TEXAS 6
:
Suburban Dallas - Part of Fort Worth; part of Arlington
The 6th consists of parts of Johnson, Parker, Tarrant, Dallas and Ellis
counties, with more than 80 percent of the district's population
concentrated in Arlington and Fort Worth. The two parts of the snake-shaped
district are connected only by Eagle Mountain Lake in northwestern Tarrant.
Population growth in Arlington has leveled out in recent years after a
tremendous boom from the 1950s through the '90s. There are black and
Hispanic communities in the district, and the Vietnamese and Samoan
populations have increased, but the 6th is generally white, financially
secure and suburban.
Arlington used to have mostly blue-collar workers employed by General
Motors, but the area now has become an entertainment center with amusement
parks, hotels and the Texas Baseball Stadium, just across the district line
in the 24th.
Fort Worth's economy also has diversified and expanded in recent years.
Many businesses have been attracted to the northern Tarrant County area by
its climate, housing and proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth International
Airport, shared with the 30th District.
The 6th is Republican at both the national and local levels. Residents
of Fort Worth and Arlington tend to be fiscally conservative and socially
moderate. But the suburbs north of Arlington are made up largely of middle-
to upper-class families that tend to be more conservative on social issues.
Major Industry
Transportation, technology, financial services
Population
565,504 (1990)
Cities
Arlington (pt.), 133,906; Fort Worth (pt.), 101,697; Bedford, 43,762 (1990)
People
84% urban; 6% age 65+ (ranks 28 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally);
63% married couples, 33% married couples with children; 33% college educated
(ranks fifth of 30 in state; top third nationally); 72% white collar (ranks
fourth of 30 in state; top third nationally), 18% blue collar (ranks 25 of
30 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)
Race
90% white, 5% black, 2% Asian; 6% Hispanic origin (1990)
Median Household Income
$40,930 (ranks second of 30 in state; top third nationally) (1990)
Unusual Features
Dallas/Fort Worth area known as the Aviation Capital of the World; the
cities' airport has more than 2,800 takeoffs and landings per day.
District 6
