North Texas: A Region of Opportunity
As the only public university system based in the robust North Texas Region, the University of North Texas System is uniquely-equipped to provide its students with a wealth of job opportunities, plus entertainment, culture, shopping and professional sports. Our primary campus locations include the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth and the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD). The UNT Dallas College of Law and UNT System Administration are based in Downtown Dallas, which serves as a major teaching location for undergraduate courses of UNT and UNTD. An additional major teaching center exists in Frisco, one of the nation's fastest growing communities that provides students with unique access to Fortune 500 companies and start-ups in Collin County. UNTS institutions award more than 8000 degrees each year – including the largest number of master’s and doctoral degrees in the region. Overall, the UNT System boosts the Texas economy by nearly $5.2 billion each year.
People
During the last decade, the North Texas region was among the nation’s fastest-growing areas -- attracting significant job and population growth -- and today is the nation's 4th-largest metropolitan area. Population growth in North Texas has fueled real estate development, as retailers and service providers expand to meet increasing demand. The growth has pushed Dallas and Fort Worth to redevelop and reenergize their downtowns, creating mixed-use buildings with residential, office and retail space and a high-end urban environment. While Dallas (population 1,281,047) and Fort Worth (population 812,238) serve as the biggest population centers, Denton -- home to our flagship University of North Texas -- has a population that exceeds 125,000. Overall, the Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to 6,954,330.
Access
Due to its central location and world class transportation infrastructure, North Texas is a major international gateway. The region excels in passenger air travel and air cargo operations with the nation’s third busiest airport, DFW International Airport; Dallas Love Field Airport, home to the largest domestic airline in the country; and the world’s first fully industrial airport, Fort Worth Alliance Airport. North Texas roads and rail lines are remarkable for delivery of freight products across the country. Our region ranks among the top three U.S. metropolitan areas for business expansions, relocations and employment growth. DFW’s young, highly educated workforce of over three million people is growing quickly, providing companies with the abundance of talent they need to make their business a success.
Transportation & Location Facts
Business Community
North Texas has been a magnet for corporate headquarters and major company operations, attracting 21 Fortune 500 company headquarters and 41 headquarters among the Fortune 1000. A diverse group of household names such as ExxonMobil Corp., Texas Instruments, AT&T, American Airlines Inc., JCPenney Corp. Inc., Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Fluor Corp. call the region home, reflecting the area’s strong fundamentals when it comes to workforce, access and cost of doing business. DFW’s corporate powerhouse companies are distributed throughout the region, an indication of its strength and the quality of the workforce and ease of navigation between cities and corporate centers. Scanning the roster of major employers located here, it’s easy to see the breadth and depth of the business community, from high-tech industry leaders, telecommunications, logistics and finance to consumer brands that ease the daily lives of families across the globe. Dallas–Fort Worth’s diverse base of employers drives the region’s economic strength, pulling from a variety of industries so that growth is possible even during weak business cycles.
North Texas is regularly identified as one of the nation’s top markets for new and expanded corporate facilities. DFW attracts an impressive list of companies that spans diverse industries. Recent relocations to North Texas have included headquarters moves for Fortune 500 and Forbes Top Private companies such as GGNSC Holdings/ Golden Living, Fluor Corp., Comerica and AT&T. Expansions include important new distribution, logistics, or manufacturing centers for companies such as Amazon; Bed, Bath and Beyond; BMW; Galderma; and the single largest U.S. expansion in 2015, General Motors. Other expansions include new offices for 7-Eleven, American Airlines, Liberty Mutual, and State Farm to name a few.
Recent North Texas Business Relocations
Quality of Life
Quite simply, it’s easy to live in DFW. The Dallas–Fort Worth region is one of the most affordable in the country, a competitive advantage for companies as they seek both to keep labor costs low and to recruit the best workers. Employees in DFW enjoy a higher standard of living, with consistently lower costs for housing, groceries, transportation, and health care compared with workers in other major U.S. business centers. The region’s relatively low housing prices provide the strongest edge for companies that operate here, coming in more than 24 percent lower than the national average and more than 50 percent lower than many other major metropolitan areas.
There’s something for everyone in the Dallas–Fort Worth region, whether you’re looking for history, fi ne arts, amusement parks or professional sports. The region is home to professional teams in every major sport. The NFL’s Dallas Cowboys football team and the MLB’s Texas Rangers baseball team have state-of-the-art facilities located in Arlington, right in between the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth. Basketball and hockey fans can watch the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NHL’s Dallas Stars play at American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas. And soccer fans can watch FC Dallas, an MLS team based in Frisco, a suburb north of Dallas. The area supports plenty of other family-friendly amenities as well, including two major zoos, one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth, and the Six Flags amusement park complex, which features both a water park and a theme park. The Fort Worth Stockyards offer a glimpse into the Old West, showcasing Fort Worth’s history as a key stop for cattle drives on the Chisholm Trail. And Fair Park in Dallas is home to the State Fair of Texas, one of the largest state fairs in the country.
The University of North Texas System is a member and supporter of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce (DRC). Much of the information found on this page appears courtesy of the DRC. To learn more, please vist: www.dallaschamber.org/join/