What it takes to live in FTW

What does it cost to live in Cowtown?

The overall cost of living in Fort Worth is lower than the national average. | Photo by @duchessdjlove

With Fort Worth constantly growing and undertaking multiple high-profile developments this year, we figured it was time to talk about the cost of planting some roots in Cowtown.

The median household income in Tarrant County is $70,306, according to the US Census Bureau. State-wise, Texas is No. 21 in the country for median income at ~$63,826 per household.

The overall cost of living in FTW is lower than the national average but higher than the rest of the state.

In Fort Worth, the cost of healthcare is higher compared to other parts of the state + but lower than the US average. The cost of groceries and housing in the city have lower average prices than the country overall, but the cost of transportation and other miscellaneous expenses are higher than in other areas in Texas and the US.

Breaking down the numbers

Hypothetically speaking, if you live in a household that brings in $50,000 annually – according to experts — you shouldn’t spend more than 30% of your monthly gross income on rent and utilities. Don’t worry, we did the math for you — your max monthly budget would be $1,250. The average monthly rent for an apartment in FTW is $1,423 — putting you over budget.

According to a recent study by Attom Data Solutions, it’s actually more affordable to buy a home in Tarrant County than to rent.

FTW-CCC-CostofLiving-Comparison — *FTW has more affordable health care than Austin.* | *Screenshot via bestplaces.net*

Interested in seeing Fort Worth’s prices compared to cities in other states? We played around on NerdWallet’s cost of living calculator, where you can put in any city along with your current pre-tax household income to find out what other cities you could afford to live in.

We took a look at the cost of living in Fort Worth compared to Austin. Here’s what we found:

It is 8% higher in the state capital.
To maintain our standard of living, we would need to bring in $53,834 to our Austin household.
The median cost for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,520 per month, which is $207 more than FTW.

Cowtown also has entities such as the Fort Worth Housing Solutions + other government-funded programs to help develop more affordable units.

There are also a number of local development firms working on apartments seemingly all the time — from Deco 969 on Commerce Street to the affordable and supportive housing developments from the Fort Worth Housing Finance Corporation.

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Today

Back in Time | Fri., Sept. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Downtown Cowtown at the Isis | $32 | DFW’s only tribute band dedicated to Huey Lewis and the News.
Stockyards Championship Rodeo | Fri., Sept. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Cowtown Coliseum | $38+ | Saddle up at this weekly local rodeo in the Historical Stockyards.

Saturday

Family Workshop: Print Jam! | Sat., Oct. 1 | 2-4 p.m. | Amon Carter Museum of Art | Free | Spend the afternoon creating your own bold, bright, collaborative prints.
Satsang | Sat., Oct. 1 | 8 p.m. | Tulips FTW, 112 St. Louis Ave. | $20 | The bluesy folk duo is making a pit stop in Funkytown.

Sunday

Mary J. Blige | Sun., Oct. 2 | 7 p.m. | Dickies Arena | $103+ | The performer brings her “Good Morning Gorgeous” tour to Cowtown with special guest Queen Naija.
Cirque du Ballet | Sun., Oct. 2 | 2 p.m. | Bass Performance Hall | $20+ | The Texas Ballet Theater presents an array of fabulous characters and choreography under the big top.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

Waking up with neck pain? This might be the culprit.

Marlow offers a 365-day return policy, so you have plenty of time to sleep on it — literally. | Photo provided by Marlow

If you constantly wake up with a stiff, sore neck, your pillows might be the problem. ☁️

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Weather

83º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain

Open

Hurtado Barbecue opened Tuesday at 1116 8th Ave. — the former location of Derek Allen’s Texas Barbecue. Belly up for award-winning barbecue with a Tex-Mex twist Tuesdays-Sundays from 7 a.m. until sellout. 🍖 (CultureMap Fort Worth)

Coming Soon

The viral Utah soda trend is headed to Cowtown. What is that? Dirty Soda is a combination of soda, cream, and flavored syrups. A permit has been filed for Swig, a drive-thru that serves the concoction, at 7004 N. Blue Mound Rd. 🥤

