Dallas-Fort Worth retail market surviving the retail apocalypse

The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) economy is booming with tremendous population, income and job growth that directly benefit the local retail sector.

More people have moved to DFW last year than any other metro area in the nation (246 people arriving daily), according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Job creation added 116,400 jobs last year and the unemployment rate has recently dropped to 3 percent, which is the lowest rate in 20 years.

Despite the increased tenant bankruptcies and box vacancies in the country, DFW has shown immunity to retail disruption as investors continue to underwrite and price in the mitigated risks associated with a very strong local economy. Retail investors see DFW as a solid target to deploy capital. Based on National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, the market is reporting 7.7 percent total return through mid-2019, more than double the national average of 3.2 percent.

And PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institu