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

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There's something magical about choosing to pass through instead of over the so-called flyover states.

Why it matters: Train ridership is increasing across the U.S., particularly in areas with new or faster Amtrak service.

Ridership on the Texas Eagle — which travels from San Antonio to Chicago, through Austin and Dallas — jumped about 14% last fiscal year from fiscal year 2024.

Driving the news: Amtrak typically sees an increase in train travel when fuel prices rise. Summer airfares are on track to be costlier than last year, in part due to the Iran war.

"It's still too early to isolate the impact, but we do know Amtrak continues to be an important mobility option for travelers, businesses and communities," Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari tells Axios.

State of play: The Texas Eagle has been running since 1981, linking South Texas to the Midwest.

The train runs daily between San Antonio and Chicago and connects three days a week to the Sunset Limited, which starts in Los Angeles and ends in New Orleans.

How it works: We opted to take the Eagle from Dallas to Chicago — a roughly 21-hour journey — instead of flying, to see what the long-distance route is like.

Riders can choose a coach seat or a sleeper, which includes a roomette or a bedroom. We opted for a roomette, which has two seats that transition into bunk beds at night.

The train typically leaves downtown's Union Station in the afternoon, with a brief stop in Little Rock overnight and an hour-plus layover in St. Louis in the morning.

During our trip, we had to take a bus between Dallas and East Texas due to rail work.

What it's like: There are no long TSA lines or cramped airports. The seating is more comfortable than in an airplane, and it's easy to get up and walk around.

The observation deck has windows that nearly reach floor to ceiling, giving a lot of natural light and a sense of spaciousness.

On our journey, groups of travelers gathered in the observation cars to play cards and chat. Solo travelers tended to work on their computers or read a book.

Sleep check: Taller travelers may not enjoy the train bed as much, but overall it was cozy. The rocking of the railcar, the sound of the wheels on the tracks, and the occasional train horn provided a soothing white-noise backdrop.

The bottom line: Without high-speed rail, it's still faster to fly. The trip from Dallas to Chicago via train took as long as the flight route to Africa.

But the train offers a view of the U.S. travelers simply can't get from the air.

What it's like to take the Texas Eagle to Chicago

Ridership on the Texas Eagle jumped about 14% last fiscal year from fiscal year 2024.

Interior of the Texas Eagle Amtrak en route to Chicago from Dallas. There are gray booth seats and white tabletops; large curved windows reveal flat farmland under an overcast sky.

Look at all the sky you see on a train. Photo: Tasha Tsiaperas/Axios

There&#x27;s something magical about choosing to pass through instead of over the so-called flyover states.Why it matters: Train ridership is increasing across the U.S., particularly in areas with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/12/08/amtrak-mardi-gras-service-train-passenger-numbers" data-vars-content-id="0968ea46-60cb-48d7-aef6-0eda71ff7704" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to take the Texas Eagle to Chicago" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/12/08/amtrak-mardi-gras-service-train-passenger-numbers" target="_self">new</a> or <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="faster Amtrak service" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/11/19/amtrak-ridership-seattle-cascades-train-airo-coast-starlight" data-vars-content-id="0968ea46-60cb-48d7-aef6-0eda71ff7704" data-vars-headline="What it&#x27;s like to take the Texas Eagle to Chicago" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/11/19/amtrak-ridership-seattle-cascades-train-airo-coast-starlight" target="_self">faster Amtrak service</a>.

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Data: National Association of Realtors analysis of Census Bureau data; Table: Tasha Tsiaperas/Axios

Business and tech professionals are the most likely to own a home in Dallas-Fort Worth but their rate of ownership has dropped in a decade, according to a real estate analysis shared exclusively with Axios.

The big picture: The occupations with the highest homeownership rates in North Texas mirror national trends, per the National Association of Realtors analysis of Census Bureau data.

Zoom in: Homeownership rates have grown for service workers, health care workers and real estate employees in D-FW, but rates have declined for other jobs. 

A lower percentage of public safety and transportation employees owned homes in 2024 compared to 10 years earlier, dropping from 53% to 50%. 

In 2024, 64% of local tech professionals owned a home, down 5 percentage points in a decade. 

Zoom out: The national homeownership rate is about 65%. 

Though the percentage of management and business professionals who own homes has dropped locally, the occupation continues to lead with about 72% owning homes in 2024, flat from 2014.

The intrigue: Service workers still have the lowest homeownership rate nationally but saw the highest jump since 2014, rising from 43% to 46%.