Fort Worthian

Mayor Mattie Parker has been named to the 2022 TIME100 Next list. The list recognizes emerging leaders across various sectors and industries. Check out what Congresswoman Kay Granger wrote about the mayor. (TIME Magazine)

Development

This week, the City Council approved the remaining $49.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for affordable housing, food banks, and gun violence prevention. The decision includes funds for the 288-unit Tobias Place housing development on Hemphill Street. 🏠

Edu

Fort Worth ISD has 127 overcrowded classrooms. Primarily in the south and east portions of the city, 44 classrooms exceed the state’s 22-student maximum class size. Learn more about the district’s potential solutions. 🏫 (Fort Worth Report)

Traffic

The Federal Highway Administration has approved 50 new electric vehicle charging stations to be constructed along major Texas interstates. Check out TxDOT’s plans near Fort Worth — stations along I-20 in the next year and more rural locations slated in the next five years. ⚡️ (Texas Tribune)

Community

Keep an eye out for a pink cow named Hope. Created by local artists, the blush bovine will be at The Shops at Clearfork tomorrow, Oct. 1 to encourage participants in the Susan G. Koman Foundation’s More Than Pink Walk that kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 💕 (FOX 4)

Holiday

Take a peek into the vaquero lifestyle. As part of the city’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, an event will livestream on Thurs., Oct. 6 at 12 p.m. teaching residents about cowboy traditions. Bonus: A vaquero from the Fort Worth Herd will host a live lasso demonstration. 🐎

Arts

Another public mural is complete in Trinity Park featuring the area’s favorite friend — a duck — kinda. The artist known as Red Milk Crone recently completed this monster duck mural on a column near the Trinity Duck Pond. Have you seen her other monsters around town? 🦆

Travel

Who’s planning on traveling out of DFW for the Thanksgiving holiday? Pro tip: It’s never too early to book those flights. Pro, pro tip: Scott’s Cheap Flights Elite Plan gets you up to 90% off premium economy, business, and first-class seats. ✈️*

Drink

Getting groceries delivered is great, but getting your favorite beer, wine, and liquor delivered is even better. With Drizly, you can order your go-to libations as well as mixers, party supplies, and snacks + they’ll be delivered to your door in under 60 minutes. Order now. 🥂*

Real Estate

For Raynette + Jim Costanza, selling their investment property made the transition to retirement even sweeter. See how they did it.*

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Money, money, money 🎵

Richest people in Fort Worth

Photos of Alice Walton, David Bonderman, Robert Bass, and Sid Bass.

Alice Walton, David Bonderman, Robert Bass, and Sid Bass. | Graphic by FTWtoday

Forbes’ list of the 400 wealthiest people in the US was released this week. Despite the fact that the richest people in the country are poorer than they were last year, they’re still pretty darn rich.

Of the 400 elite, 43 of them call the Lone Star State home. Let’s take a look at the four Fort Worth billionaires who are rollin’ in the cash.

💰 Alice Walton | No. 15

Net worth: $55.7 billion
The daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Alice is the chairman of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and served as a trustee for the Amon Cartner Museum of Western Art.

💰 David Bonderman | No. 138

Net worth: $6.5 billion
“Bondo” is the chairman and founding partner of private equity giant TPG. He met this business partner Jim Coulter while working for Robert Bass.

💰 Robert Bass | No. 211

Net worth: $4.9 billion
The oil and investment mogul inherited $2.8 million from his uncle Sid Richardson in 1959. Robert sits on the boards of the Texas Ballet Theater and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

💰 Sid Bass | No. 303

Net worth: $3.7 billion
Sid — Robert’s older brother — sold the Bass oilfields to Exxon for $6 billion in 2017. Take a peek at the former Bass Residence in Westover Hills.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Kate.

Editor’s pick: It’s a boy — by now we’ve all seen a slew of creative baby gender reveals online. But have you considered tapping your favorite local business to help you out?

A Fort Worth couple had Sweetzy’s Snowcones create a icy treat to reveal their impending arrival. 💙

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? See what’s coming soon to The Shops at Clearfork.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Rebecca McRobbie, Kate Mazade, Dayten Rose, Emily Shea, Ashlea Hearn, Josh Kranzberg | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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