VarroExplore other towns

Dallas, OR

A town of about 17,531 people in Polk County, part of the Salem area. Resident comments and photos are about Dallas; job numbers cover the wider area.

The Salem area:Government town · 22.6% of jobs are government, including public universities (U.S. 12.1%)
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

More towns near Dallas
Ranks the towns around it by your budget and what you love doing.
Dallas hasn't been added yet

Sign in (free) to add it. It takes about a minute, and then anyone can read it.

Where it is
Dallas
Dallas in Oregon
Oregon in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Dallas's center.

2
grocery stores
5
restaurants
3
coffee shops
18
parks
12
playgrounds
1
library
1
movie theater
1
museum
1
bookstore
3
gyms
2
bars
2
pharmacies
1
hospital

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Dallas.

Bike lanes and bike paths
11 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
17 miles
about typical for a U.S. town

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 2,207 rented homes in Dallas, 95% rent for under $2,000 a month and 100% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 27%
$1,000 to $1,499: 53%
$1,500 to $1,999: 14%
$2,000 to $2,499: 4%
$2,500 to $2,999: 2%
$3,000 or more: 0%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Dallas rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Oregon

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Oregon DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Oregon voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

4 public school districts in this county, with about 6,733 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Dallas Sd 2 · Dallas
3,030 students · 16.3 students per teacher · 7 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Central Sd 13j · Independence
3,201 students · 19.6 students per teacher · 5 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Perrydale Sd 21 · Amity
318 students · 17.7 students per teacher · 1 school · grades Pre-K to 12
Falls City Sd 57 · Falls City
184 students · 9.7 students per teacher · 2 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Oregon keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$237/week
about $12,300 a year
$193/week
about $10,000 a year
Toddler (2)$217/week
about $11,300 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$176/week
about $9,200 a year
$173/week
about $9,000 a year
School-age$77/week
about $4,000 a year

For an infant at a center: $237/week here, $318 across OR, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 14% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Oregon →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

5 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Dallas. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Western Oregon University · Monmouth
Public, 4-year · 3,857 students · $11,025 in-state, $30,735 out-of-state
Chemeketa Community College · Salem (metro)
Public, 4-year · 7,433 students · $6,210 in-state, $13,905 out-of-state
Willamette University · Salem (metro)
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 2,112 students · $48,268 a year
Corban University · Salem (metro)
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 866 students · $37,208 a year
Mount Angel Seminary · Saint Benedict (metro)
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 116 students · $29,694 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$449,621
What a typical home sells for across the Salem area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 4% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $104 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 103.6 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 23 min at rush hour
To downtown Salem, OR, 16 miles. About 23 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
1 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 13.9 miles from the town center (CenturyLink). The largest is about 25,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,572 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in OR. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
1 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
Fewer than 10 a year
The CDC doesn't publish exact counts under 10. OR average: 19.4 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 48.1 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 2,135 people without housing in the Salem/Marion, Polk Counties area (2 counties): 1,182 in shelters and 953 outside, up from 1,755 in 2024. OR: 63.7 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$81,318
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.84% of home value a year
About $840 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 9.90%
OR's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

More towns in Oregon →