D-FW has a higher homeownership rate for service workers than other major metros. For example, 45% of service workers in San Francisco own a home, compared to 51% in the Dallas area. 

Reality check: Homeownership varies widely based on local housing affordability and job mix, according to NAR.

"It's not just about jobs. It's really about where those jobs are located, and how affordable housing is in those markets," NAR principal economist Nadia Evangelou tells Axios.

The bottom line: "There are not enough homes at the price point people can afford to buy, and that's pushing even strong earners out of homeownership," Evangelou says.

What Dallas-Fort Worth homeowners do for a living

Homeownership rates have grown for service workers, health care workers and real estate employees in Dallas-Fort Worth.

A heat table that compares Dallas-Fort Worth homeownership rates by occupation in 2014 and 2024. Management and business have the highest rates but fell from 69% to 66% in 2024. Service rose from 48% to 51%. Most occupations declined, while health care increased from 54% to 56%.

Business and tech professionals are the most likely to own a home in Dallas-Fort Worth but their rate of ownership has dropped in a decade, according to a real estate analysis shared exclusively with Axios.The big picture: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="occupations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/17/ai-job-risk-tool-betting-odds-predictions" data-vars-content-id="5b8eae97-1bf4-491a-9f1f-409522727f06" data-vars-headline="What Dallas-Fort Worth homeowners do for a living" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/17/ai-job-risk-tool-betting-odds-predictions" target="_self">occupations</a> with the highest homeownership rates in North Texas mirror national trends, per the National Association of Realtors analysis of Census Bureau data.

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Dallas-Fort Worth is among the U.S. cities seeing the largest increase in inbound flight searches around the time of the World Cup, per a Kayak analysis.

Why it matters: Dallas appears to be a rarity among World Cup host cities. Hotel revenue projections and flight bookings this summer are higher than last year, bucking a trend seen in other cities.

The big picture: Travel restrictions, expensive hotel rates and pricey airfares may keep the expected influx of international visitors away.

Nearly 70% of hotel owners in U.S. cities hosting the World Cup said geopolitical concerns and visa barriers are "suppressing international demand," according to an American Hotel & Lodging Association survey.

Hotel bookings are below initial forecasts, the survey found.

State of play: Hotel revenue projections are up 37% for June and 51% for July compared to last year, according to VisitDallas.

International flight bookings into D-FW are up about 78% over last year, and all June arrival bookings are up almost 25%, per the tourist organization.

Reality check: Even if bookings outperform last year, about 70% of Dallas and Houston hotel owners surveyed said bookings are below expectations for the tournament.

Zoom in: Dallas, Houston and Kansas City are seeing the highest increase in airfare searches compared to last year, per Kayak.

Travel searches to Dallas on the booking site are up 52% this year compared to 2025.

Other U.S. tourist hotspots, including Boston (32%) and Seattle (11%), are seeing smaller increases.

What's next: AT&T Stadium hosts its first match June 14. 

Dallas hotel reservations are increasing for World Cup

Dallas appears to be a rarity among U.S. host cities.

Illustration of a neon hotel sign, only half of which is lighting up.

An illustration of an illuminated hotel sign. 

Dallas-Fort Worth is among the U.S. cities seeing the largest increase in inbound flight searches around the time of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="World Cup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/12/06/dallas-2026-world-cup-schedule" data-vars-content-id="b6c02a7c-84d7-4cdd-8f63-1f1f7b89219f" data-vars-headline="Dallas hotel reservations are increasing for World Cup" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/12/06/dallas-2026-world-cup-schedule" target="_self">World Cup</a>, per a Kayak analysis.Why it matters: Dallas appears to be a rarity among World Cup host cities. Hotel revenue projections and flight bookings this summer are higher than last year, bucking a trend seen in other cities.

Many of the country's newest fast-growing neighborhoods are in North Texas, per a RentCafe analysis.

Why it matters: Dallas-Fort Worth has seen its population boom in the past five years, with most of the growth happening in suburban areas that were farmland and grassy acreage just a decade ago.

Driving the news: Fort Worth's 76177 ZIP code is the seventh fastest growing new neighborhood in the U.S., per a report from RentCafe, a nationwide apartment-search site.

Housing inventory in the northern Tarrant County area that includes Alliance grew from 2,774 housing units in 2014 to more than 10,000 in 2023. The number of residents quadrupled during that time.

