Where is the diversity in DFW? (Dallas, Plano: transplants, apartment, how much)

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

While I wait for an answer on where the OP lives (which may affect how he/she views the whole area), Ill give the statistical view of DFW's diversity.

First of all, there are many ethnically diverse and integrated areas of DFW but not every area of DFW is diverse and/or integrated. Look at the city of Dallas. Its pretty balanced racially (44% Hispanic, 28% white, 25% black, and 3% Asian), but depending on where you live in the city of Dallas you could feel like there is nothing but white people (north Central Dallas), nothing but black people (South Central Dallas), or nothing but Mexicans (East, Southwest, and Northwest Dallas). Ditto Fort Worth.

Now for areas that are well and truly racially and ethnically integrated.

For reference, the main multicultural corridor starts along 360 and I-20 in Arlington/Grand Prarie, travels up through the East side of DFW Airport, then follows the area north of 635 and south of 121 all the way to Plano/Garland. Suburbs that I would consider multicultural include Arlington, Grand Prarie, Euless, Haltom City, Irving, Carrollton, Lewisville, Plano, and Garland.

Now lets get more specific into which areas of each cities you would be interested in. The source is zip-codes.com. I posted the link for the first one, you can look at the others with that site if you want specific detail. The most diverse zip code in the United States is actually in Irving:

Irving: 75038

Asian: 27.1%
Black: 25.4%
Hispanic: 22.9%
White: 22.7%

2010 Census for ZIP Code 75038, 2010 Census, IRVING TX, Population Demographics

Other diverse zipcodes include:

Irving: 75063

Asian: 37.1%
White: 35.5%
Black: 14.5%
Hispanic: 11.7%

Irving: 75039

White: 45.1%
Asian: 28.5%
Hispanic: 12.4%
Black: 10.8%

Coppell: 75019 (not as diverse as the others, but very affluent)

White: 66.1%
Asian: 17.2%
Hispanic: 11.2%
Black: 4.4%

Carrollton: 75010

White: 49.3%
Asian: 26.2%
Hispanic: 12.9%
Black: 10.9%

Carrollton: 75007

White: 52.7%
Hispanic: 22.4%
Asian: 15.2%
Black: 8.1%

Lewisville: 75067

White: 47.3%
Hispanic: 29.2%
Black: 11.8%
Asian: 8.2%

Plano: 75024 (very affluent)

White: 53.8%
Asian: 28.6%
Hispanic: 7.5%
Black: 7.0%

Plano: 75025 (very affluent)

White: 57.5%
Asian: 26.1%
Hispanic: 7.2%
Black: 6.2%

Plano: 75074

White: 40.5%
Hispanic: 37.2%
Black: 11.2%
Asian: 9.6%

Garland: 75040

Hispanic: 42.4%
White: 32.0%
Asian: 9.9%
Black: 9.8%

Garland: 75043

White: 43.1%
Hispanic: 27.9%
Black: 20.9%
Asian: 7.1%

Murphy: 75094 (affluent)

White: 51.1%
Asian: 27.7%
Black: 10.6%
Hispanic: 7.2%

Sachse: 75048 (affluent)

White: 61.1%
Hispanic: 13.9%
Asian: 11.0%
Black: 8.7%

Dallas: 75254

White: 37.5%
Hispanic: 36.7%
Black: 8.5%
Asian: 6.0%

Richardson: 75044 (affluent)

White: 46.1%
Hispanic: 24.1%
Asian: 20.2%
Black: 9.1%

Richardson: 75081 (affluent)

White: 51.3%
Asian: 19.0%
Hispanic: 15.4%
Black: 13.1%

Grand Prarie: 75052

Hispanic: 33.6%
White: 29.5%
Black: 24.8%
Asian: 10.1%

Arlington: 76014

Hispanic: 37.3%
Black: 25.2%
White: 24.2%
Asian: 11.6%

These are not all the diverse and integrated zip codes in the Metroplex, there are many more. This will give you an idea of some of the diverse places around.

[styron]

I'd say more Far North Dallas than Plano-proper. West Plano is lily white + Asian.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by styron

I'd say more Far North Dallas than Plano-proper. West Plano is lily white + Asian.

Statistically that isnt correct. Northwest, North, and East Plano are all far more diverse than Far North Dallas. In fact the parts of Plano that are the least diverse are the parts that border Far North Dallas.

[JohnDenver2]

Originally Posted by PISDstudent

I was about to say this. Also, 25% of Plano was born abroad, and only 40% of Plano ISD is White.

I live in far north Dallas (in PISD) right on the border of Plano. My small 33 house neighborhood has 4 Asian, 2 Indian, 1 Lebanese, 1 Honduran, 2 Jewish, 2 Single mothers, 1 Mexican, 1 African American, 1 Afghan, 1 Long Island(ha) -- families.

The average house cost is $450k or more -- with lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, accountants, etc.

I am very surprised and happy with the diversity.

[New_to_DFW]

peterlemonjello, thanks for your analysis. We just moved to Dallas 4 months ago and are renting for the first year in the victory park area of Dallas. We wanted a central location - I work just north of Love field, wife just started a job in W Plano. My wife is from south TX originally, but we lived in Boston for the last 8 years and before that in the bay area of CA, where we met, and also where I grew up.

TheOverdog, my wife sent me that dot map last week which sparked this thread. Fascinating to see and made me wonder if Dallas is more segregated than I originally thought.

