Banner photo courtesy of Mike Mezeul and provided by Discover Denton
Originally published July 2019, updated October 2020
Denton has small town quirks but growing-city vibes (it’s home to Texas’ largest used and rare bookstore, Recycled Books, Records, and CDs) and is at the northern edge of the growing DFW metroplex (excellent location without the Dallas traffic).
People choose to live in Denton for advantages like lower cost of living, the unique contributions that higher education institutions offer the community, the vibrant culture, and family friendliness; these are all factors that make it a prime spot for people who can choose where they work from, like remote workers and freelancers, or who are deciding where to set up shop.
Living and Working in Denton: Who Stayed & Who’s Moving In
For those who are self-employed, remote workers, freelancers, and other nontraditional workers, Denton offers affordability and plenty to do on a budget, making it onto Apartment Therapy’s “The Coolest Suburbs in America 2019” (from which the following stats were collected).
Median rent price:
$1,203, according to RentCafe.
Median house price:
$274,821, according to Zillow.
Price per square foot:
$133 in Denton vs. $139 in Dallas, according to Zillow.
In addition to decent rent prices, Denton has a thriving arts and music scene, craft beer around every corner, date night destinations, and activities on the courthouse lawn year-round.
Even when there isn’t a festival or event going on (such has been the case for 2020), you can find residents and visitors alike enjoying the grassy lawn under the trees surrounding the courthouse (on which you can drink a beer or wine, as long as it’s not in a glass bottle!)
During COVID times, the Denton small business community has rallied together to support one another and many offer adapted services to remain safe during the pandemic.
Economic Development Incentives Encourage Startups to Start & Stay in Denton
Denton City Council members approved economic development agreements with two tech companies expected to create nearly 200 jobs with payrolls of over $10.4 million mid-October, 2020.
The Denton City Council approved two job-based economic development grants focused on stimulating local technology startup companies at the Oct. 20 City Council meeting. The Council awarded a grant of $106,500 to TeamOfDefenders and a grant of $243,500 to From the Future, both local early stage tech ventures. The performance-based grants will provide assistance to each company as they rapidly expand. Together, the companies are projected to add more than 150 high-wage or knowledge-based jobs in Denton over the next 10 years.
The two grantees, TeamOfDefenders and From the Future, were both founded in Denton. TeamOfDefenders is a rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT) platform company that started in Stoke Denton and supports the Denton tech scene by hiring local and investing in other startups as angel investors.
“We are appreciative of the City of Denton’s interest and support towards our continued growth here locally,” said Mark Cieri, CEO and co-founder of TeamOfDefenders. “Anchoring our headquarters in Denton permits us to attract highly skilled talent and engage the creative Denton community, which will continue to shape our innovative real-estate tech and digital transformation solutions.”
Read the full City of Denton News article here (linked).
Coworking desks at Stoke are staggered for appropriate distancing; you’ll never be seated next to or across from someone!
Unique University & College Contributions to Denton
Denton, and Stoke as a hub for entrepreneurs, works to support and retain talented professionals from the intellectual pools of the University of North Texas (UNT), Texas Woman’s University (TWU), and North Central Texas College (NCTC). There’s constantly an influx of new energy and ideas from the youthful buzz of a college town. Denton’s growth is leading to more opportunities for the people who choose to stay and live here after graduating, and Stoke works to ensure their success and optimum quality of life. Not only is Stoke a professional workspace, but also a place for inhouse, organic networking and where you can find resources and make helpful connections as a member or when you attend events.
Being home to two universities and a community college also gives locals plenty to do - like attending jazz nights where you’ll find UNT’s music students performing, family-friendly events hosted by TWU, and seeing the art and projects of students and faculty all around Denton. In August 2019, North Central Texas College opened their downtown Denton location - the First State Bank Exchange at NCTC.
From a survey of approximately 2,500 remote workers published by Buffer, 84% usually work from home while 8% choose to work from coworking spaces, making it an even higher priority to enjoy the city they’re living in along with having access to professional places to work when needed. In addition to Denton startups and entrepreneurs, Stoke is home to a number of freelancers and approximately 32% are remote workers. (You can read the summary of our recent member survey (linked). )
Kevin Tydlacka, a Stoke member from day one, shares why he chooses to live and work in Denton:
“I’m a remote software developer and chose to live in Denton, TX. It has a small town community feel but big city amenities, and a really neat culture. It’s an awesome community to be a part of!”
Heath Padgett, an RV entrepreneur who’s in and out of town often, writes:
“Have worked at Stoke for more than a year and Heather, Laci and the team do a fantastic job of creating a stellar coworking experience. Both pre and during COVID-19 they've continued to facilitate an great community of local entrepreneurs in Denton. Highly recommend Stoke to anyone looking to find a good space to work and meet other local business folks.”
Hometown Pride: The Lil D’s Giant Heart
Any day is a good day to explore and find murals or visit the Square for music, food, and drink. Businesses take their patrons’ safety and comfort seriously, and mask + distancing measures have been put in place.
The creative, independent spirit of the people who live here is what drives the small business and entrepreneurial-minded community in Denton and who own and/or run the shops on the square. There’s a lot of pride in representing Denton and supporting local establishments. Ask any of the screen-printing companies (Pan Ector, PINT Services, Norman Roscoe) that design and create a number of Denton-themed tees and merchandise (many of which you can find at the DIME store, from vendors at the Denton Community Market, Norman Roscoe Pop-up Store, or at a live screen-printing, usually hosted in tandem with other events).
Photo courtesy of Tammi Paul & provided by Discover Denton
Every season, there’s something to do. It’s not uncommon for streets on the square and surrounding it to be closed off for events.
When it’s safe to resume them, spring festivals include the Redbud Festival, Denton Arts & Jazz, and more at Quakertown Park. In the summer, Twilight Tunes on the Square is free entertainment and quality family time on Thursday evenings on the courthouse lawn. The Denton Community Market hosts an opening day in the spring and runs until fall. Autumn in Denton welcomes the return of students and the changing of the seasons, with events like the Day of the Dead festival and coffin races down Hickory Street and Wassail Fest at various stops on the square as the year moves into winter.
Photo courtesy of Ed Steele provided by Discover Denton
Denton also has “some of the best healthcare facilities in the state like Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton and several Cook Children’s Pediatrics locations throughout the city. Denton County was also named the healthiest county in Texas last year, citing its health outcomes, or how long people live and how healthy they feel while they’re living.” This helped the city earn a ranking in Livability’s 2019 Top 100 Best Places to live.
Neighborly Love - Introducing Downtown Denton’s Establishments
At the heart of Denton is the square, lined with small businesses and family-owned shops, and the Railyard equally has unique-to-North Texas or Denton companies, like Spiral Diner, Swash Labs, and Stoke. Premium Beat/Shutterstock also headquarters out of Denton at the Railyard(if you don’t know who they are … think stock photos and sounds). Each year, Stoke hosts a startup showcase event, affectionately titled the “Startup Crawl,” to invite the community to get an insider’s look at startups and businesses homegrown or based out of Denton.
In 2018, startup crawl participants visited Railyard neighbors and satellite software startup, Kubos, the intriguing basement office of From the Future (virtual reality games & training), the former second-story digs of GSATi, overlooking the courthouse, coffee house turned new American food restaurant, 940’s Kitchen and Cocktails, Square 205’s retro connected office, and ReadyRosie, the ed tech startup with perhaps the best view of the square. Read a recap of the 2018 Denton Startup Crawl here (linked).
With more choice for where you or your employees can choose to work from, Denton makes a great option for its history, current culture, and bright future.
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