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Median income dropped last year in Dallas-Fort Worth
Data: U.S. Census; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosMedian income in Dallas-Fort Worth dropped nearly 1% between 2019 and 2022, per new U.S. Census Bureau data.The big picture: Nationally, the median income dropped 1.6%, adjusted for inflation.Median income in Texas dropped 2.35%.Driving the news: The Census 2022 American Community Survey, released Thursday, details population changes and household incomes.State of play: Wage increases in the past two years haven't kept up with inflation.By the numbers: D-FW median income was $82,823 last year, compared with $83,537 in 2019, adjusted for inflation.The statewide median income in 2022 fell to $72,284 from $74,022 in 2019.Yes, but: The...
New COVID vaccines coming as cases rise in Texas
COVID cases are on the rise, but only 3% of Texans are up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, per the latest CDC estimates.Driving the news: The Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccines this week targeting the XBB.1.5 variant, the dominant strain circulating this summer.The variant remains the dominant strain in Texas, but cases of the EG.5 omicron descendant are increasing.Why it matters: Just 18% of Americans say they are worried about contracting COVID, suggesting people may be less interested in getting the updated vaccines.Only 20% of U.S. adults have gotten an updated vaccine in the past year.State of play:...
North Texas led apartment construction in 2020-2022
Data: RentCafe; Note: Includes buildings with 30 or more units; New York metro numbers do not include the Bronx or Staten Island; Table: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosNearly 24,000 new apartment units are expected to be built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year, lagging only New York City for new construction, per a recent RentCafe report.Why it matters: A housing shortage in the U.S. has contributed to the rising cost of both renting and buying.What's happening: A surge in new apartment supply — 1.2 million units were completed during the pandemic — helped slow rent growth nationwide, but some parts of the...
Inside the Methodist Church divide in Texas
A new Texas Monthly story explores how the United Methodist Church fell apart because of disagreements over LGBTQ+ inclusion.Why it matters: Methodism is older than the U.S., but decades of discord have bubbled up to a tipping point for congregations that believe the UMC doesn't match their ideals.The big picture: Over 6,200 churches have left UMC over the past four years, the Texas Monthly article says.711 churches in Texas have voted to leave the United Methodist Church. That's almost 40% of the roughly 1,800 UMC congregations in the state.Flashback: The Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church at...
North Texas business openings increasing
Data: Yelp; Note: Openings are for the core-based statistical area (the population center and surrounding communities) and are measured by new business listings on Yelp, added by businesses or Yelp users; Chart: Axios VisualsMore than 2,100 new businesses opened in the Dallas metro area in July, up nearly 38% from July 2019, per Yelp registration data.Why it matters: New business openings are a good measure of economic sentiment — people generally don't take the risk of spinning up a new venture if they foresee economic peril ahead.Texas is among the states with the largest total number of new business openings...
Why downtown McKinney has so many tiny doors
Tiny doors are appearing all over downtown McKinney — and they're, well, absolutely adoorable.The tiny picture: The 7-inch doors are a public art exhibit, a collaboration among downtown businesses and local artists. Each miniature door is unique. Some include tiny mailboxes and flower pots. Some look like little bitty versions of storefronts they're attached to.Dozens of tiny doors are on display, with more in the works, Andrew Jones, director of McKinney's Cultural District and Historic Downtown, tells Axios.Micromanagement: Jones says the exhibit had been a dream of his for years. The project took months to put together. While he wrangled...
New books about Larry McMurtry could reshape author's legacy
Two new books about Larry McMurtry could reshape the legacy of the beloved Texas author.Why it matters: "Larry McMurtry: A Life," by literary biographer Tracy Daugherty, and "Pastures of the Empty Page," a collection of essays edited by former Wall Street Journal writer George Getschow, provide contrasting looks at the shifting public perceptions of the way women and people of color have been depicted in Texas literature over the last 50 years.The big picture: McMurtry, the author of "Lonesome Dove," "Terms of Endearment," "The Last Picture Show," and the Oscar-winning screenplay for "Brokeback Mountain," was a lion of Texas letters....
The Dallas Wings are in the playoffs
After nearly eight years in North Texas, the Dallas Wings have a shot at a solid playoff run.Why it matters: Many of the locally based men's teams have been a disappointment for years, but the Wings will compete in the WNBA playoffs for the third year in a row.This season has been their best since moving to North Texas in 2016.State of play: The team has the fourth-best record in the league and the second-best in the Western Conference, behind only the 2022 championship-winning Las Vegas Aces.The Wings have two games left in the regular season, but they've already secured...
Why the Dallas Cowboys need to win the Super Bowl this year
The window of opportunity for the Cowboys to win a championship is likely closing, so the 2023 season might be the team's best chance for a while.Driving the news: The NFL season kicks off Thursday, with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on the no-longer-lowly Detroit Lions.The Cowboys play their first regular season game Sunday night, on the road against the division-rival New York Giants.Why it matters: The Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since the end of the 1995 season — but hope springs eternal! When the Cowboys are winning, North Texas is a brighter, happier...
Suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton pleads not guilty at impeachment trial
The impeachment trial for suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton began Tuesday in the Texas Senate with senators voting down Paxton's motions to dismiss the charges.Why it matters: If two-thirds of the Senate — where Republicans hold a 19-12 majority — votes to convict Paxton, he'll be permanently removed from office. If he's convicted, senators can also vote to bar him from holding elected office in Texas again.State of play: The articles of impeachment include charges that Paxton illegally used the power of his office to benefit an Austin real estate developer and improperly fired some of the top deputies...
