What it's like to live in Dallas
Dallas is a small city in Oregon with rent below the national average, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dallas deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High rent burden for renters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Dallas compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dallas
Based on Dallas's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,418
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,360 a year
- 56% of Dallas renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$77,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,910
- Homes cost 5.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 14% below US
$1,209/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,209 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $389,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $389,100 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Polk County is 4.9%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Polk County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 30% below US
231 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1323/100k · Dallas Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 36% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (58 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dallas's strongest points are rent below the national average and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,209/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Dallas
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