I don’t know how I missed that Arlington, Texas is the American Dream City:

This campaign apparently started a while back. here is what local leaders said contributed to developing this slogan:

“Arlington is multi-dimensional with a lot to offer families, businesses, consumers and visitors,” said Jay Warren, Arlington Marketing Communications Manager. “When building this brand, it was important that we approach it by looking at the entire community. We wanted to make sure it represents all of Arlington.”

With an excelling education system (four independent school districts, the University of Texas at Arlington and Tarrant County College), a strong entrepreneurial business community and diverse neighborhoods where the housing dollar stretches further than most cities, Arlington is a direct reflection of how the American Dream thrives when citizens have a can-do, independent spirit and city pride.

Throughout its history, even when faced with those who said it wasn’t possible, Arlington has become home to a host of international brands, including:

• The nation’s first regional theme park of American family fun, Six Flags Over Texas
• American manufacturing with the General Motors plant
• America’s pastime with the Texas Rangers and the iconic Globe Life Park
• America’s Team with the Dallas Cowboys and its world-class AT&T Stadium
• And, the United States Bowling Congress, celebrating the most participatory sport in the world

Located between two major cities, Arlington is a large suburb of over 400,000 residents. It is a racially and ethnically diverse city with a household median income of over $75,000. The homeownership rate is over 54%.

Using “American Dream” implies two things about the city. It is possible to achieve upward social mobility in Arlington. It also signifies reaching a certain level of success, particularly the middle class status of suburban homeownership.

I do not know if these features are more true in Arlington than they are in other suburbs. The Opportunity Atlas suggests Tarrant County, TX, the county in which Arlington is located, may not have provided much mobility over the decades. Four other Texas suburbs are in the Top 10 of the recent US News & World Report list of best places to live (and Arlington ranks at #56 in Texas). At the same time, having multiple major pro sports stadiums would be noteworthy to sports fans.

Now this gets me thinking: what suburbs have upward social mobility and a middle-class lifestyle? This might preclude places that have people who all already made it or are not doing much better than their parents or previous generations.