United States
Dallas makes sense if
- You want the easier housing and budget equation in this comparison.
- You want the broader career options in this comparison.
- You want the deeper culture and food scene.
Dallas vs Denver
Dallas is a sprawling business metro where daily errands usually involve highways and air conditioning. Denver also spreads out, but outdoor life is easier to reach, with trails and mountain access shaping how residents spend their free time.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Denver makes sense if
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
- Access to stronger healthcare matters most to you.
- You value stronger public spaces and everyday city life.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Denver64
Leads on nature & outdoors, city life and work & family; stands out for mountains and hiking.
- 2Dallas56
Narrowly best on money: 66 vs Denver's 63; stands out for winter comfort and brighter winters.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Dallas66Denver63
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
$135/mo$2,444/mo
- $1,386/mo, leads
- $1,782/mo
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- ~28%, leads
- ~33%
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 100
- 100
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 24–44%
- 24–44%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 245 days
- 259 days, leads
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 161 days
- 1 days, leads
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 9.8 µg/m³
- 7.8 µg/m³
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Denver75Dallas33
Beach & sea
110
- 2/10, leads
- 1/10
Mountains
110
- 2/10
- 9/10, leads
City parks
110
- 6/10
- 8/10, leads
Weekend escapes
110
- 5/10
- 10/10, leads
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Denver65Dallas60
Walkability
110
- 2/10
- 5/10, leads
Public transport
110
- 3/10
- 4/10, leads
Restaurants
110
- 8/10, leads
- 7/10
Public spaces
110
- 5/10
- 7/10, leads
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Denver58Dallas56
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 10.5
- 6, leads
Feels safe day to day
110
- 5/10
- 6/10, leads
Healthcare quality
110
- 10/10, leads
- 9/10
English-speaking care
110
- 10/10
- 10/10
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Denver65Dallas60
Job market
110
- 9/10, leads
- 8/10
Jobs in English
110
- 10/10
- 10/10
Work–life balance
110
- 3/10
- 4/10, leads
Schools
110
- 6/10
- 7/10, leads
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Dallas60Denver57
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 9/10
- 9/10
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 1/10
- 1/10
Openness to newcomers
110
- 8/10, leads
- 7/10
Flight connections
110
- 9/10, leads
- 8/10
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 5/10
- 8/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 8/10
- 8/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 9/10
- 7/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 5/10
- 7/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Dallas
Most districts are spread out and mixed-use streets are limited, but homes and suburbs offer more room and are generally comfortable. The trade-off is simple: daily errands usually require a car.
Denver
Denver is a low-slung, spread-out Western city rather than a dense vertical one. Neighbourhoods and suburbs are pleasant and homes have room to breathe, but daily life assumes a car, walkable districts are limited, and the overall pace runs relaxed rather than frenetic.
Safety
Dallas
Safety is a mixed read. Serious violent crime sits at the lower, safer end relative to the wider data, but petty crime, perceived safety, and how comfortable the streets feel after dark land closer to the middle.
Denver
Night-time confidence is middling, and traffic safety is weaker than the city's clean-air reputation might suggest. It reads as manageable with ordinary big-city precautions, not carefree.
Work and healthcare
Dallas
A deep, broad job market makes Dallas one of the stronger career bases in this group, with low unemployment and a dense professional network. The medical infrastructure is strong, with well-regarded hospitals, reliable emergency care, and no language barrier to speak of for English speakers.
Denver
Denver has a healthy, diversified job market with low unemployment and strong English-language access. Clinical quality is strong and emergency care is reliable, with English-speaking providers a given.
Culture and public life
Dallas
Dallas has a fuller cultural and dining scene than outsiders expect, with a strong restaurant landscape, solid museums and music, and a nightlife that holds its own. Dallas sprawls across a vast metro, and upkeep is uneven for it.
Denver
Denver's food and culture scene is good and steadily improving, with a respectable spread of restaurants, cafes, craft beer, and live music. Denver is affluent and fairly clean, though parts of downtown have slid.
Summary
Denver suits someone who wants the outdoors to be part of ordinary life, with a somewhat stronger public realm and safety profile. Dallas offers a broader business market and a more affordable, car-based routine.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.