The Ultimate Guide to Moving to Fort Worth
If you’re considering moving to Fort Worth, expect to find a relatively average cost of living, a robust local job market, and mild winters.
Written by Melanie Krieps Mergen
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
If you’re considering moving to Fort Worth, expect to find a relatively average cost of living, a robust local job market, and mild winters. But you’ll also have to deal with congested traffic and tornado risks.
Fort Worth often stands in the shadow of
Dallas
, but it has plenty to offer that makes it stand out on its own. Residents who live in Fort Worth choose it for its laid-back atmosphere that still provides all the conveniences and entertainment options that come with big-city living. Of course, you'll need to do some research before deciding whether Fort Worth is right for you. Here to help you get started is
Jerry
, the trusted super app
created to save you time and money on home, renters, and car insurance
shopping. Funkytown, Cowtown, Panther City, whatever you call it—here’s what you can expect if you decide to make Fort Worth your next home.Are you getting ripped off on your car insurance? Find out in less than two minutes.
No long forms · No spam · No fees
Find insurance savingsWhat you need to know about Fort Worth before you move
The rolling hills of Fort Worth are home to 935,000 people and counting. Could one of them soon be you? If you’re considering moving to Fort Worth, here are some things you’ll want to know.
1. The cost of living is pretty average
The overall cost of living in Fort Worth is around the national average but slightly more expensive than overall living costs in
Texas
. One of the most important aspects of living costs? Housing. For Fort Worth, 2020 census data showed that average monthly ownership costs for homeowners with a mortgage was about $1,656, slightly more than the national average of about $1,621.
The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,255 per month, compared to a national average of about $1,700, based on data from
rent.com
.At the grocery store, you could generally expect a loaf of bread to cost $3 to $7 and a gallon of milk is $3 to $6.
While you’re out and about, a cup of coffee or a pint of beer at the bar could cost around $5.
As of the 2020 census, the median household income in Fort Worth was $64,567. The city’s minimum wage matches the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.
MIT’s
Living Wage Calculator
estimates that to live comfortably as a single adult without children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you’d need to earn at least $17.03 per hour.2. The local job market is in good shape
The Dallas-Fort Worth job market is open to many sectors, including finance, technology, healthcare, defense, aviation, and manufacturing—it also plays host to one of the largest numbers of Fortune 500 companies in the country. As a result, employment looks bright for those who live in this area.
Some of Fort Worth’s top employers include American Airlines, IBM, Walmart, Amazon, local school districts, and the JPS Health Network.
3. Motor vehicle thefts are on the rise
How bad is crime in Fort Worth? It depends.
While violent crime rates are on the rise in Fort Worth, property crime overall is on the decline, according to
FBI crime data
.In 2021, there were 3,912 reported cases of aggravated assault. In addition, there were 118 murders in 2021, which soars above numbers for any year over the past decade.
As for property crimes, burglaries have been steadily declining since 2011, with 3,540 reported incidents in 2021. On the other hand, motor vehicle thefts have seen a substantial increase in alignment with national trends, with 3,670 thefts in 2021.
4. Fort Worth has a little bit of everything
In combination with its reasonable living costs, Fort Worth offers many of the conveniences and entertainment options you’d expect from any large city.
That includes year-round arts and culture festivals, a diverse array of restaurants, a lively music scene, and top-notch museums. Throughout the city, you’ll also find nearly 300 parks to exercise or unwind in—including a handful of
dog parks
. Long story short, you won’t be bored in Fort Worth.
5. Driving requires a lot of patience
Traffic in Fort Worth is generally quite congested, and even more so in recent years, thanks to Fort Worth’s rapid population growth.
TomTom’s
2021 Traffic Index
estimates that drivers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area lost 39 hours to rush hour traffic over the year. The area ranked number 37 on the list of the most congested cities in the United States.Specific neighborhoods in Fort Worth are undoubtedly walkable, but driving will sometimes be the ideal transportation option considering the city covers over 355 square miles.
In addition to driving your own car, public transportation options include the
Trinity Metro
, the Trinity Railway Express
for commutes between Dallas and Fort Worth, and the (free!) Molly the Trolley
downtown. Fort Worth is also working to improve and expand biking options
across the city and make existing ones safer.6. Expect hot summers and relatively mild winters—and tornadoes
Summers in Fort Worth are hot, with average high temperatures soaring into the high 90s and 100s. Hotter temperatures paired with lower humidity levels make the heat a little more bearable than it would be otherwise.
While winters in Fort Worth are relatively mild, the area can still get snow, in part thanks to its higher elevation. The average snowfall in Fort Worth ranges from one to two inches per year and causes plenty of traffic delays. Average winter low temperatures during winter months tend to fall around the mid-30s.
