Moving from Raleigh to Dallas

The Story

Raleigh-to-Dallas is RTP tech → AT&T/Toyota/JPM corporate move. NC 4.5% → TX 0% saves $4,500/yr. Housing 6% MORE, COL 3% higher. Pull: AT&T HQ, Toyota North America HQ Plano, JPMorgan Plano (largest non-NYC campus), American Airlines HQ, Texas Instruments, no state income tax, Sun Belt corporate density.

Why This Move

Why people move from Raleigh to Dallas.

AT&T HQ — global telecom
Toyota North America HQ Plano
JPMorgan Plano — largest non-NYC campus
American Airlines HQ + Texas Instruments + ExxonMobil (Spring TX)
No state income tax (saves $4,500/yr)
RTP tech → AT&T/TI/JPM Plano corporate bridge
Tex-Mex + BBQ food
Cowboys + Mavericks + Stars + Rangers sports

Cost Comparison

The money side of NC → TX.

Raleigh

Median home$385,000
Income tax4.5% (NC flat)
Cost index102

Dallas

Median home$410,000
Income taxNone (TX)
Cost index105

What to Do in Dallas

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Dallas, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden — 66 acres on White Rock Lake; pumpkin village in fall, tulips in spring
Klyde Warren Park — 5-acre deck park over freeway in downtown
Reunion Tower GeO-Deck — 470 feet up; 360° views of metroplex
White Rock Lake — 1,015-acre lake with 9-mile trail

Culture & Arts

Dallas Museum of Art — Free general admission; strong contemporary collection
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza — JFK assassination museum
George W. Bush Presidential Library — On SMU campus
AT&T Stadium (Cowboys, Arlington) — Tours when no game scheduled

Family-Friendly

Perot Museum of Nature and Science — Hands-on science museum; T.rex skeleton
Dallas Zoo — 106-acre zoo; oldest in Texas

Where to Eat

Dallas's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Dallas resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Pecan Lodge BBQ Deep Ellum

Brisket and 'Hot Mess' baked potato
Uchi Dallas Japanese McKinney Avenue

Tyson Cole's sister to Austin's Uchi
Mansion Restaurant American fine dining Turtle Creek

Iconic Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel
Lucia Italian Bishop Arts

Tiny Italian by David Uygur
Knife Steakhouse Mockingbird Lane

John Tesar's modern steakhouse
Mister Charles American Highland Park Village

Modern bistro
Tei An Japanese soba Arts District

Hand-made soba noodles, omakase counter
Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House Burgers Lakewood

Cult Dallas burger

Where to Live

Best Dallas neighborhoods for Raleigh transplants.

Mapped to the Raleigh neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Bishop Arts/Oak Cliff

If Five Points was your scene — walkable urban, restaurants
Deep Ellum

If Glenwood South was your vibe — eclectic, music, walkable
Highland Park

If North Hills was your goal — affluent, top schools
Frisco (suburb)

If Cary was your model — master-planned, top schools
Plano (suburb)

If you wanted corporate adjacent — Toyota/JPM, top schools
Lakewood (East Dallas)

If Apex was your scene — charming, walkable

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Dallas.

Climate

Humid subtropical. Hot summers (75-95°F+, occasional 105°F+ heat waves). Mild winters (35-58°F, occasional ice storms; rare snow). Spring brings tornadoes and severe storms. 234 sun days/year.

Summer75-95°F
Winter35-58°F
Sun days/yr234
Rainfall39 inches

Walkability

Walk Score47/100
Transit Score39/100
Bike Score50/100

Dallas is car-dependent — most errands require driving.

Outdoors & Recreation

White Rock Lake — 9-mile trail, kayaking
Trinity River Audubon Center — wetlands trails
Cedar Hill State Park (30 min south) — hiking, lake
Katy Trail — 3.5-mile rail-to-trail through Uptown
Lake Texoma (1.5 hrs north) — fishing, boating, second-home market
Texas Hill Country (3.5 hrs south) — wineries, hiking

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

NC 4.5% becomes TX 0% — saves $4,500/year on $100K
Housing 6% MORE expensive — $385K Raleigh becomes $410K Dallas
COL 3% higher
Climate flips humid subtropical to humid subtropical (Dallas drier, hotter)
Property tax TX 1.8% high vs NC 0.8%
Car-dependent both
RTP tech → AT&T/TI/JPM Plano corporate bridge
Sports — gain Cowboys/Mavs/Stars/Rangers, lose Hurricanes/Wolfpack

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-40 W to I-30 W

1,180 miles via Knoxville, Memphis, Little Rock. 18 hours / 2-3 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 1,180 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$5,500-$10,000
Container/PODS$3,800-$6,200
DIY (26-ft truck)$2,800-$5,000
Best monthsOct-May (avoid summer)
Lead time8-10 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions