Dallas is the third-most-populous city in the state of Texas and the ninth-most-populous in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Dallas had a total population of 1.1 million.city is the main cultural and economic center of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area (colloquially referred to as Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex), which is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

The City of Dallas has many vibrant communities and eclectic neighborhoods. Major areas in the city include: Downtown, the center of the city and the epicenter of urban revival, coupled with Oak Lawn and Uptown Dallas, the shiny new urbanist areas thriving with shops, restaurants, and nightlife. East Dallas is home to Deep Ellum, a trendy arts area, the homey Lakewood, and Fair Park. North Dallas is home to mansions as palacial as Versailles in Preston Hollow, strong middle-class communities like Lake Highlands around White Rock Lake, and high-powered shopping at the Dallas Galleria, Northpark Center, and Preston Center. South Dallas lays claim to the Cedars, an eclectic artist hotbed, and Pleasant Grove, a poorer section of the southeastern city. Oak Cliff is a gorgeous hilly area with beautiful old homes and schools and even entertainment districts like the Bishop Arts District. The city is further surrounded by tens of suburbs and encloses enclaves like Cockrell Hill, Highland Park and University Park.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,188,580 people, 451,833 households, and 266,581 families residing in the city proper, which is bounded by largely developed suburbs and exurbs. The median income for a household in the city was $37,628, and the median income for a family was $40,921.

Dallas and the surrounding metroplex are very important economically. The city is sometimes referred to as Texas's Silicon Valley or the "Silicon Prairie" because of a high concentration of telecom companies. Originally seeded with a nexus of communications engineering and production talent following World War II by companies like Collins Radio Corp., the epicenter of the area's telecom industry is along the "Telecom Corridor" which is home to more than 5,700 companies and regional offices for Alcatel, AT&T, Ericsson, Fujitsu, MCI, Nokia, Nortel, Rockwell, Sprint and Verizon. The headquarters for Texas Instruments is also located there. Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any United States city and metro. There are several malls scattered around the Dallas/Ft.Worth Metroplex.

The people of Dallas, Dallasites, are stereotypically proud, cosmopolitan, and sophisticated. The city itself has historically been white but has diversified over the past century. The city is a major destination for Mexican immigrants seeking opportunity in the United States while staying close to their home in Mexico. For the most part, the southwest area of the city is predominantly Hispanic, the southern and southeastern area of the city is predominantly black, the northern part of the city is predominantly white and the northwestern portion of the city is Hispanic and Asian. These definitions are of course quite generalized, and the city boasts a high degree of diversity in all of its neighborhoods.

Dallas is the epicenter of the North Texas region's art scene. The Arts District of downtown is home to several arts venues, both existing and proposed. Deep Ellum originally became popular during the 1920s and 1930s as the prime jazz and blues hotspot in the south. The Cedars is home to a growing population of studio artists and an expanding host of entertainment venues as well. The area's art scene began to grow in the early 2000s with the opening of Southside on Lamar, a Sears warehouse converted into lofts, studios, and retail. The Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff is home to a growing number of studio artists living in converted warehouses. Walls of buildings along alleyways and streets are painted with murals and the surrounding district is home to many eclectic restaurants and shops.

Information provided by Wikipedia.