If you’re thinking about moving to Denton, Texas and wonder if it’s worth it, keep reading. You may have questions like: is it close enough to Dallas or Fort Worth? Is it a better option to live in Denton rather than in Dallas while going to school?

The answer is yes. Denton is a pretty well-known college town with a couple of good colleges: the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University. It has everything you’d want in a college town, and more. 

The location is great, there is plenty to do with a variety of restaurants and shops and a lake, and the housing options are ideal. Denton, Texas is a great option when considering a move to the Dallas area.

The Great Location

Denton, Texas is located northwest of Dallas and northeast of Fort Worth. In fact, highway I-35 splits and you can take the I-35W to get to Fort Worth or the I-35E to get to Dallas. 

If you’re a frequent traveler, the Dallas-Fort Worth International airport is about 40 miles away. Just hop on the 35E and jump over to highway 121. Plan on about an hour to get there, which for the area isn’t terrible. 

Downtown Dallas is also about 40 miles from Denton and would also take about an hour by car. 

Downtown Denton is the mail hub of the town. It’s sometimes referred to as the culture center or the arts district. Everything you need is right there. The beautiful historic courthouse is smack dab in the middle of town.

Things to Do in Denton, Texas

Denton is a tight-knit community with friendly people and there’s plenty to do in and around Denton.

Denton borders Lewisville Lake, a large lake where many people enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, and other water activities. It’s a popular destination, especially for the students. There are also parks all around it. 

There’s also the Water Works Park where you can go have fun as well. It’s a fun water park with slides, a kiddie play pool, a volleyball court, and an outdoor amphitheater. Visiting the Water Works Park is a day filled with fun, guaranteed.

Check out the website for the Water Works Park for more info.

Denton has an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, live music venues, and shopping centers. The city also hosts many festivals throughout the year including Jazz Fest in April and Summer Sounds in July.

Denton has become well known for its music scene as well as its unique culture. Residents love the rich musical history and opportunities to see live music performances at venues like Dan’s Silverleaf and Hailey’s Club.

Check out the website for Dan’s Silverleaf to see everything it offers.

Restaurants and Shops

Love eating out? Denton has you covered. And the same goes for shops and stores. You’ve really got it all in Denton.

The city has been called one of the best places to live in America and is home to many restaurants and shopping areas.

Denton has a number of restaurants that offer different cuisines from all over the world. One such restaurant is Las Palapas which offers Mexican food. Another restaurant is El Jefe which offers Tex-Mex cuisine with a variety of dishes like tacos, tortilla soup, quesadillas, fajitas, etc.

The city also has many shopping areas like the Shops at Legacy which provide clothing stores as well as restaurants and entertainment spots for children. The University Square Shopping Center also has clothing stores as well as grocery stores.

One unique aspect of Denton, Texas is you also have a lot of fun boutique shops and boutique restaurants and these historic buildings and shops surround the town square. They add to the unique character of Denton. And the great thing about the shopping opportunities in Denton is it’s all walkable within a few blocks. 

Going to College in Denton, Texas

The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas is a public research university. It was founded in 1890 and is the oldest university in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The school was originally named North Texas Normal College. The name was changed to North Texas State Teachers College in 1923 and then to its current name in 1957.

The school’s primary campus is located in Denton, Texas, about 35 miles north of Dallas and 20 miles south of Fort Worth. There are more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and a student population of about 36,000.

The university offers a wide range of degrees that are designed to meet the needs of students who are just starting out in their academic careers and those who want to continue their education.

Click here to visit the website for the University of North Texas.

Texas Woman’s University is a public university in Denton, Texas. It was founded in 1901 and it has been serving the women of North Texas ever since.

The main campus is about 30 miles north of Dallas and there are two other campuses in Houston and San Antonio. It has about 5,000 students in Denton. 

The university offers more than 100 bachelor’s degree programs, over 40 master’s degree programs, and 10 doctoral degrees. They also offer an online bachelor of science degree program for social work that can be completed within 2 years. 

Many notable alumni from Texas Woman’s University include astronaut Ellen Ochoa,  the first Latina director of NASA; novelist Anne Rice; actress Sharon Stone; U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison; and journalist Linda Ellerbee.

The university has more than 34,000 living alumni and has educated more than 140,000 women over the years.

Click here to visit the website for Texas Woman’s University. 

Housing Options in Denton, Texas

Denton has been ranked one of the best places to live in Texas by U.S News and World Report, which was published in 2018. The cost of living index for Denton is 89, which means that it is cheaper than average to live there.

There are many housing options available for those who want to rent or buy a home in Denton, from affordable to high-end luxury living. There are also many different styles and sizes to choose from.

Yet investing in yourself by buying real estate is one of the best things you could do, especially during college. This gives you the leverage to have someone else pay your mortgage. 

If you plan to go to college there or your kids are going to college, something to think about is if you’re going to be there the next four years, what does real estate typically do over a four year period? It typically appreciates. 

So you could buy a home for less than $300,000 that has three bedrooms and two baths. The monthly payment could be around $1500 or $1600. You get two roommates who each pay $750 per month. Boom! You just got your mortgage paid and you live there for free. A lot of people call this house hacking and it’s a great way to get a headstart on building your assets.

It also teaches you about business, investing and real estate. It enables you to have an appreciating asset instead of just throwing away money on rent over the next four years.

But if you’re going to be around the Denton area, a lot of it is residential with apartments, older historic homes, ranch style homes, and new construction. There is a style for everyone in Denton.

In Conclusion

Denton, Texas is a great town to live in. With two great colleges, a big, beautiful lake nearby, and great housing options, you can’t go wrong choosing Denton as your new home. 

One of the cool things about Denton is all the streets are named after trees. You have Mulberry, Hickory, Oak, Elm, Cedar, etc. It’s a fun piece of information about Denton that adds to all the other traits of the town that help people fall in love with it. It’s a great town with a great character. 

So if you’re considering moving to Denton or any of the areas surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, be sure to reach out to us. Give us a call or text or schedule a free strategy call with us. We’d love to answer your questions so you know everything you need to know about Denton before making that move. 

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