Fort Worth vs. Dallas: Where Should You Live?
By Brent Reiter, REALTOR® · Last updated November 4, 2026
Dallas and Fort Worth are about 32 miles apart and share an airport, but they're very different places to buy a home. Fort Worth is now a top-10 U.S. city, growing faster with lower home prices; Dallas is bigger, denser and pricier. I was born and raised in Fort Worth, so I'll be upfront about my bias, and stick to the numbers here.
At a Glance
- Median sale price (Sept 2026)
- Fort Worth $329,843 · Dallas $449,736
- Population (July 2025)
- Fort Worth 1,028,117 · Dallas 1,329,491
- Growth since 2020
- Fort Worth +11.9% · Dallas +1.9%
- City tax rate (2026)
- Fort Worth $0.7057 · Dallas $0.6978 per $100
- Downtown to downtown
- About 32 miles, 42 minutes (no traffic)
- Sales tax
- 8.25% in both cities
Prices: Redfin, September 2026. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.
The Numbers Side by Side
| Fort Worth | Dallas | |
|---|---|---|
| City population (July 2025) | 1,028,117 (No. 10 in the U.S.) | 1,329,491 (No. 9) |
| Growth since April 2020 | +11.9% | +1.9% |
| County | Tarrant (2.25 million) | Dallas (2.66 million) |
| Median sale price (Sept 2026) | $329,843 (−1.5% year over year) | $449,736 (+3.4%) |
| Median days on market | 51 | 53 |
| Homeowners (share of households) | 57.0% | 42.4% |
| City property tax rate, 2026 | $0.705650 per $100 | $0.697800 per $100 |
| Average commute to work | 27.1 minutes | 25.7 minutes |
| Land area | 347 sq mi | 340 sq mi |
Home Prices
The biggest difference is price. Fort Worth's median sale price ran about $120,000 below Dallas in September 2026, and Fort Worth prices dipped slightly year over year while Dallas rose. Fort Worth also has far more new construction inside city limits, especially in the north (Alliance), northwest and southwest, which keeps more homes in the $300,000s.
Both cities have expensive pockets. In Fort Worth, the West Side, TCU area and historic south-side neighborhoods often sell well above the city median; see the Fort Worth neighborhood guides for specifics.
Property Taxes
City rates are nearly the same: Fort Worth raised its rate to $0.705650 for 2026, while Dallas cut its rate for the 11th straight year to $0.697800. The bigger swings come from the county, school district and special districts. Tarrant County's 2026 rate is $0.186; Dallas County's proposed 2026 rate went to a voter-approval election on November 3, 2026, so check the final rate.
Because Fort Worth is split among 13 school districts with rates from about $1.03 to $1.29, your total bill depends heavily on the exact address. See Fort Worth property taxes explained for a full worked example.
Getting Around
| Trip (no traffic) | From Fort Worth | From Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| DFW Airport | About 24 mi / 34 min | About 21 mi / 30 min |
| Love Field | About 33 mi / 43 min | About 6 mi / 15 min |
| Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance | About 19 mi / 31 min | Farther |
| Each other's downtown | About 32 mi / 42 min | About 32 mi / 42 min |
- TEXRail runs from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport's Terminal B, every 30 minutes at peak.
- The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) connects downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas, Monday through Saturday.
- Dallas has DART, a 93-mile light rail system, plus the Silver Line to DFW Airport that opened in October 2025. Fort Worth's transit is mostly buses and commuter rail.
Jobs
Fort Worth
Aerospace, logistics and health care: American Airlines, Lockheed Martin, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Bell, Alcon, BNSF and JPS Health Network, plus the Alliance logistics hub.
Dallas
Corporate headquarters, finance, tech and health care: UT Southwestern, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, Parkland and eight Fortune 500 headquarters.
Lifestyle
Fort Worth
The Stockyards (with a twice-daily cattle drive), the Cultural District's museums, Sundance Square, the Stock Show & Rodeo (1.2 million visitors), the 3,621-acre Nature Center, and Magnolia Avenue's restaurants.
Dallas
The Arts District, the largest contiguous urban arts district in the country, Deep Ellum's live music, denser urban neighborhoods, and more high-rise living.
A common way to put it: Dallas feels like a big corporate city, and Fort Worth feels like a big city that kept a hometown feel. Plenty of people split the difference and live in the Mid-Cities between them (Hurst, Euless, Bedford, North Richland Hills), where both downtowns and DFW Airport are within about 15–30 minutes.
Thinking about buying or selling in Fort Worth? I was born and raised here, and I help buyers and sellers across DFW from my office in the Mid-Cities. Call or text anytime, no pressure.
Brent Reiter, REALTOR®
Brent Sells DFW · 817-874-1602
Local Resources & Citations
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Fort Worth, Dallas, Tarrant and Dallas counties ↗
- Redfin: Fort Worth housing market ↗
- Redfin: Dallas housing market ↗
- City of Fort Worth FY2027 budget ↗
- City of Dallas FY2026-27 tax rate ↗
- Dallas County 2026 tax rate election ↗
- Trinity Metro: TEXRail ↗
- Trinity Railway Express ↗
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Fort Worth or Dallas?
Fort Worth is cheaper for housing. The median sale price in September 2026 was about $329,843 in Fort Worth versus about $449,736 in Dallas, per Redfin. City tax rates are similar; total property taxes depend on the school district and county.
How far is Fort Worth from Dallas?
About 32 miles downtown to downtown, roughly 42 minutes with no traffic. The TRE commuter train also connects the two downtowns Monday through Saturday.
Is Fort Worth bigger than Dallas?
No. Dallas had about 1.33 million people in July 2025 and Fort Worth about 1.03 million, but Fort Worth is growing much faster (+11.9% since 2020 vs. +1.9%) and entered the top 10 U.S. cities.
Which city has better access to DFW Airport?
Both are close. DFW Airport is about 34 minutes from downtown Fort Worth and 30 minutes from downtown Dallas without traffic. TEXRail runs from downtown Fort Worth directly to Terminal B, and DART's Silver Line serves the airport from the Dallas side.