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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Dallas. Written by Michael Mooney, Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi and Tasha Tsiaperas.

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Data: U.S. Census; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Median 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.

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 share of Dallas-area residents making more than $100,000 increased from about 35% in 2019 to nearly 42% last year.

The intrigue: The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the geography of income, with many high-earning Americans moving from major metros to the exurbs or rural areas.

Zoom in: That was true locally, with income moving out of Dallas County and more income moving into the suburbs.

Dallas County lost about 10,000 households filing tax returns — to Collin, Denton and Tarrant counties — between 2020 and 2021, per IRS data analysis by Cullum Clark, the director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative.

Plus, the households leaving Dallas County for Collin County had higher incomes than those moving from Collin to Dallas.

Meanwhile: Denton County added 5,000 tax-filing households from the other three major North Texas counties between 2020 and 2021, more than Collin County did. That move added $765 million in total taxable income to Denton.

Median income dropped last year in Dallas-Fort Worth

Wage increases in the past two years haven't kept up with inflation.

Census

Median 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.

News

More than 4 out of 5 U.S. domestic flights departed on time in November 2022, per the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics data.

That's up from last summer, when staff shortages and foul weather combined to muck up the complex, interconnected web that is the air travel system.

The big picture: Airlines performed admirably throughout the fall of 2022, with on-time departure rates at or above 80% between September and November.

Zoom in: DFW was better than the national average in January 2022, with 82% of departures leaving on time. But the airport fell below the national average by the end of the year, to 77%.

Zoom out: Across the cities with Axios Local newsrooms, the Washington, D.C. area's Dulles International Airport had the best on-time performance in November 2022, at 88%.

Denver — where brutal storms tend to snarl wintertime operations — had the lowest, at 76%.

Yes, but: This dataset doesn't include December's meltdown at Southwest Airlines, which led to thousands of cancellations and delays at that particular carrier.

Expect those delays to show up in the next data release, where they'll almost assuredly drag down the systemwide numbers.

"Let me be clear: We messed up," Southwest Airlines' chief operating officer Andrew Watterson said during congressional testimony last week. "In hindsight, we did not have enough winter operational resilience."

Be smart: Since airlines' systems and routes are so interconnected, problems at one airport or in one region tend to cascade across the country.

Foul weather in, say, Chicago can mean delays in Houston because planes get stuck and can't make their next planned leg.

The bottom line: Generally speaking, on-time performance tends to dip in the summer (due to thunderstorms and the vacation rush) and winter (due to blizzards and holiday crowds), and improve in the spring and fall.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to remove a reference to the number of cities with Axios Local newsrooms.

DFW falling behind on departure times

77% of flights departed on time in November.

Airlines

More than 4 out of 5 U.S. domestic flights <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="departed on time" data-vars-click-url="https://eden.axios.com/editor/story/ab548328-0fd9-4739-8175-d26f49a57c68/content" data-vars-content-id="89d7f288-e24f-4953-8b62-e7b2874903e9" data-vars-headline="DFW falling behind on departure times" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://eden.axios.com/editor/story/ab548328-0fd9-4739-8175-d26f49a57c68/content" target="_blank">departed on time</a> in November 2022, per the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics data.<ul><li>That&#x27;s up from last summer, when <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="staff shortages and foul weather" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/01/air-delays-summer" data-vars-content-id="89d7f288-e24f-4953-8b62-e7b2874903e9" data-vars-headline="DFW falling behind on departure times" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/01/air-delays-summer" target="_self">staff shortages and foul weather</a> combined to muck up the complex, interconnected web that is the air travel system.</li></ul>

The cost of many Super Bowl party staples has risen steadily over the last few years, per Consumer Price Index data.

Why it matters: As Americans gear up for Sunday's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, their bank accounts are about to get sacked.

Details: Nationally, the price of the categories meat, fish and eggs and fruits and veggies were up 8% year-over-year as of December 2022.

The price of alcoholic drinks was up 6%, while nonalcoholic drinks rose 13%.

Zoom in: Prices are higher in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with the cost of fruits and veggies up 22% at the end of the year compared with 2021. 

Meat costs are up more than 10%, and alcohol prices are up 8%.

Yes, but: Wing lovers can breathe a sigh of relief.

The price of whole chicken wings was down nationally to $2.65 per pound as of early January, from $3.38 per pound during last year's Super Bowl, per U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

The bottom line: Throwing a Super Bowl party is still probably far cheaper than actually going to the game.

💭 Our thought bubble: For the sake of your wallet, skip the obligatory fruit and veggie tray. No one's going to eat it anyway.

Your Super Bowl party might be more expensive this year

Alcoholic drinks were up 6%, while non-alcoholic drinks rose 13%.

Food

The cost of many Super Bowl party staples has risen steadily over the last few years, per Consumer Price Index data.Why it matters: As Americans gear up for Sunday&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="matchup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/07/arizona-super-bowl-phoenix-glendale-1996-2008-2015" data-vars-content-id="947b2c10-dd6f-4c70-880b-b1e045517a67" data-vars-headline="Your Super Bowl party might be more expensive this year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/07/arizona-super-bowl-phoenix-glendale-1996-2008-2015" target="_self">matchup</a> between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, their bank accounts are about to get sacked.

Data: Climate Central; Chart: Alice Feng/Axios

You're probably sneezing more often than a decade ago.

The Dallas area's allergy season increased by 21 days between 1970 and 2021, per an analysis from Climate Central, a nonprofit climate news organization.

The big picture: Allergy season increased by 15 days on average between 1970 and 2021 across about 200 U.S. cities, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng  report.

That's based on the number of days between the last freeze each spring and the first freeze each fall — essentially, the annual window during which seasonal allergy sufferers are most likely to rely on an antihistamine to get through each day.

Why it matters: The lengthening allergy season is tied to climate change, per Climate Central, with big health ramifications for the roughly one-quarter of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies — and for respiratory health more broadly.

Details: Earlier springs and fewer long freezes mean plants have more time to flower and release gobs of pollen.

From 1990 to 2018, pollen counts increased by 21% nationwide, with the greatest increases in the Midwest and Texas, according to a 2021 study.

The "freeze-free" season has lengthened by at least a month in more than 30 cities.

Yes, but: Allergy seasons shortened in some cities between 1970 and 2021, including Denver (-15 days) and Charlotte (-9 days).

What's next: It's only going to get worse, with allergy seasons emerging in areas where they didn't exist before and getting longer and worse elsewhere, reports Axios' Arielle Dreher.

Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng report

Dallas allergy season is getting longer and longer

The North Texas allergy season lasts 21 days longer than it did decades ago.

Allergies

You&#x27;re probably sneezing more often than a decade ago.<ul><li>The Dallas area&#x27;s allergy season increased by 21 days between 1970 and 2021, per an analysis from Climate Central, a nonprofit climate news organization.</li></ul>

Alex Fitzpatrick

Featured stories

Median income dropped last year in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas allergy season is getting longer and longer

DFW falling behind on departure times

Your Super Bowl party might be more expensive this year