About three in four North Texans are satisfied with where they live, but more than half say they sometimes or often run out of food and have no money to buy more, according to the 2026 State of North Texas report from the University of Texas at Dallas.
The report, posted Oct. 22, draws on the third yearly wave of the William C. Short North Texas Quality of Life Survey, an online survey that is a project of the university's School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. It counted 1,933 usable responses this year and splits the region into five areas: Collin, Denton and Tarrant counties plus northern and southern Dallas County.
Household budgets
Of respondents who gave an answer, 76.4% said they were somewhat or very satisfied with their community. Housing costs tell a different story for renters: 62% said rent takes at least 30% of their monthly after-tax income, and 33% said it takes 40% or more. Among people paying a mortgage, 33% reported spending at least 30%.
The food question produced the widest spread across the region. The share reporting that their food sometimes or often ran out before they had money for more was:
- Collin County: 28%
- Denton County: 49%
- Northern Dallas County: 57%
- Tarrant County: 62%
- Southern Dallas County: 67%
The authors note that this is a single question about a reported experience, not a full food-insecurity measure.
Views of local government
Collin also stood apart on public services. In that area, 56% rated their local government's performance as somewhat or very good, compared with 33% to 36% in each of the other four areas. The report describes these as residents' perceptions rather than an independent comparison of how governments perform.