Dallas/Fort Worth Fully Recuperated From the Recession Because Baby Docs Are Super Busy

People move here because in Dallas they can have a house AND a baby, even if they have to pay for both!

We were told today that Dallas/Fort Worth is one of three, only THREE, U.S. metropolitan areas that have fully recovered from the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. We are told this by those nice folks at the Brookings Institution.

Last night, I was with my husband at a major OB/GYN meeting called the Southwest Gynecologic Assembly. Think an Aspen Institute for gynos bred with a regional NAR meeting. I spoke with a physician from Southwestern who heads up the infertility department there, and I sat next to an infertility specialist in Dallas.

I guarded my eggs carefully.

Do you know what’s hopping, or shall I say popping here? The infertility business in North Texas. And way busier here than in other parts of the country.

Is this because people are putting off having babies for work etc. and cannot get preggers, I asked?

No, it’s because so many people are moving here, I was told. Dallas/Fort Worth added no less than 8 infertility specialists this year, 8! That’s a lot of new infertility doctors in one city, certainly a lot of specialists.

The other thing this shows us is that Dallas/Fort Worth folks have some disposable income.   Not too many insurance companies reimburse for infertility care, which is extremely expensive. Most people pay by cash, check or credit card. What is happening, I’m told, is that so many people are moving here from other states, we are getting an influx of young adults who want to have families and need infertility help. Some come here because our housing is more affordable, so they can have a home AND a baby rather than stay in San Fran or NYC where income just covers rent or mortgage.

Anyhow, here’s the economic data from The Dallas Morning News. Output per capita (measures standard of living) fell 6.1 percent in North Texas during 2008, the worst year of the crisis. Then employment dropped 3.7 percent in 2009. But fueled by growth of financial and professional services and energy production, North Texas has stormed back to its pre-recession peak on both measures. Nanny nanny boo boo: Austin and Houston have reached their pre-recession employment levels but haven’t fully recovered in terms of standard of living, as we have. In Dallas, services are very important — we are servicing growing clients, says Emilia Istrate, an associate fellow at Brookings’ metropolitan policy program.

Example: all the new Dry Bar type salons opening up where you can get your hair blown out for $40 or less!

Istrate says: “GDP per capita would have risen faster in North Texas and Houston had the areas not seen such rapid population growth. North Texas’ population grew 10.4 percent between 2007 and 2012, while the Houston area’s rose by 11.8 percent.”

Apart from Dallas/Fort Worth, with Austin and Houston dribbling behind, Pittsburgh and Knoxville, Tennessee are fully recovered patients. Go figure: natural gas drilling and output.

I’m happy, my hair is happy, and my eggs are still intact. Think I can sell them to offset legal fees?

Candy Evans

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

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