Dallas’ long-running economic hot streak just got a chilly data point. The Dallas‑Plano‑Irving metro has dropped to 35th in the Milken Institute’s 2026 Best‑Performing Cities index, sliding from 19th a year earlier and tumbling out of the top 10 after two consecutive years in that elite tier. The fall reflects softer job and wage gains alongside rising housing costs that have eaten into the region’s long-touted affordability. Local nonprofits and residents say those trends are already reshaping daily choices and straining the safety net.
The latest index ranks Dallas‑Plano‑Irving 35th out of more than 200 large U.S. metro areas, based on a mix of short- and long-term job growth, wage gains, high-tech output and measures of access to opportunity, according to the…..