Dallas & North Texas Real Estate Blog | VIP Realty

Are you looking for a place where you will enjoy affordable living, wonderful nature, and diverse culture?

Whether you're seeking a change of scenery or new job opportunities, this article will discuss the pros and cons of living in Fort Worth, Texas.

Located in North Central Texas, Fort Worth offers a 19th-century allure combined with many cultural connections that the original settlers imposed back in 1849.

And if your harbor thoughts of moving to Texas, the fifth-largest city in the state offers the ideal place to unbridle your inner cowboy spirit.

To help you find your feet, contact us today, and we will guide you as you navigate Fort Worth's real estate market.

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros

• Job opportunities
• Diverse Population
• Plenty of things to do

Cons

• Traffic congestion
• Hot summers
• Natural Disasters
• Crime rate

Living in Fort Worth

A recent report ranked the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area #9 on its Best Places to Retire as well as one of the top 20 Best Places to Live in the country.

Also ranked second for the number of new residents migrating from out of the state, the DFW Metroplex is proving a hit with many young professionals and families.

Having preserved its Western heritage and cowboy culture, the Fort Worth metro area has evolved into a modern city with an array of amenities, a vibrant economy, and plenty of things to do.

In addition, the city features a variety of modern neighborhoods and suburbs as well as vast tracts of buildable land at an affordable price.

Pros of Living in Fort Worth

Job Opportunities

Related: BOOM! NORTH TEXAS GROWING STRONG

Voted the fourth strongest job market in the country, employment opportunities in Fort Worth are plentiful. After gaining an increase of over 200,000 jobs since May 2020, the DFW metro area experienced a 7.7% jump in job growth in 2021.

With many corporations and businesses setting up shop in the area, Fort Worth is home to one of the largest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies.

Top industries in Fort Worth include:

• Aviation and Aerospace
• Life Sciences
• Natural Gas
• Logistics
• Corporate & Professional
• Manufacturing

In case you fail to secure employment in Fort Worth, the city of Dallas which is the third-best city in the U.S. for job seekers is only 30 minutes away.

Affordable Cost of Living

According to Areavibes.com, living in Fort Worth is 4% less expensive than the national average. Living in Fort Worth is also less expensive than living in other larger U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, or Florida.

Though housing prices in Fort Worth are 5% lower than the national average, the cost of renting is 2% more than in the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, filling up your gas tank in Fort Worth is 7% less than the national average. Coupled with the lack of state income tax, workers have the potential of saving more of their income.

Diverse Population

The 12th largest city in the U.S. is home to a diverse population of almost one million people. Latin American culture permeates many neighborhoods with a third of Fort Worth's residents identifying as Hispanic.

Other ethnic groups that call Fort Worth home include; White Non-Hispanic 38.9%, African American or Black (18.2%), and Asian non-Hispanic (4.77%).

With that in mind, Fort Worth flourishes with a variety of restaurants, signage, churches, events, and schools that celebrates the city's diversity.

Plenty of Things to Do

Related: Top Five Things to Do In Ft. Worth

No matter what you love doing for fun in your downtime, Fort Worth will never run out of things to do. The city features a vast array of museums, parks, shopping centers, eateries, and a laundry list of fun things to do.

A handful of top destinations in Fort Worth include the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Sundance Square Plaza. Enjoy comedy shows, shopping centers, and a ton of other fun activities that will make you never want to leave the area.

Whether you prefer to visit a historical site, take tours of wineries or hang out at a waterpark, Fort Worth offers something for all ages.

Cons of Living in Fort Worth

Traffic Congestion

Same to many larger U.S. cities such as New York, Boston, or Chicago, motorists in Fort Worth are bound to run into traffic. One of the main reasons is that the roads cannot keep up with the continuous influx of new people moving to Fort Worth.

The addition of numerous toll booths on the highways has only added to the traffic nightmare. To add on, many drivers tend to drive aggressively which causes many accidents—roughly 10 people die in road accidents every day in the DFW area.

Thanks to the Trinity Railway Express, the city offers a quick alternative to commuters who need to travel to Dallas or the DFW International Airport.

Hot Summers

The Fort Worth humid subtropical climate tends to offer hot and muggy summers along with cold and windy winters. With July being the hottest month, a typical summer in Fort Worth offers at least two consecutive months of sweltering 100°F (38°C) or higher.

Besides the few wonderful parks and several tall structures within the city, it's a struggle to find shade when outdoors. Though living in Fort Worth offers 229 days of sun, residents should brace themselves for unexpected changes in weather and natural disasters.

Natural Disasters

As warmer temperatures creep in during the spring months, the likelihood of large storms and hail occurring suddenly tends to increase. According to the National Weather Service, North Texas is on the receiving end of at least three hail days per year.

What's more, Fort Worth is situated on the southern end of Tornado Alley thus residents need to be on the lookout for tornadoes.

Below is a breakdown of the worst hailstorms in Texas history.

Crime Rate

Though living in a major metropolitan area like the DFW Metroplex has its perks, the downside is a higher crime rate. From violence related to gangs, drugs, and even domestic violence, Fort Worth has seen a steady increase in crime in recent years.

Here are some of the key stats of Fort Worth's crime rate:

• The violent crime rate in Fort Worth is 26.5 compared to the U.S. average of 22.7
• The property crime rate in Fort Worth is 51.4 compared to the U.S. average of 35.4
• Residents have a 1 in 225 chance of falling victim to violent crime
• Residents have a 1 in 37.2 chance of falling victim to property crime

Moving to Fort Worth—Final Thoughts

Fort Worth offers the perfect combination of city and country living. With a variety of things to do and family-friendly neighborhoods to put down roots, the pros of living in Fort Worth far outweigh the cons.

Abundant jobs, affordable housing, and cultural diversity are some of the reasons over 300 people are moving to Fort Worth daily.

If you've gathered that moving to Fort Worth is worth considering, contact us today, and allow our real estate experts to guide you through the home-buying process.