Dallas receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lancaster
Dallas
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 24%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
68 · Bottom 41%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 45%
vs53 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 28%
vs66 · Bottom 29%
Schools
19 · Bottom 9%
vs38 · Bottom 32%
Access
94 · Top 40%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 44%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Lancaster | Dallas | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,820 | 1,307,930 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,302 | $70,518 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,689 | $45,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,235/sq mi | 3,850/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $246,300 | $320,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,704 | $1,472 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 42.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.3% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% | 16.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 59 | 7,307 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 103.4% | 30.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.7" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 33.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 341 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.20 | 15.33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.8% | 31.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.5% | 36.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 81.7% | 84.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lancaster
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Dallas
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Lancaster, TX · Dallas, TX · How this is calculated: methodology