In the money

10 affluent Dallas-Fort Worth counties make bank as richest in Texas, new report shows

Population growth is fueling the trend.

Facebook/Rockwall Parks and Recreation

Based on its geographic size, Rockwall County is the smallest county in Texas, at just 149 square miles. But don’t let its size fool you when it comes to wealth. Rockwall County also is the richest county in the state.

Data analysis website Stacker compiled a list of the wealthiest counties in Texas based on median household income, and Rockwall County came out on top at $100,920. It was the only county in Texas to break the $100,000 mark.

To come up with its list, Stacker used U.S. Census Bureau data from 2019 showing the five-year estimate for median household income in each of Texas’ 254 counties. Aside from Rockwall County, nine other counties in Dallas-Fort Worth made Stacker’s list of the 50 richest counties in Texas. The other counties, followed by their median household income, are:

No. 3 Collin County, $96,913
No. 6 Denton County, $86,913
No. 14 Parker County, $77,503
No. 15 Ellis County, $76,871
No. 26 Kaufman County, $70,107
No. 31 Tarrant County, $67,700
No. 38 Wise County, $64,536
No. 39 Johnson County, $64,359
No. 40 Hood County, $64,041

By comparison, the median household income for all of the U.S. was $68,703.

Among all U.S. counties, Rockwall County ranked 32nd for the highest median household income, according to Stacker.

The continuing influx of people into Rockwall County is helping drive up the median household income, and the same could be said for most of the counties in North Texas, as the region ranks among the strongest magnets for new residents.

Rockwall County was home to more than 116,000 residents in 2021. From 2020 to 2021 alone, the county’s population grew 7.94 percent, making it the state’s third-fastest-growing county during that period. Some of the population boom stems from East and West coast transplants fleeing higher-priced locales.

Additionally, residents of Rockwall County are highly educated, which contributes to their earning power. As of 2020, 93 percent of the county’s residents 16 and over had graduated from high school, and nearly 43 percent of residents 25 and over had earned at least a bachelor’s degree. Both of those figures are well above the statewide numbers.

There’s also the livability factor. Rockwall, the biggest city in Rockwall County, ranked fourth on Money magazine’s 2020 list of the best places to live in the U.S. — which almost certainly adds to the county’s allure for high-income households.

Among the state’s four major metro areas, DFW dominated in terms of the number of rich counties in Texas’ top 50. It’s worth noting, though, that DFW has more counties (11) than any other metro in Texas.

Here’s how the state’s three other major metros fared in the Stacker rankings for highest median household income by county.

Austin

No. 5 Williamson County, $87,337
No. 18 Travis County, $75,887
No. 29 Hays County, $68,717
No. 36 Bastrop County, $64,597

Houston

No. 2 Fort Bend County, $97,743
No. 4 Chambers County, $91,141
No. 9 Brazoria County, $81,447
No. 10 Montgomery County, $80,902
No. 22 Galveston County, $73,330
No. 34 Austin County, $66,206
No. 48 Harris County, $61,705

San Antonio

No. 7 Kendall County, $84,747
No. 11 Comal County, $79,936
No. 16 Wilson County, $76,692
No. 21 Guadalupe County, $74,496
No. 46 Medina County, $62,599

rankings

Christmas in Cowtown

Festive Fort Worth makes new list of top cities to celebrate Christmas

Visit Fort Worth - Facebook

There's much to love around the holiday season in Fort Worth, including meeting Cowboy Santa.

Fort Worth's festive spirit is on full display, from Cowboy Santa's visits in the historic Stockyards to the sky-high tree in downtown's Sundance Square. It's no wonder the city made WalletHub's list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas 2024.

Merry Fort Worth lands at No. 57 spot on the new list, which annually ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Fort Worth ranked as the No. 50 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how the city performed across the study's five main categories this year:

No. 16 – Costs rank
No. 38 – Generosity rank
No. 55 – Observance rank
No. 59 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 65 – Shopping rank

No matter what the rankings say, jolly Fort Worth residents can enjoy a host of holiday happenings this winter, including numerous light displays and dazzling neighborhoods throughout town. From local restaurants and bars creating festive feasts and delightful cocktail experiences, to great places to ice skate, there is plenty to get Fort Worth residents in the holiday spirit this year.

Fort Worth households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Fort Worth household is expected to spend about $1,082 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,013 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Austin (No. 23), San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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