Dallas-Fort Worth brokers, haulers, practice proprietors and contractors who work for themselves can ask about bank statement programs that use 12 or 24 months of deposits in place of tax returns, where the program allows.
Two downtowns, one very large economy
Dallas-Fort Worth is a sprawling metro with a major corporate presence, finance, logistics, aerospace and healthcare. Growth continues outward, with corporate relocations and new communities in suburbs like Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Arlington.
Who borrows with statements
Commercial real estate brokers, independent sales representatives, logistics owners, tradespeople who serve new construction, medical and dental practice owners, and consultants who serve relocating companies. Many have commission-based or project-based income.
Smoothing out commissions and projects
Bring tax and insurance estimates for the property, and be ready to spell out the pattern of commission deposits.
Pockets of the metroplex
Dallas has Uptown, Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, Lakewood and Preston Hollow, plus Las Colinas and the DFW Airport corridor. Fort Worth has the Stockyards, the Around Southside and Alliance, and Arlington has the stadiums. The northern arc through Plano, Frisco and McKinney is among the fastest growing in the country. Distinct guides cover Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano and Frisco.
A look at self-employment
Census Bureau estimates for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area count about 4,098,208 employed residents, and 419,937 of them, or 10.2 percent, are self-employed. That is very around the 10.7 percent statewide share. Roughly 6.5 percent of all workers run unincorporated businesses, such as sole proprietorships, and 3.7 percent run incorporated ones. That distinction shapes the paperwork. Proprietors of corporations and LLCs taxed as corporations are paid through the entity, while sole owners usually deposit everything into one account.
The industries with the most self-employed residents are professional and business services (89,196 people), construction (71,733 people), and personal and repair services (53,919 people). Relative to the size of the industry, personal and repair services stands out: approximately 27 percent of its workers are self-employed. Professional service firms generally have a few recurring clients, so letters or contracts that show renewals strengthen the file. Builders and tradespeople are tend to paid in draws and final payments, so the deposits arrive in waves. A project list that matches large deposits to jobs helps an underwriter read the pattern.
The employer base
Payroll data for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area describe 209,554 private establishments and roughly 3,542,282 jobs. Pay averaged $81,882 a year, about the national average. Private employment grew by 0.2 percent over the year. The biggest private sectors by employment are health care and social assistance (431,259 jobs, 12.2 percent), retail trade (388,511 jobs, 11.0 percent), and accommodation and food services (369,225 jobs, 10.4 percent).
Specialization shows up in finance and insurance (location quotient 1.50) and transportation and warehousing (location quotient 1.44); a quotient above 1.0 signals a bigger share of local jobs than the country as a whole. Finance and real estate income usually includes referral fees and bonuses, which count when they recur and the source is clear. Pay is highest among the greater sectors in mining and oil and gas, averaging around $166,643.
The housing stock
The median owner-occupied home in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area is valued at around $360,000, roughly 27 percent above the Texas median of $284,000, according to the American Community Survey, and 60 percent of occupied houses are owned by their residents. The median renter household pays about $1,614 a month in gross rent, and rental income is another question for buyers who plan to keep a unit.
Half of the homes were built before 1993. The housing stock is a mix of older and newer homes, so condition and age vary a lot from block to block. Detached single family houses make up 63 percent of housing units, with 21 percent in buildings of ten or more units. Detached houses are the dominant housing type, so most homebuyers are comparing yards, schools and commute times more than building rules. Proprietors with a mortgage report median real estate taxes of roughly $5,737 a year, a number that is counted in the monthly obligation a lender looks at.
Home offices and the workforce
Census commute data show 17.8 percent of workers working at home, above the Texas average of 14.4 percent. A high or low home-office share changes what purchasers want from a house, from a quiet room to a garage for equipment. About 39 percent of adults aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or greater, and the median age is 36. Households earn a median of approximately $90,000.
