The Top 10 Cities for African American Professionals series continues this week with city number four, doctor Dallas, Texas. The list delivers information such as a city’s education system, technology, or institutions of higher education. The purpose of this list is to provide people with an opportunity to receive an overview of the city without looking all over the internet.
Last time, Atlanta was spotlighted. Urban Views Weekly looked into Georgia’s largest city and saw that it prides itself on higher education and produces successful people. These graduates turn into the professionals who work in the “alpha city,” meaning they work in a city that affects the global economy. This week’s city, Dallas, is similar to Atlanta in that it provides work for people in the technology and financial services industries.
The list:
- Washington, D.C.
- Houston, Texas
- Atlanta, Ga.
- Dallas, Texas
- Raleigh, N.C.
- New York City, N.Y.
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Indianapolis, Ind.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Jacksonville, Fla.
Info and numbers from cities taken from the United States Census Bureau website (census.gov) and city-data.com.
Dallas, Texas
Gender percentage: Females and Males are both 50 percent
Median Age: 31.8 years old
Percentage of African Americans: 22.9 percent
As America’s ninth largest city and Texas’ third largest city, Dallas offers a lot to both visitors and residents. The city has thirteen entertainment districts that appeal to all the social senses, from art and fashion to four-star restaurants and tourism. The most popular district seems to be Downtown, which is the heart of Dallas. Nightclubs, live music and shopping are all offerings of this district. One of the best views of the city is on the skyline of Reunion Tower, which stands at 561 feet and is one of the most distinguished features of Dallas. Deep Ellum also serves as a great entertainment district, because it’s known for its live music and is known as, according to the Dallas tourism website, the “birthplace of jazz and the blues.” It is within this district that the annual state fair is held.
For sight-seeing and tourism, the West End Historic District is the destination. The Dallas tourism website describes this district as “taking a step back in time.” The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza takes visitors back to the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. The museum also looks into the life and legacy of the former president. Another historic district is Highland Park, or what is known as the “Beverly Hills of Texas” because of its affluent restaurants and dining. This district also “has one of the largest collections of Spanish Art outside of Spain.”
Percentage of those with Bachelor’s Degree or higher: 28.1 percent
Dallas is home to many institutions of higher learning. Paul Quinn College is a small and very affordable college that is an HBCU located near downtown. In 2011, HBCU Digest ranked it as the HBCU of the Year. The next year in 2012, PQC was recognized by Ebony magazine as one of the Black top liberal arts colleges in America. The Business Administration program was chosen as the Best Business Program in HBCU Digest.
Another college in Dallas is the Art Institute of Dallas. It offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees for programs in the entertainment and abstract arts such as fashion design, media arts and animation, and the culinary arts. Students at this school are able to become close with their professors, like PQC, because it is also a small campus.
Average Salary: $49,159
Top Industries (according to Forbes.com): Technology, Financial Services, Defense
Similar to last week’s city spotlight, Dallas’ strongest industries are in technology and financial services. Dallas is the fourth largest employment center in the U.S. after New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. It has the largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation. So, it’s pretty clear that Dallas is a competitive city for employment. Companies like AT&T, Texas Instruments and 7-Eleven are based in Dallas. Two of those companies are technology based and, according to a Dice.com 2010-11 Tech Salary Survey, a person working within the field of technology has the potential to make a salary of $79,384.
Dallas is home to Fort Worth, a joint defense facility (Navy and Air Force) that plays an important role in training and equipping air crews and aviation ground personnel. This is a government job, so it offers a competitive salary and benefits. Other defense and aviation industries are also located in Dallas. The headquarters of Boeing and Southwest Airlines are stationed in Dallas. The average salary for someone in the defense industry, according to simplyhired.com, is $77,000.
Crime Rate (Robberies per 100, 000): 332.5
Dallas, unlike the other Texas city on the list, is actually not ranked in terms of how dangerous it is as a city or the city’s actual condition. That isn’t to say that the city is perfect. In 2012, there were 8,393 violent crimes and 55,128 total property crimes. Violent crimes, according to neighborhoodscout.com, are defined as crimes in which assault may occur such as murder, rape, robbery and assault. In 2012, neighborhoodscouts.com recorded that Dallas had 154 murders, 491 rapes, 4,098 robberies and 3,650 assaults. As far as ranking actual neighborhoods in Dallas, the top three best are Abrams Road, Hillcrest Road and Spyglass Drive. The worst are Kinkaid Drive, neighborhoods near the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway and Elam Road.
In conclusion …
Dallas is a large city with a lot to offer. Boasting thirteen entertainment districts, there’s something for everyone to do. A must-see destination is the Reunion Tower, which is a great view of the city. Dallas also has a lot of history. Residents and visitors can explore the area where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated more than 50 years ago. The only HBCU in Dallas is Paul Quinn College, which is a small, very personal school for those who do not want to attend a big university. Another small school in the area is the Art Institute of Dallas, which gives those with a creative side an outlet to release it. Dallas is a large city with a lot of competition for jobs in the fields of technology, financial services and defense. These jobs, especially in defense, provide great salaries and benefits. As far as safety goes, Dallas is more on the safe side than other cities throughout Texas.