Texas ban on gender-affirming care for minors takes effect
The Texas Supreme Court is allowing a state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect Friday after lifting a lower court's temporary injunction Thursday.Why it matters: Senate Bill 14 makes Texas the largest state to ban transgender health care for minors.The new law adds to a wave of state laws cracking down on gender-affirming care for minors. State legislatures have introduced 130 anti-trans health care bills in 2023 so far, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union.Details: SB 14 prohibits medical professionals from providing gender-affirming care, including medication and surgery, to patients under 18.It also prohibits...
Texas economy draws outsiders, keeps natives
Texans are notorious for being loud and proud about our state, and now research backs up what we already know — if you're born here, you stay here.Driving the news: Texans are the most likely to stay in their home state compared to natives of other states, according to a new Dallas Fed report that measures where people are likely to stick around.82% of native Texans stay. By comparison, Wyoming has the lowest retention, with just about 45% staying in the state.Why it matters: Texas is attractive to natives and non-natives alike because it offers several large metropolitan areas to...
Heat wave negatively affected a quarter of Texas businesses
This summer's heatwave negatively affected revenue and production at about a quarter of Texas businesses surveyed by the Dallas Fed.Driving the news: For the first time in its monthly manufacturing and service sector surveys, the bank asked hundreds of Texas business executives about the impact of record-breaking heat.Retailers and manufacturers that reported a decrease in revenue or production said lower customer demand and lower labor productivity led to the declines.Why it matters: The survey quantifies what many of us are hearing anecdotally — people are less likely to go out, and workers are struggling in the heat.Details: Lower customer demand...
North Texas faces high wildfire risk heading into Labor Day weekend
Fire officials are warning of an elevated, statewide danger of wildfires heading into the holiday weekend.Why it matters: Extreme heat accompanied by dry conditions is becoming more common as temperatures rise, leading to more frequent and larger fires that put homes and people at risk.Threat level: The National Weather Service of Fort Worth says there's an elevated risk of fire this week because of hot, breezy and dry weather in the forecast and "very dry vegetation" in most of North Texas.The risk will continue through the long weekend, when triple-digit temperatures are forecast to return, according to the Texas A&M...
Airfares spike at Dallas-area airports
Airfares at DFW Airport and Love Field jumped nearly 20% in a one-year span, higher than the national average, according to a new SmartAsset analysis.Why it matters: High fuel prices, demand and labor costs have contributed to the spike in airfare as airlines seek to boost their profitability post-pandemic.State of play: SmartAsset compared Bureau of Transportation Statistics data for average airfare prices at U.S. airports that saw 100,000 or more passengers in 2022.The average domestic airfare at DFW Airport increased by 19.5% between the first quarters of 2022 and 2023, from roughly $360 to $430.The average domestic airfare at Dallas Love Field increased by 19.3%, from roughly $285 to $340.Zoom out: Domestic flight prices jumped 16% in this time period to an average of $382.The bottom line: North Texas travelers are fortunate to have two major airports to choose from.Minneapolis-St Paul International ($456), Charlotte Douglas International ($454), and Salt Lake City International ($449) had some of the most expensive domestic flights in the country as of Q1 this year, per SmartAsset.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Dallas.
New Texas laws taking effect Sept. 1
More than 750 new laws passed by the Texas Legislature will take effect Friday, impacting everything from public education and transportation to health care and drag shows.Why it matters: The most high-profile laws passed this year address social issues popular among conservatives, including restrictions on medical care for transgender minors, limitations on trans athletes, bills targeting drag shows, and new regulations for social media companies.The new laws set to take effect include:Drag shows: Senate Bill 12 will criminalize businesses that host sexually oriented performances in front of children.References to drag shows specifically were removed from the bill before it passed,...
Electric companies' energy efficiency dips
Electric companies aren't conserving as much energy or investing as much in efficiency programs as they were a few years ago, according to a new scorecard by climate advocacy organization American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.Driving the news: ACEEE evaluated the conservation efforts of the 53 largest U.S. electric utility companies, including five in Texas.CPS Energy in San Antonio was the highest-ranked Texas company on energy efficiency at 24. North Texas' Oncor was ranked 39.Why it matters: Energy efficiency is key to meeting increasing power demands on strained grids, especially in extreme weather conditions.State of play: The state's grid operator...
Electric companies' energy efficiency dips
Electric companies aren't conserving as much energy or investing as much in efficiency programs as they were a few years ago, according to a new scorecard by climate advocacy organization American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.Driving the news: ACEEE evaluated the conservation efforts of the 53 largest U.S. electric utility companies, including five in Texas.CPS Energy in San Antonio was the highest-ranked Texas company on energy efficiency at 24. North Texas' Oncor was ranked 39.Why it matters: Energy efficiency is key to meeting increasing power demands on strained grids, especially in extreme weather conditions.State of play: The state's grid operator...
AT&T Stadium is getting a glow-up
AT&T Stadium will undergo $180 million in upgrades starting in January as part of a broader renovation project reportedly totaling $295 million.Why it matters: The upgrades are slated for completion by the summer of 2025, just in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Dallas is co-hosting with 15 other North American cities.The big picture: The Sports Business Journal reported last year that AT&T Stadium's overall renovation project will be its most extensive refresh since it opened in 2009.State of play: The venue, which has a seating capacity of 80,000, recently ranked fourth on The Athletic's list of the...
Record heat continues in Dallas-Fort Worth before cold front
A mild cold front is expected to move into Dallas-Fort Worth early next week, but first the region may topple previous heat records as temperatures continue to stay well above 100, per the National Weather Service.Why it matters: Heat is the leading weather-related killer annually in the U.S.Heat-related deaths have risen across Texas, with 306 recorded last year, the highest number in a decade.Zoom in: Tarrant County has recorded 12 deaths from heat-related illnesses this summer, several due to a lack of air conditioning, per KERA.There have been five such deaths in Dallas County this summer, but health officials are...
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