Institutions and anchors near Dallas-Fort Worth
Major health systems include UT Southwestern Medical Center. Other local anchors are Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Texas Motor Speedway. Self-employed professionals often serve these institutions as vendors, contractors and consultants.
How Dallas-Fort Worth compares
Among the 22 Texas areas on this site, Dallas-Fort Worth ranks 11th for share of workers who are self-employed. On median home value it ranks 8th of 22.
Putting it together for Dallas-Fort Worth borrowers
One in every 10 or so workers here owns a business, which means statement based files are not a rarity in Dallas-Fort Worth. Because professional and business services is the largest self-employed group, expect to be asked for invoices and engagement letters to match the biggest deposits to a source. Because so many people work from home, keeping business deposits in their own account makes your file simpler to read. Homes here run above the Texas median, so higher loan amounts are common, and a mortgage lender will look carefully at assets and reserves along with income.
Dallas-Fort Worth at a glance
| Measure | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Employed residents | 4,098,208 | 14,431,125 |
| Self-employed share of workers | 10.2 percent | 10.7 percent |
| Unincorporated owners | 6.5 percent | 7.1 percent |
| Incorporated owners | 3.7 percent | 3.6 percent |
| Median home value | $360,000 | $284,000 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60 percent | 63 percent |
| Median gross rent | $1,614 | $1,403 |
| Median year built | 1993 | 1992 |
| Workers who work at home | 17.8 percent | 14.4 percent |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $78,000 |
Self-employed residents of Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area by industry
| Industry | All workers | Self-employed | Self-employed share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, management and administrative services | 591,677 | 89,196 | 15.1 percent |
| Construction | 327,955 | 71,733 | 21.9 percent |
| Other services | 198,841 | 53,919 | 27.1 percent |
| Education, health care and social assistance | 805,307 | 41,475 | 5.2 percent |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 389,795 | 39,682 | 10.2 percent |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 300,475 | 32,096 | 10.7 percent |
| Retail trade | 448,835 | 29,645 | 6.6 percent |
Largest private sectors in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area
| Sector | Jobs | Share of private jobs | Average annual pay | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 431,259 | 12.2 percent | $69,158 | 0.75 |
| Retail trade | 388,511 | 11.0 percent | $45,973 | 0.97 |
| Accommodation and food services | 369,225 | 10.4 percent | $29,703 | 1.02 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 344,042 | 9.7 percent | $124,527 | 1.24 |
| Manufacturing | 307,211 | 8.7 percent | $97,563 | 0.93 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 244,432 | 6.9 percent | $74,675 | 1.44 |
| Finance and insurance | 244,112 | 6.9 percent | $131,954 | 1.50 |
Sources: American Community Survey (2020 to 2024) and BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2024). Details are on the data sources page.
Nothing about the income review changes at the city line. Texas guidance and the proof checklist cover history, expenses and ownership for any address in Dallas-Fort Worth.
General information only. Programs vary, and a lender must verify your income and ability to repay. This is not a commitment to lend.
Guides by borrower type in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Real Estate Agents in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Owner-Operator Truckers in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Doctors and Dentists in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Contractors and Tradespeople in Dallas-Fort Worth
Nearby
Buying or refinancing around Dallas-Fort Worth?
Apply online or call and tell us about the property.
Frequently asked questions
Do property taxes affect what I can qualify for?
They are part of the monthly housing obligation a lender looks at, with insurance and any association dues.
How common is self-employment in Dallas-Fort Worth?
The survey puts self-employment at 10.2 percent in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area and 10.7 percent in Texas, using responses collected from 2020 through 2024.
Where do self-employed Dallas-Fort Worth residents work?
Counting people, professional and business services (89,196) and construction (71,733) lead the list. A statement program is not limited to those fields.
Does the local housing market change how a bank statement loan works in Dallas-Fort Worth?
The income look at works the same way, but property type, age and association rules shape the rest of the file. Census data show a median home value near $360,000, a median build year of 1993 and 60 percent owner-occupied residences. Your loan officer can examine the actual property.