Community Assessment

Desoto is a mid-size, suburban community southwest of Dallas, Texas. Since 1990, Desoto has seen a significant change in its demographics, transitioning from a majority white town (75% in 1990) to now being 67% African American. The citizens are mostly middle class, with approximately 68% owning their homes and over 50% having attained some level of college education. Similar to most of Dallas County, Desoto leans heavily toward the Democratic Party in federal, state and local elections. 

This area was hit hard with outages during the 2021 ice storm, and local sentiment is strongly in favor of economic development and clean energy policies. We recommend an engagement strategy centered around economic benefits and grid resilience, starting with key city officials and early community giving and partnerships. The support of neighboring DeSoto High School is crucial.