Best Dallas suburbs for Families and Singles

Dallas is without a doubt one of the hottest urban areas in America for families to live. The city and its surrounding suburbs, known as the DFW Metroplex, ranks #7 on the list of cities people are moving to in the U.S.

Like everything in Texas, Dallas is huge, so when we say Dallas,  we’re really referring to the plethora of suburbs and neighborhoods in the area. This means, if you’re planning to live in  Dallas, you’ll have such a wide choice of places to live, that there’s sure to be one to suit your exact wishes.

Southlake

With its relatively small population of just over 31,000, Southlake might fool you into thinking it’s just a small town. In reality, it offers amenities of a quite sophisticated city, like the Southlake Town Square with upscale shops and over 130 restaurants. The town draws families since it boasts a very low crime rate and some of the highest ranking schools in the state for sports and academics. Along with Grapevine Lake and its nearby nature preserves, there’s also the nearby AT&T stadium, which hosts huge sports events and concerts. Southlake is not far from the major DFW airport, so it makes it easy to hop on a plane. This suburb has a lot of great family options packed into its relatively small city limits.

Westlake

Westlake is a well-kept secret among families who left the “big D”. Until a few years ago, this area was only ranch country, but more recently, this 7 square miles of land has been developed with luxury homes. One of the area’s most notable country clubs, Vaquero Golf Club, is in Westlake. If you like the exclusivity of an upscale village, this town may appeal to you, with a population of under 1,500. Families still have access to highly rated surrounding Carroll district schools (the same district as Southlake), and driving time to both Fort Worth or Dallas is about 30 minutes. The town fosters a community feel with events throughout the year, like the Masterworks Music Series, a vintage classic car show and a holiday tree lighting.

Celina

Located about an hour from Dallas, Celina is 13 miles north of the booming suburb of Frisco.

The population is about 13,000, but it’s growing quickly, becoming the fifth fastest growing suburb of Dallas. One reason may be the cost of living is about 19% lower than the larger neighboring towns of McKinney and Frisco. The town has several planned neighborhoods that draw families, and a strong education system, with five elementary schools. Celina also has Hope Park, with a splash pad for kids, and an historic town square with shops and restaurants.

McKinney

McKinney is located just south of Celina, and about 32 miles north of Dallas. McKinney, population 137,000, has a lot to offer families. First, there’s the historic town square, with an old fashioned candy shop, restaurants that draw foodies (even Dallasites), gift shops and a butcher. The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is a beautiful preserve, with its small zoo, and offers activities for kids. There are loads of nature trails surrounding this pleasant suburb. If you’d like to live in a cute historic cottage, McKinney has plenty of those, as well as newer, more modern houses that have built up in the past decade. McKinney has plenty to suit anyone who’d like a slower pace than Dallas, but not too slow.

Frisco

Frisco is one of the hottest suburbs in the area, and was actually rated the #1 place to buy a home in America in 2021. Part of its popularity is due to the 91-acre campus that hosts the popular NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, as well as Sports City USA, host to 5 pro sports teams. But in addition to sports fans, the city has drawn dozens of corporate relocations recently, leading to a hot job market. It’s located about 30 miles north of Dallas, between Plano and McKinney, and has a population of just over 200,000. Frisco feels like a bustling city, rather than a village, but still manages to hold over 1600 acres of park land, including 90 miles of trails for hiking and biking. The public schools are some of the highest rated among all the suburbs, making it a huge draw for families.

Beyond these big names

Still want to check out a few other suburbs? You might consider Parker, a city in Collin County, east of Plano. Parker boasts a high safety rating and a strong public school system. With a population of under 5000, you may enjoy the rural feel of this town if you’re looking for an escape from a bustling city.

Fairview is another suburb to include in your search if you’d like to live in a smaller town. With a population of under 10,000, the town has a mix of retirees and families, with good schools and a relatively lower cost of living, compared to Dallas and the larger suburbs. Fairview is about 32 miles north of Downtown, so though it may be a long commute, it’s situated to easily commute to Plano or Frisco.

And yet another, larger suburb northwest of Dallas is Lewisville, with just over 100,000 people. It’s quite a diverse place that appeals to families and singles alike. Lewisville offers a city feel with plenty of shopping and restaurants, and direct highway access to reach Dallas easily.

Neighborhoods Popular with Singles

For singles who want a more lively, urban day-to-day than the suburbs offer, the city of Dallas itself has great neighborhood choices.

Bishop Arts

First, Bishop Arts, located south of downtown Dallas, and is a true blending of new and old. As one of the oldest areas in Dallas, it has historic homes that have been turned into restaurants, with newer buildings cropping up among them. The entire area is a walkable neighborhood, from casual taco shops and bars to newer Instagram-worthy hotspots, Bishop Arts is bustling day and night. Most residents rent their homes and there are plenty of multi-family options here.

Lower Greenville

Lower Greenville has always been known as a major bar-hopping thoroughfare of Dallas, but more recently it has drawn a bit more diverse crowd than just the party set. The area is walkable, for Dallas, and is essentially one long row of entertainment with offshoots of streets full of older residences. There are galleries, vintage clothing shops and haute couture coffee cafes, and live music and clubs. Lower Greenville has entertainment in spades, but it also has easy access to Ross Avenue, which gives you a straight shot into downtown. The area is perfect for young professionals and singles who want a quick commute to downtown and plenty of fun options in a walkable neighborhood.

Design District

Dallas’ design district, southwest of downtown, has most of the art galleries and design shops in the city. While it doesn’t have as much a community feel as some of the other areas, it does offer unique warehouse lofts and interesting properties. Singles enjoy the restaurants, breweries, an arcade, and overall “cool factor” of this district. It’s also a quick 5 minute drive to downtown Dallas, and a 5 minute drive to the medical district, which makes a commute to either quite simple.

Uptown

Uptown is north of downtown Dallas, and just west of I-75. It primarily offers multi-family residences, and has good walkability and great shopping amenities like Trader Joe’s, the Apple store and upscale furniture shops. Housing is more affordable than the surrounding Park Cities area, too. It boasts the beloved Katy Trail, where walking and stopping for a drink and to catch the game on TV at the Katy Ice House is a weekend rite of passage. This area is a major draw for singles, also thanks to McKinney Avenue, one of the major streets lined with bars and clubs. Uptown also offers good public transit access, and is near Oak Lawn Avenue, another excellent shopping district.