The reason I am asking the question is that I am multiracial and my wife is Mexican American. We don't have kids yet, but when we do, we want to raise them in an open minded and culturally rich and diverse environment (we also love ethnic restaurants!). We don't want to be the outcasts on the block. I went to predominantly white schools growing up (I was one of three minorities in my class) while my wife attended predominantly Hispanic schools. We were hoping for something more balanced.

PISD and RISD seem to continue to pop up from posters and also have the exceptional public schools we are looking for. Based on schools alone we had initially targeted Carroll and Lewisville (Flower Mound), but they don't seem to be as diverse. We are also considering Lakewood for the neighborhood and proximity, but it seems like Lakewood proper is not very ethnically diverse, though the schools are since they draw from a broader area (Lakewood/Long/Woodrow).

Thanks for the comments

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by New_to_DFW

Based on schools alone we had initially targeted Carroll and Lewisville (Flower Mound), but they don't seem to be as diverse.

Carroll is AWFULLY white. Just sayin'. Looking up the exact numbers in the 2012 Campus AEIS report, the student body of Carroll Senior high school is 82.6% white, 6.3% Asian, 5.9% Hispanic and 2.5% African American. Looking at one of the elementaries in CISD shows 77.5% white, 9.6% Asian and everyone else at ~5% or lower. Carroll also has virtually no socioeconomic diversity (there's three groups - the well-off, the very well-off, and the extremely well-off!)

Without checking, I believe Flower Mound has a slightly higher Asian/Indian population, but otherwise is awfully white and pretty darn affluent.

[robmab]

If you are considering the Lakewood area, I would look at homes in Stonewall Jackson Elementary (M Streets) or Lipscomb Elementary (Munger Place, Junius Heights and the aforementioned Swiss Avenue area). Neither of those schools are lily-white and both have a large number of multiracial families. Lakewood proper (which feeds into Lakewood Elementary) is not quite as diverse.

In East Dallas, the level of "affluence" depends largely on the street/neighborhood you live on. I don't think anyone would argue that Swiss Avenue isn't highly affluent, but just one street over is Gaston, which is a mix of apartments (some of them low-income) and grand old homes (some well maintained and some on the verge of demolition).

I consider it a pretty diverse environment (more so than Plano), but I guess we all define diversity in our own way.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by New_to_DFW

peterlemonjello, thanks for your analysis. We just moved to Dallas 4 months ago and are renting for the first year in the victory park area of Dallas. We wanted a central location - I work just north of Love field, wife just started a job in W Plano. My wife is from south TX originally, but we lived in Boston for the last 8 years and before that in the bay area of CA, where we met, and also where I grew up.

TheOverdog, my wife sent me that dot map last week which sparked this thread. Fascinating to see and made me wonder if Dallas is more segregated than I originally thought.

The reason I am asking the question is that I am multiracial and my wife is Mexican American. We don't have kids yet, but when we do, we want to raise them in an open minded and culturally rich and diverse environment (we also love ethnic restaurants!). We don't want to be the outcasts on the block. I went to predominantly white schools growing up (I was one of three minorities in my class) while my wife attended predominantly Hispanic schools. We were hoping for something more balanced.

PISD and RISD seem to continue to pop up from posters and also have the exceptional public schools we are looking for. Based on schools alone we had initially targeted Carroll and Lewisville (Flower Mound), but they don't seem to be as diverse. We are also considering Lakewood for the neighborhood and proximity, but it seems like Lakewood proper is not very ethnically diverse, though the schools are since they draw from a broader area (Lakewood/Long/Woodrow).

Thanks for the comments

Dallas itself is pretty segregated whether anyone else wants to admit that or not. Whites to the north, Blacks to the South, Hispanics to the East & West.

The closest you're going to get to true diversity in D/FW is Plano. It offers the best balance of both diversity & affluence like you're looking for.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Dallas itself is pretty segregated whether anyone else wants to admit that or not. Whites to the north, Blacks to the South, Hispanics to the East & West.

The closest you're going to get to true diversity in D/FW is Plano. It offers the best balance of both diversity & affluence like you're looking for.

Dallas is segregated, the suburbs in question are not.

Irving, Garland, Carrollton, and Richardson are all extremely diverse as is Plano. But Plano is going to be the most affluent.

Irving actually is the most diverse city when it comes to true diversity. Carrollton, Garland, Lewisville, and several others are more racially diverse than Plano. However, when looking at Ethnic diversity, Plano, Irving, and Garland win out.

[hal2814]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

Carroll is AWFULLY white. Just sayin'. Looking up the exact numbers in the 2012 Campus AEIS report, the student body of Carroll Senior high school is 82.6% white, 6.3% Asian, 5.9% Hispanic and 2.5% African American. Looking at one of the elementaries in CISD shows 77.5% white, 9.6% Asian and everyone else at ~5% or lower. Carroll also has virtually no socioeconomic diversity (there's three groups - the well-off, the very well-off, and the extremely well-off!)

Without checking, I believe Flower Mound has a slightly higher Asian/Indian population, but otherwise is awfully white and pretty darn affluent.

Diversity isn't just skin color. I send my kids to GCISD and it's pretty darn white but Grapevine's proximity to the airport puts kids from all over the world in my kids' schools. I don't know how that stacks up to other areas of Dallas but it's a heck of a lot more diverse than the 50% white / 50% black rural Georgia town we came from.