More cash in Cowtown

Fort Worth declared one of the most affordable places to live and work

Fort Worth cityscape with Seventh Street Bridge

Fort Worth gets to keep more cash in the pocket.

Sky Noir Photography by Bill Dickinson/Getty Images

A new study indicates it’s really worth it to live and work in Fort Worth.

The study, done by BusinessStudent.com, puts Fort Worth at No. 7 among the country’s 25 most affordable places to live and work for 2019. Four other Texas cities appear in the top 25:

College Station (No. 18)
Irving (No. 21)
Dallas (No. 22)
Houston (No. 24)

Noticeably absent from the top 25 are Austin and San Antonio.

“Making a high salary is great,” BusinessStudent.com points out, “but if rents are so high that you have very little disposable income left over, are you going to be able to put money away for a rainy day?”

“Obviously,” the website adds, “a person’s individual cultural and social tastes should also be considered, but from a purely financial standpoint, it would be wise to consult this list ... before you begin your next job or home search.”

To come up with its list, BusinessStudent.com examined salaries for 100 business-related jobs on Indeed.com and compared them with the average rent of a two-bedroom apartment listed on Rentjungle.com. In the top three positions on BusinessStudent.com’s affordability list are Tulsa, Oklahoma; Lexington, Kentucky; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The study found that in Fort Worth, residents had 82 percent of their salary left after paying rent. That’s based on an average annual salary of $75,797 and average monthly rent of $1,108.

In College Station, 80 percent of the average salary ($55,086) remained after paying rent ($906 a month).

In Irving, 79 percent of the average annual salary ($77,527) was left after paying rent ($1,327 a month). Dallas had the same share of salary remaining after paying rent (79 percent), but the average salary ($82,609) and average rent ($1,422) were considerably higher than in Fort Worth or Irving.

Houston also checked in at 79 percent of the average annual salary ($79,579) left after paying the average rent ($1,401).

FWPD News

Fort Worth's longtime police chief Neil Noakes will retire in 2025

FWPD

FWPD chief Neil Noakes

After more than 25 years of dedicated service to the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department, Police Chief Neil Noakes will retire from law enforcement, effective May 2025.

Chief Noakes has been with the FW Police Department since 2000 and was appointed Chief of Police in 2021 by City Manager David Cooke.

In a statement, Noakes says that he's retiring to focus on his family.

"My emotions are mixed because I have been with the FWPD for half my life and have truly enjoyed my career," Noakes says. "Being part of our FWPD family has been an incredible honor and a privilege. I work with amazing people who strive to make a positive difference every day. I have also enjoyed working with an incredibly supportive Mayor, Council, and City Manager’s Office."

"My decision comes down to family," he says. "I have a supportive and loving wife and children who have sacrificed so much and supported me and the Fort Worth Police Department. I became a grandfather in July, and I have a second grandchild on the way. It’s time for me to focus on my family."

Chief Noakes has held various ranks and served in multiple areas of the department, including Patrol, DWI, Motors, and Internal Affairs.

Before being named Chief of Police, Noakes served as Deputy Chief, overseeing the South Command. He earned his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Tarleton State University and his master's degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Texas Christian University (TCU). Additionally, he is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s 137th Administrative Officers Course and TCU’s inaugural Leadership, Executive, and Administrative Development Program (L.E.A.D. #1).

His accomplishments include establishing a new Wellness Unit and his involvement in youth engagement programs such as Operation Progress, Read2Win, All Pro Dad, and the City of Fort Worth’s Education Initiative.

In a statement Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke praises Chief Noakes for his focus on community problem-solving and reducing crime, even despite Fort Worth’s population growth over the last decade.

“You’ve got to love the job to be good at being a police chief and he’s an extraordinary police chief," Cooke says. "If you hear him talk about the officers and the staff that work at the police department you get this beautiful understanding of what it’s like to be a police family. He leads the police department with that type of ethic and family feeling."

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says she has "nothing but respect" for Noakes' decision to retire and put family first.

"I’m so grateful to Neil, his wife, and his family for the more than 25 years of service, sacrifice, and leadership that he has provided to Fort Worth, Parker says. "He has led the Fort Worth Police Department through some of the most difficult times our city has faced with humility, transparency, and compassion for the community as his top priority. He is truly leaving this department better than he found it."

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