More and more, Dallas-Fort Worth is growing an identity as a tech hub, a place where tech companies and tech workers can flourish. The CompTIA Tech Town Index 2018 agrees.

Dallas ranks No. 6 on the new index, breaching a Top 10 laden with big-name tech centers on the East and West Coasts, as well as fellow Texas contender, Austin. Illustrative of the region’s strength, Dallas ranked No. 3 for the number of IT job ads on the index.

[Source: CompTIA]

In the index, the Computing Technology Industry Association looked at how IT wages compare with the cost of living in what it called “pricey tech centers.” It measured job opportunities and growth in 20 metro areas with populations over 250,000 where the demand for tech workers is the greatest.

“DFW is recognized as having the largest tech labor force in the south, and demand for IT pros is forecasted to grow by another 10 percent over the next five years”

The index is based on data from job postings over a 12-month period from August 2017 to July 2018, and the cities were ranked based on cost of living, the number of open IT jobs, and the projected job growth over the next 12 months and the next five years.

“It’s particularly relevant that DFW is the largest metro in CompTIA’s assessment of the best places for IT pros to live and work,” said Eric Griffin, managing director of research and innovation at the Dallas Regional Chamber. “Our commitment to innovation is as strong as any major metro IT powerhouse in the country, but our cost of living and fast-growing opportunities keep us in competition with smaller tech job hotbeds.”

North Carolina led the field — Charlotte was No. 1 and Raleigh was No. 2. The Texas capital city, Austin, was third, followed by San Jose at No. 4 and San Francisco at No. 5. Seattle came in a No. 7, followed by Denver at No. 8, Atlanta at No. 9, and rounding out the Top 10 was Huntsville, Alabama.

So, what makes Dallas special?

Dallas Fort Worth Texas #6 Best Places for IT Pros to Live and Work

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According to the index, in addition to being a sports powerhouse, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area also shows great strength in the tech area, with 100,000 tech jobs posted in the past 12 months.

“DFW is recognized as having the largest tech labor force in the south, and demand for IT pros is forecasted to grow by another 10 percent over the next five years,” according to the Index.

CompTIA noted that 42 Fortune 1000 companies call North Texas home and that in the financial field, DFW is a key banking center in the nation. Also, CompTIA noted that Dallas is on the finalist list for Amazon’s HQ2.

Cost of living is attractive in North Texas, too. CompTIA said with a median salary of $84,614, IT pros would be able to stretch their income relatively far as Texas is one of seven states that don’t have a state income tax.

CompTIA also cited the Dallas Arts District, the nation’s largest arts district that 19 blocks of museums, venues, and galleries. The Arts District has become a real magnet for millennials in Dallas, ranking as the top ZIP Code in Texas for its share of millennial residents, and No. 8 nationally, according to a new report from RentCafé using U.S. Census Bureau data.