You may be nursing the desire to live in Texas, the Lone Star State, and you are considering between Dallas and Houston.
Which of the two cities is better you may ask?
Both cities are popular rival cities, and they both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Is Dallas or Houston nicer?
Choosing between the two cities is a personal choice for you to make, but there are many factors I need you to put into consideration.
There are a bit better quality and variety of restaurants, museums, parks, and performing arts in Houston compared to Dallas.
There are few lakes in Houston, and the city is located close to the Gulf of Mexico and its beaches.
On the other hand, Dallas is landlocked but has many lakes.
There is a seaport in Houston, and you can find a vacation cruise line in the port it, but it is lacking in Dallas.
Is Dallas or Houston nicer?
Dallas is nicer than Houston, but you can decide the city that suits you best.
The temperature in Dallas is lower than the temperature in Houston during the winter.
The average temperature in Dallas during winter is 15 degrees, and the average humidity level of the city is 10% less than the humidity in Houston.
The temperature of both cities during summer is almost the same, but the temperature in Dallas use to be a bit higher.
This slight difference offsets the higher humidity in Houston.
Dallas or Houston to Live: Similarities
We have to look at the similarities between both cities before we continue with highlights on their standards of living.
City Size
Comparatively, both cities are large, but the size of Houston is almost double that of Dallas.
The distance between them is about 240 miles.
Houston is about 700 square miles in size while Dallas measures about 300 square miles.
Weather
The temperature in both cities is pretty hot, although it is a common experience all over Texas.
During summer Dallas is hot, but the hot temperature of Houston is worsened by its humidity level.
State Income Tax
Although none of the cities collect state income tax, their property tax is very high.
Delicacy
Both cities are home to Pecan pie.
In Texas, it is a state tree, while in Dallas pecan nut is the official nut.
The largest city in Texas is Houston while Dallas occupies the 3rd position.
The largest metro area in Texas is Dallas, and Houston is the 2nd largest.
Dallas has many small cities, looking like a never-ending suburb, but the population in Houston is denser with different kinds of neighborhoods.
The zoning laws of Dallas are very strong, giving it a cleaner look, however, it is inconvenient sometimes.
On the other hand, the zoning laws in Houston are very relaxed but unfortunately turn to laissez-faire.
Dallas has a more diverse economy than Houston.
The industries that dominate the economy of Houston are the oil & gas, healthcare, trade, and manufacturing sectors.
The cost of living and accommodation in both cities are almost the same.
Dallas
Dallas looks every inch cosmopolitan, talking about cocktail lounges, designer wardrobes, flashy cars, and healthy-looking people.
The city is very walkable.
If you want to have the feel of Texas, drive toward the Fort Worth Stockyards of the city.
Houston
Houston looks every inch like Texas.
All you see around are cowboy boots and hats, and old-money crowds.
Living in Houston is living less than an hour away from the beach, and living a few hours from New Orleans.
There are rolling hills, and lush forests very close to the city as well.
Cuisine
Dallas
Residents of Dallas love to eat beef.
This is why many people believe that Tex-Mex originated from Dallas.
It is the best city for lovers of barbecues and steaks.
However, there are yet other delicacies in the city.
At Uchi Dallas, you will get the best sushi.
You will get the French bistro in rising, while in Bubbas you will get the best of southern comfort food.
Houston
Houston has diverse delicacies.
The city is close to the border of Texas and Mexico and has many Asian immigrants.
This influenced the kind of restaurants in it to a great extent.
There are different eating options you can choose from.
Expensive restaurants, independent food trucks, and lots more.
Some of the best places you can go for delicious meals are Le Colonial offers French and Vietnamese fusion and Tiny Boxwoods Houston.
Economy
Dallas
Dallas has a very strong economy.
There are about 21 to 23 Fortune 500 companies in the city.
3 of the companies are on the top 10 list.
Houston
Although the economy of Houston is very diverse, the city still heavily depends on its energy sector.
Its economy is seriously affected by the volatility of the oil market.
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Diversity: Houston vs. Dallas
The diversity of Houston is higher than that of Dallas.
It is less segregated than Dallas is segregated.
Houston is home to better quality and variety of restaurants, museums, parks, and performing arts than Dallas.
There are few lakes in Houston, and the city is very close to the Gulf of Mexico and its beaches, but notwithstanding that it is a landlocked city, Dallas is home to a lot of lakes.
There are seaport and vacation cruise lines in Houston, but there are non in Dallas.
The vegetation of Houston consists of sub-tropical plants like palm trees and citruses, but these kinds of trees cannot be found in Dallas.
The traffic congestion rates of both cities are almost the same.
What I Think About Houston vs. Dallas
Dallas records less crime when compared to Houston.
There are more consulates from other countries living in Houston than they are in Dallas.
There are more forests in Houston while there are more grasslands in Dallas.
There are more K-12 highly rated schools in the Dallas-FW area than in Houston, but there are slightly better universities and colleges in the greater Houston area.
The two cities are great.
The choice is yours to make, depending on your size and source of income.
I prefer Dallas because the community I live in now is small, and I wish to relocate out of it.
You may have a different opinion, though.
FAQs
Is Dallas or Houston more family-friendly?
Dallas is more family friendly than Houston.
The overall family-friendliness quotient was the parameter Homes.com used in ranking the top 25 metropolitan areas in America.
Top on the list is Dallas.
Following closely is Houston.
Is Dallas richer than Houston?
Houston is richer than Dallas.
With 297,970 households the Knight Frank City Wealth Index of 2018 ranked Dallas 7th on the list of cities with the most households.
The household earnings of the city in 2017 were about $250,000.
The index placed Houston in the 6th position, with 298,868 households.
Who’s bigger Dallas or Houston?
The size of Houston is much bigger than the size of Dallas.
Houston is the 5th largest city in America.
The big size of the city means there are more activities in it.
There are varieties of restaurants, museums, stores, businesses, and other places of interest in Houston.
