Retail Initiative
In its early days, Dallas was a trading post serving the needs of the region’s agricultural community. The roots of commerce flourished. Today, the City of Dallas is home to 1.2 million people who love to dine out and shop! The Dallas metropolitan area is one of the largest retail markets in the nation, with annual sales of more than $106 billion in 2005 Dallas attracts visitors from all corners of the globe—approximately 28 million visitors from 2002 to 2004.
Dallas is a dynamic city with numerous cultural and sport attractions making it attractive to new commercial and retail developments. The city’s extensive highway/rail infrastructure helps speed your merchandise to the store shelves. Situated in the middle of the NAFTA market, Dallas has unparalleled transportation networks, which facilitate the movement of people and goods with unsurpassed ease.
The City of Dallas is culturally diverse and globally competitive. It has the country's top labor market with an abundance of skilled, educated, dependable and affordable employees. The median age is 31 compared to the U.S. median age of 36. Dallas has one of the youngest work forces in the nation.
The cost of living in Dallas is the 10th lowest among the nation’s major metropolitan areas, and housing costs are 22 percent below the national average. At the end of 2004 the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) was 178.7. From 2003 to 2004 the inflation rate, which reflects changes in the cost of goods and services over time, only increased 1.8 percent in the Dallas metropolitan area. Also, Texas has no personal income tax, no corporate income tax and no sate property or unitary tax, making it one of the most profitable locations in the U.S.