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South Dallas – Fair Park

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Welcome to South Dallas - Fair Park

The first thing you need to understand is that the neighborhood’s name is a misnomer. It sits predominantly east, rather than south, of downtown. The second thing to understand is that, despite the disrepair into which much of this historic corner of the city fell in recent decades, there are residents here passionately committed to forging a strong sense of community. And the untapped potential of the areas around the art deco playground that is Fair Park makes the possibilities for the neighborhood’s future brighter.

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Population

26,898

Median Owner-Occupied Home Value

$66,089

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Data reflects incidents during the last two weeks as reported by the Dallas Police Department.

What the Locals Say

Locals Love

Fishing in nearby White Rock Creek is a favorite neighborhood pastime.

Locals Complain

For three weeks of the year — during the State Fair — sprawling Fair Park is a premier Dallas playground. For much of the rest of the year it sits underutilized, contributing to the neighborhood’s troubles.

Fun Fact

Largely overgrown and hidden at the end of Gault Street is the Beeman Memorial Cemetery, the city’s oldest graveyard. The Beemans, headed by John (1799-1856) and Emily (1806-1892), were one of Dallas’ pioneer families.

Don't Miss

Every fall the State Fair of Texas brings Fair Park to life with joyous weeks of rides, animals, concerts, and — most importantly — fried food.

Why I Love South Dallas - Fair Park

By Anna Hill

Read The Story

Art-Deco Playground

National Geographic Traveler magazine once wrote: “Fair Park is much more than an assemblage of buildings; it’s a district telling dozens of stories from dozens of cultures.”

Dallas’ first municipal coliseum, later the Women’s Museum, was built in 1910 and renovated in 1935.

Robert Lee Thornton served as president of the State Fair of Texas from 1945 to 1960.

Most of Fair Park was designed by architect Akin Dahl in the 1930s, using what was a new construction material at the time: concrete blocks.

The Leonhardt Lagoon was commissioned as a Federal WPA project and includes swan boat rides.

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Demographics

Population

The 2016 population of South Dallas/Fair Park is estimated to be 26,898. That’s a change of +1.7% in the last five years. Over the next five years, the population is projected to change by +2.9%.

The number of households is 9,941, a change of +2.0% in the last five years. In the next five years, the number of households is projected to change +3.2%.

The average household size is 2.67.

Income & Employment

The median household income is $23,647 and, of the entire population age 16 and over, 51.9% aren’t in the labor force. 33.8% of families live below the poverty line.

Among those employed, 34.9% are blue-collar workers, 41.9% are white-collar workers, and 23.2% are occupied as service industry or farm workers.

The average commute time for workers who live in this area is 34.0 minutes. The average number of vehicles per household is 1.2.

Housing

60.9% of South Dallas/Fair Park homes are detached, single-family houses. The median owner-occupied home value is $66,089

37.1% of the homes are owner-occupied. The average length of residence among residents in owner-occupied homes is 21.8 years, while the average renter has been in the same home 8.9 years.

The median year the area’s housing units were built is 1958.

Crime

South Dallas/Fair Park includes portions of these police beats: 311, 312, 313, 314, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 351, 151

Throughout those beats during 2014, there were:

Aggravated Assaults (non-family violence) 244
Aggravated Assaults (family violence) 135
Business Burglaries 140
Home Burglaries 359
Motor-Vehicle Burglaries 315
Auto Thefts 259
Business Robberies 23
Robberies of Individuals 219
Shoplifting Incidents 32
Other Thefts 397
Murders 9
Rapes 37
School Passing Grades
2016 STAAR exam passing rates for neighborhood public schools:
Dallas ISD Ann Richards Middle School 62
Dallas ISD Ascher Silberstein Elementary 78
Dallas ISD Billy Earl Dade Middle School 53
Dallas ISD Eduardo Mata Elementary 76
Dallas ISD Franklin D. Roosevelt High School 56
Dallas ISD J.L. Long Middle School 69
Dallas ISD J.P. Starks Elementary 78
Dallas ISD James Madison High School 51
Dallas ISD Joseph J. Rhoads Elementary Learning Center 55
Dallas ISD Lincoln High School with Humanities and Communications Magnet 64
Dallas ISD Martin Luther King Jr. Learning Center 48
Dallas ISD Mount Auburn Elementary 58
Dallas ISD Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School and Classical Academy 45
Dallas ISD Oran M. Roberts Elementary 63
Dallas ISD Skyline High School 67
Dallas ISD Woodrow Wilson High School 79

Real Estate Snapshot

% Owner-Occupied Housing

37.1%

Avg. Household Size

2.67

Number of Households

9,941

Avg. Length of Residency by Owner

21.8 years

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Sources: Demographic data pulled from Nielsen SiteReports and represents sampling based on most recent U.S. Census estimates. Crime data provided by local police departments. School STAAR exam passing rates from Texas Education Agency.