Medicare in Dallas County
Dallas County includes Dallas, the county seat, and neighboring communities across the county. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 population estimates count about 317,636 residents age 65 and older in the county (source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 population estimates).
Dallas County’s public hospital system is Parkland Health, run by the Dallas County Hospital District and the main teaching hospital for UT Southwestern Medical Center. Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health, is also located in Dallas.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, so the plans open to you in Dallas County may differ from those in a neighboring county. We check the options for your ZIP code, your doctors and your prescriptions before you decide. We are not based in Dallas County; we help Dallas County residents by phone or video call.
Dallas County Medicare at a glance
| Dallas County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 317,636 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 12.2% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 365,531 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 200,946 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 55.0% | 54.9% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
Among Texas’s 254 counties, Dallas County comes in 2nd for residents age 65 and up (317,636). Older adults make up 12.2% of the population here; the state figure is 13.7%. The 139,179 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. Among residents 65 and older, 62% are 65 to 74, 29% are 75 to 84 and 9% are 85 or older (Census 2023 estimates). CMS data show 55.0% of Dallas County residents with Medicare chose Medicare Advantage, which is close to the 54.9% average across Texas. What most people do in a county is less important than what fits you. We weigh Medicare Advantage against Original Medicare with Medigap using your doctors, your drugs and your budget.
Who has Medicare in Dallas County
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies Dallas County as a metro county (counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more). Counties like this tend to have a wider choice of hospitals and Medicare plans than rural ones, though networks still differ plan by plan.
CMS counts 359,395 Medicare beneficiaries in Dallas County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 11% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Dallas County, CMS reported about 569 emergency room visits and 233 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and close to it for hospital stays (226). About 11% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Dallas County: communities and ZIP codes
The largest communities in Dallas County by 2023 Census population estimates are Dallas (1,220,162), Irving (254,373), Garland (243,311), Mesquite (147,123), Grand Prairie (128,136), Richardson (74,848). Each figure counts only the people living inside the county.
Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas mostly within Dallas County number 84: 75001, 75006, 75019, 75038, 75039, 75040, 75041, 75042, 75043, 75044, 75048, 75050, 75051, 75052 and 70 more. Your exact ZIP code is what decides which plans you can join.
Questions about Medicare in Dallas County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Medicare.gov: Medigap on how Medicare Supplement works.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Dallas County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Dallas County households, including annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance and final expense insurance.
Let’s check your Dallas County options together
We confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, at no cost to you.
Get my plan comparisonMedicare guides for Dallas County residents
- How to read your Medicare Annual Notice of Change
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- Why a Medicare Advantage plan drops a doctor or drug
- Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained
Dallas County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County | 276,400 | 55.6% | 10% | Metro |
| Bexar County | 273,263 | 59.0% | 9% | Metro |
| Travis County | 152,219 | 46.9% | 10% | Metro |
| Collin County | 142,320 | 42.7% | 8% | Metro |
| Denton County | 120,688 | 45.0% | 7% | Metro |
| Fort Bend County | 118,950 | 55.6% | 10% | Metro |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.