This brief broadens and deepens our knowledge about heirs’ property by focusing on heirs’ property among homeowners in urban centers— an area that has not received as much attention. The brief presents the results from an in-depth study on heirs’ property among homeowners in Dallas and Tarrant Counties, which include the
cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington. The two counties are home to a large, highly diverse population, with a combined population of 4.7 million residents, including 936,000 African American residents and 1.7 million Hispanic residents.

The brief shines light on:

  • The scale of heirs’ property among single-family residences in Dallas and Tarrant counties,
  • The disparate concentration of heirs’ property in the two counties’ historically Black and Latino neighborhoods, and
  • The heightened vulnerability of heirs’ properties to property tax delinquency and foreclosure.

The brief closes with recommendations for North Texas grant makers, policymakers, and local organizations to help protect the intergenerational transfer of wealth and housing stability of family members who inherit their homes.