Grand Prairie, Texas
Dinosaur Roar!
LookyLOO Review of Grand Prairie
Cost Of Living
Plenty of people move to the Dallas area to escape high prices in Cali, New York, or Chicago. When people move to the area, and they want the cost even lower, Grand Prairie is a great option. Housing costs are low, rent or purchase, and while Dallas area prices have increased, they remain low overall relative to both income and national averages.
One other advantage is its central location. It’s in the DFW Metroplex (Dallas/Fort Worth burbs), sits between Dallas and Fort Worth, and is only about 14 minutes from the DFW airport. You could hardly pick a more convenient place to hop to the various city options in the area, and you need to get out of town for work.
In something called the Hipster Index: https://www.movehub.com/blog/the-hipster-index/ Grand Prairie ranks last in the U.S.(and nearly last in the world) for things that Hipsters like - vegan food choices, coffee shops, tattoo studios, vintage boutiques and record stores.
Many people might love the idea of a city missing any “cool” hipster hangouts. And that might be fair. On the other hand, many new home-hunters also say that they like good walk score commercial districts with boutique shopping, coffee shops, and unique social energy that makes it an interesting place to live. Grand Prairie is a hard-core suburban city without that kind of vibe, so if you’re looking for a tiny taste of Brooklyn in your suburb, then steer clear of Grand Prairie.
Lifestyle
Without question, Grand Prairie is suburban central. Many neighborhoods are filled with parks, tree-lined streets, and big or modest homes. You can also live near Joe Pool Lake (or drive there in a few minutes) and enjoy the intense Texas lake recreation culture. There isn’t much of a downtown Grand Prairie scene, but there are a couple of interesting entertainment options. The Verizon Theater hosts major concerts, comedy shows, and festivals, and the much smaller Uptown Theater on Main Street is host to smaller music and theater events. On the regular, if people go out, they generally head into Dallas. It’s only 15 minutes away (when there is no traffic), so expect to head into the big city if you’re looking to head out for the night. People who live here either are looking for an inexpensive option to be near Dallas, or they are raising a family and enjoying the affordable housing and suburban experience.
If you want to see what people do in Grand Prairie, check out the calendar of events.
We highly recommend visiting Grand Prairie and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Save Those Dollars.
There are two primary reasons to move to Grand Prairie: 1) an inexpensive option for being centrally located in the DFW area 2) an inexpensive place to raise a family. If either of those reasons are interesting to you then put GP on your shortlist.
Additionally, Grand Prairie is tied for first among all U.S. sites for how black residents fare economically https://smartasset.com/financial-advisor/where-black-americans-fare-best-economically-2021 It has the fourth-highest black labor force participation rate and the lowest black poverty rate of all cities in the study.
Reviews of Grand Prairie from Locals
Socceuro
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉
Rowlett
I bought a house in GP in 2020 and I absolutely love it here. North of I-20 can be a little rougher (but honestly not that bad). I’m south of I-20 and I have no complains about the safety of the area at all. I will say though, I drive from south GP to Las Colinas for work every day and I haaaaate it. 45 minutes in the morning (I leave before rush hour) and a minimum of an hour 15 for the drive home. So that would be my only concern for you. Otherwise, the area is great!
For more locals' reviews of what living in Grand Prairie is like, check out The Reviews.
Want to give Grand Prairie a shot?
Use our friends at VRBO and Expedia to help get you going!

Living in Grand Prairie
Neighborhoods in Grand Prairie
View AllJoe Pool Lake Area
Families
The neighborhoods near Joe Pool Lake are popular with families. Some of the neighborhoods by the lake are in the Mansfield school district so you pay a bit more in taxes but you also get better rated schools. Start with the Grand Peninsula for low home prices and low taxes. Also put Westchester on your list; it sits between I20 and the lake, has low crime and great pricing for good homes.
- Joe Pool Lake Area
- Grand Peninsula
- Westchester
- Historic Downtown