As for severe weather risks, FEMA’s
National Risk Index
lists Fort Worth’s Tarrant County as being most highly at risk to heat waves, hail, lightning, flooding, and tornadoes. Wildfires, ice storms, and strong winds are considered “relatively moderate” risks—all of which make it a good idea to ensure you have the right car and home insurance
coverage in place.7. There’s no state income tax
Another major plus about living in Texas is that there’s no income tax collected at the state level.Of course, you’ll still be accountable for federal income taxes—and that extra amount you get to take home in your paycheck can come as a welcome surprise for many Texas transplants.
Does Fort Worth live up to the hype?
Fort Worth is a popular option among young professionals looking for a city with a healthy number of job prospects and various entertainment options.
If you can take all there is to love about Fort Worth in stride with other aspects, like heavily congested traffic, shifting crime rates, and the possibility of tornadoes, Fort Worth might just be worth your consideration.
Finding a place to live in Fort Worth
Buying a house in any place these days is rarely cheap, but in Fort Worth, housing costs are slightly less than the national average and the average in nearby Dallas.
As of October 2022, the average home value in Fort Worth was $329,000, according to
Zillow
. For comparison, the national average is about $356,000, and Dallas’s average is about $334,170.Looking to rent instead? The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,255 per month, while the average rent for a three-bedroom is about $1,595, according to
rent.com
.That said, location has a big impact on rent costs as well. For example, the average for a one-bedroom apartment in the Cultural District is about $1,400, while in Summerfields, it’s about $850.
So when choosing a neighborhood, how do you narrow down your options? It helps to start by determining a budget and evaluating what options are available to you. From there, you can rank your choices based on what factors are most important to you: a short commute to work, good nearby schools, or proximity to a local park.
To help you get started, here are a sampling of Fort Worth neighborhoods worth looking into:
- Most iconic neighborhoods: Arlington Heights, Downtown, Cultural District
- Best neighborhoods if you’ve got kids: Arlington Heights, Benbrook, Wedgwood, Westworth Village
- Best neighborhoods for foodies: Downtown, West 7th, Fairmount
- Best neighborhoods to buy a house: Arlington Heights, Wedgwood, Fairmount, TCU-West Cliff
- Most affordable neighborhoods: Sundance Square, Summerfields, Western Hills, Bluffview, Sycamore
As you explore your options, be sure to visit them in person—that way, you can get a better sense of the local atmosphere and whether the neighborhood will be a good fit for your lifestyle.
Moving to Fort Worth checklist
Once you’ve found the right place to live in Fort Worth, the next step is getting there will all your stuff!
To help make your move go as smoothly as possible, here are some items you may want to add to your Fort Worth moving checklist.
Before you go
Before moving to Fort Worth, make sure to:
- Book a reliable moving company. Not sure where to start? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration offershelpful tipsfor finding trustworthy movers and protecting yourself from scams.
- Reserve a U-Haul if you’re handling your move yourself.
- If you’re preparing for a long-distance move, consider whether it would be more convenient to ship your car or drive it.
- Let important contacts know you’re moving—like your landlord, employer, insurance provider(s), and utility provider(s).
- Make sure your new renters orhomeowners insurance policywill be active and ready to go once you move in.
After you get there
Once you’ve set foot in your new Fort Worth home and are nearly finished unpacking all those boxes, there are a couple more things you may want to take care of:
- If you’ve moved to Fort Worth from out of state, you’ll need to re-register your car in Texas and update your car insurance if you haven’t already.
- Get to know Fort Worth! Now that you’re finally here, take your time getting to know the city and start building your lists of go-to parks, take-out spots, and more.
How to save on car, renters, and home insurance in Fort Worth
No matter what kind of coverage you’re looking for, it only takes about a minute to answer a few basic questions in the app. From there,
Jerry
will show you customized quotes based on your unique profile, and you can pick the right amount of coverage for you at the right rate. We can even help you bundle multiple policies
, like car and renters insurance, for additional savings on each one!Once you’ve made your choice, we can help you make a seamless transition to your new policy.
When all is said and done, drivers who make a switch with Jerry save an average of more than $800 per year on car insurance alone!
RECOMMENDED
Thousands of customers saved on average $887/year on their car insurance with Jerry
This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍
Gabriella R.
Find insurance savings
4.7/5 Rating on App Store
Is it worth moving to Fort Worth?
Whether it’s worth moving to Fort Worth depends on your budget and what you’re looking for in a lifestyle. Fort Worth is tempting to many for its cost of living that’s close to national averages, and the variety of options for both work and play. That said, you’ll also have to deal with congested traffic and tornado risks.
How much money do I need to move to Fort Worth?
When it comes to your actual move to Fort Worth, you could expect to spend anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on where you’re moving from and whether you’re hiring professional movers to help you.
Once you’re living in Fort Worth, how much you’ll need to earn will depend on your needs and your lifestyle. MIT’s
Living Wage Calculator
estimates a single adult without children would need to earn $17.03 per hour to live comfortably in Fort Worth, which would come out to about $35,422 per year.Save an average of 18% by bundling your home and auto insurance
Bundle your home and auto insurance with Jerry and save!
4.7
