul Growth Index tracks where people actually move. By both measures, Texas — and Dallas-Fort Worth, in particular — continue to rank among the top destinations for one-way moves. That tells something important: People aren’t just passing through. They’re here to stay…