There are cities people want to retire to. And then there are places people aspire to retire to: communities so rare in their combination of wealth, walkability, culture, safety, and access that they belong in a category entirely their own.
Highland Park is in that second category. For years, it has been the benchmark by which we measure every other retirement destination in this region. And the more we look, the more it holds up.
Highland Park, TX: A Community of Unparalleled Wealth
Highland Park is a town of fewer than 9,000 residents, enclosed within Dallas, covering just 2.24 square miles. The per capita income of $196,220 ranks #1 among all 1,863 incorporated cities and towns in Texas. The median household income is $243,680, more than three times the Texas median. Average household income exceeds $509,000. Median home values approach $1.9 million.
Twenty percent of Highland Park residents are already 65 or older. This is not a community that simply allows retirees. It is a community designed around them.
Highland Park Village: Shopping Unlike Anywhere Else in Texas
Highland Park Village is one of the most remarkable retail experiences in the United States: the oldest operating open-air shopping center in the country, built in 1931, and home today to Chanel, Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Christian Louboutin, Tom Ford, Cartier, Dior, and dozens of other luxury brands. It is entirely walkable, architecturally beautiful, and at the center of daily life here.
NorthPark Center, one of the country’s largest luxury malls, is minutes away. Knox-Henderson offers boutique dining on a tree-lined street. Café Pacific, Bistro 31, Nobu, and III Forks represent the caliber of dining available within walking distance or a short drive. For retirees who value a curated daily life, there is no comparable address in Texas.
World-Class Healthcare Near Highland Park, Dallas
UT Southwestern Medical Center, the #1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine consecutive years, #2 in Texas, and top-50 nationally in 12 specialties, is minutes away. Baylor University Medical Center, ranked #3 in Texas and on the U.S. News Best Hospitals list for 33 consecutive years, sits in adjacent East Dallas. Texas Health Presbyterian provides a third full-service option within a short distance.
For retirees, this concentration of world-class medicine, from routine primary care to complex specialty treatment, within minutes of home is a material, lasting advantage.
Is Highland Park Safe? Among the Safest Cities in Texas
With its own dedicated Police Department separate from Dallas PD, Highland Park operates as an independent municipality with complete control over public safety. The results: violent crime rates are a fraction of the national average, assault rates 88% below the national benchmark, zero reported murders, zero reported rapes in recent data. Property crime runs 84% below national averages.
This is the safety profile of a private gated community. Without the gates.
Retiring in Texas: The Tax Advantage Is Real
Texas has no state income tax. Every dollar of Social Security, IRA withdrawals, pension income, and 401(k) distributions belongs to you, untouched at the state level. For a household drawing $200,000 or more annually in retirement income, the savings compared to high-tax states can easily exceed $20,000 per year.
Dallas County’s Over-65 exemptions further reduce property tax burden for qualifying seniors. In a community where home values approach $2 million, proactive planning around these exemptions is a meaningful part of a comprehensive retirement strategy.
Our Assessment: Why Highland Park Is the Top Retirement Address in Texas
We measure every retirement market against the same criteria: wealth foundation, healthcare access, safety, lifestyle infrastructure, and tax environment. Highland Park scores at the top of every column.
It is not for everyone; the home values reflect what it costs to live at this level. But for retirees who have built the foundation to consider it, we believe Highland Park represents the finest retirement address in the state of Texas.
If you are thinking about what retirement at this level could look like, we would welcome that conversation.