How it works: RentCafe analyzed the population growth and housing inventory in 32,000 ZIP codes nationwide, giving a close-up look at the rapid expansion outside the city center.

The report found 17 of the top 50 newest neighborhoods are in Texas.

The analysis also identified a list of "up-and-coming communities" based on population growth, new housing units and an increase in incomes and educated residents over a decade.

Zoom in: Most of the rapid housing and population growth identified in North Texas has been to the north, except for one ZIP code in Grand Prairie. The other ranked neighborhoods are:

No. 9: 75078, in Prosper, added 10,000 housing units and more than 33,600 residents between 2014 and 2023.

No. 10: 75454, in Melissa, tripled its housing inventory and its population went from just over 6,400 residents in 2014 to more than 20,000 in 2023.

No. 11: 75009, in Celina, added more than 21,000 residents.

No. 28: 76227, in Aubrey, more than doubled its housing inventory and added about 30,616 residents.

No. 39: 75054, in Grand Prairie, added more than 10,500 residents.

The intrigue: Prosper and Celina were also listed as the second and third top up-and-coming communities in the U.S. About 90% of residents in both ZIP codes are highly educated.

The fastest-growing ZIP codes in North Texas

Fort Worth's 76177 ZIP code is the seventh fastest growing new neighborhood in the U.S.

Illustration of many "hello my name is" stickers, and one has an upward trending arrow on it. 

Many of the country&#x27;s newest fast-growing neighborhoods are in North Texas, per a RentCafe analysis.Why it matters: Dallas-Fort Worth has seen its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="population boom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/04/03/growth-slows-across-u-s" data-vars-content-id="e9f7b3a9-569e-4454-adbd-4a32e65a4e92" data-vars-headline="The fastest-growing ZIP codes in North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/04/03/growth-slows-across-u-s" target="_self">population boom</a> in the past five years, with most of the growth happening in suburban areas that were farmland and grassy acreage just a decade ago.

River, a rambunctious Labrador retriever mix, is Mansfield's new "technology" to identify leaks in the city's water lines.

Why it matters: The city lost more than 79 million gallons of water in 2025 due to pipeline leaks and other issues in the system.

As the Dallas-Fort Worth region grows and demand for water increases, cities are looking for new ways to conserve water.

Driving the news: River, 2, is one of the first canines in the region to sniff out leaks. He started working for Mansfield a little over a year ago after he was adopted from the city's animal shelter and trained in Arkansas.

Arlington also launched a similar program in December, when the city introduced its first water leak detection K9, Splash.

By the numbers: The Tarrant Regional Water District is working to conserve current water resources and add supply to accommodate up to a 175% increase in demand due to population growth.

Mansfield's population, for example, is expected to reach nearly 136,000 by 2035, up from about 94,000 currently.

How it works: There's a small amount of chlorine in drinking water to keep it clean. Water detection canines can smell the chemical and are trained to alert their human coworkers when they sniff it.

River partners daily with water inspector Brad Blan to check areas of Mansfield where satellite imaging shows there might be a leak.

The pup is fitted with his work vest when he's on a call. The outfit reminds the dog that he's working. He checks an area and paws at the ground to notify Blan that he's found a possible leak.

State of play: River can even smell traces of chlorine through concrete, making him a less invasive tool for finding leaks than exploratory digging.

He's still early in his tenure, but he has already detected some unusual leaks, including one that was flowing into a sewer.

Fun fact: River attends community events to educate residents on water conservation and to take pictures with his fans. 

Mansfield uses a rescue dog to detect water leaks

2-year-old River is one of the first canines in the region to sniff out leaks.

A photo of River, a black labrador retriever mix, and his human coworker Brad Blan standing outside under a tree in front of a water feature in Mansfield, Texas. 

River lives with his handler and water inspection coworker, Brad Blan. Photo: Tasha Tsiaperas/Axios 

River, a rambunctious Labrador retriever mix, is Mansfield&#x27;s new &quot;technology&quot; to identify leaks in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="city&#x27;s water lines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2023/08/21/drought-dallas-area-water-main-breaks" data-vars-content-id="f0c9569a-348a-40db-b122-32b89387fbcc" data-vars-headline="Mansfield uses a rescue dog to detect water leaks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2023/08/21/drought-dallas-area-water-main-breaks" target="_self">city&#x27;s water lines</a>.Why it matters: The city lost more than 79 million gallons of water in 2025 due to pipeline leaks and other issues in the system.

Tasha Tsiaperas

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