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Phoenix or Dallas?
We may have the opportunity to move to one of these locations. We have lived in several states including living in Dallas. My favorite place was San Diego. My husband is a Texas native and would chose Dallas because it's familiar (no family there anymore - they are in Utah now) and the low cost of living. I am leaning toward Phoenix because of proximity to San Diego and dry climate.
We want a nice suburb with affordable housing and great schools. It would be nice if there were lots of things to explore and see. We have lived through many hot summers and have found them tolerable, but wonder how hot and humid compares to just plain scorching? Are the kids bored over summer, staying out of the heat or are there cool indoor water parks, etc. (Pehaps both places would be equally uncomfortable?) Also, we are more liberal than we used to be and are agnostic. I know you can't stereotype a whole city but we don't want our kids to be labeled and everyone likes to have some like-minded individuals to understand each other. Schools? Other considerations?
I just moved from Dallas to PHX a few months ago. I love it out here. The availability of outdoor activities/scenery/etc has no comparison in dallas. any direction you drive you are looking at mountains. Really nice change from the sprawling DFW flat metroplex.
The 100-105 degrees days in dallas feel much worse than the 110 days out here.
happy to give more detail on anything from my experiences if you want.
Thank you dfwtransplant! Do you know how schools compare? What about comparing the friendliness of people? And, political and religious climate? Are you concerned about water shortage? How close are you to the mountains and cooler temperatures (perhaps winter skiing)? I like that it is closer to San Diego, but am not sure how much I actually go once I lived there. Lastly, I know cost of living is good in Dallas, but it looks pretty low in Phoenix, too. Someone warned me that prices are going down there still, but that seems like a good thing to me since I don't plan to but for a year or so.
Im also trying to relocate to Phoenix...once I nail down that proverbial thing called a JOB. I personally pick Phoenix because as you said it's close proxmity to San Diego/Las Vegas/Mexico Beaches...Also big factors include Cost of Living/Quality of Life/Scenic....Also the 300 + days of sunshine and palm trees are a added incentive....Good luck in your decision.
I've lived in both places. Both cities are good places to live, but I prefer Phoenix, mostly because I think Arizona is the better state.
"Do you know how schools compare?"
Texas schools tend to rank a little higher than Arizona schools, but good and bad schools can be found in both cities. With a little research you can find which neighborhoods have the best schools. Also, parental involvement has a lot to do with the quality of education one's kids receive, and (IMHO) the "how do schools compare" question is a little overrated.
"What about comparing the friendliness of people?"
My experience is that folks in Dallas tend to be friendlier. However, (also my experience) folks in Phoenix tend to be more sincere with their friendships. A lot may depend on personalities and luck.
"political and religious climate?"
Both cities have liberal and conservative areas. As one might expect, the more urban a neighborhood is, the more liberal it tends to be, and the more suburban or rural an areas is, the more conservative it tends to be. Overall, both cities are slightly more conservative than liberal. If you search, not too long ago there was a long thread on this very subject.
Dallas is more southern-baptist, Bible-belt. Arizona is more laid back in that regard, with a lot of non-denominational churches.
"Are you concerned about water shortage?"
Well, it is a desert.... But, there are huge underground aquifers, man-made lakes, and the CAP (Colorado River water). There is plenty of water for everyone, but we're also smart with our water. I have never seen water restrictions here.
In Dallas, most summers seemed to have had some kind of water restrictions (like you can only water your yard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, etc).
"How close are you to the mountains and cooler temperatures (perhaps winter skiing)?"
Depends on where you live and which mountains you go to. But, two-and-a-half hours tops. Maybe one-and-a-half hours minimum. And, yes, winter skiing. In fact, the furthest south ski lift in the U.S. is in Arizona (Mt. Lemmon outside Tucson).
"I know cost of living is good in Dallas, but it looks pretty low in Phoenix, too."
Right now it is fairly low in both cities, but perhaps Dallas is slightly lower. My opinion is that Phoenix has more "up-side" in this regard, but my opinion only.
Great info Ritchie_AZ!! The things you have said are pretty much what I have learned from my research so far and from having moved around a little.
WestCoastBabe, I like the palm trees too. Having grown up in Canada, I think of them as a sign of paradise. My husband grew up in Corpus Christi and he calls palm trees "Roach Hotels". Regardless, 300 days of sunshine is great even if it is a little optimistic. I am tired of cloud cover and humidity here already. We are currently in Northern Virginia and when the temp is 100 and very humid, I am miserable. 100 and dry is a beautiful day. I think I'll be o.k. at 110. but will stay homebound at 115-120.
Like Ritchie, I've also lived in Dallas and will attempt to answer the same questions. In short, most people are moving to Dallas out of necessity not desire so that is something to keep in mind. Dallas is a nice city but it's not a destination city meaning a city people dream about living whereas Phoenix is considered a destination city that people vacation and retire in.
"Do you know how schools compare?"
The Texas schools are better. Arizona schools are not as bad as published and the very best schools in Arizon are on par with the best schools in Texas. The best school in the country Basis has a second campus in Scottsdale. But overall, Dallas is a heavy favorite in this area.
"What about comparing the friendliness of people?"
People in Phoenix are much friendlier and sophisticated. The reason is most people here are transplants. That means everything. People are used to being new to the city and were forced to making friends quickly with strangers. That is the vibe here. There are no cliques. You don't have people hanging out with people from high school like you do in Dallas. In Dallas, everyone seemed to go to the same colleges or know people in the same fraternity. In Phoenix, it has a much more cosmopolitan feel of people moving here from all over the country and attending a variety of schools.
Dallas is a Southern city whereas Phoenix is more of Midwestern city with regards to its culture and attitudes. People don't have accents here. There is a huge Midwest population here from Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri.
"political and religious climate?"
Politically, Phoenix is fiscally conservative and socially liberal ie libertarian. Even with regards to 1070, the support for that law has to do with fiscal reasons due to illegal immigrants using our resources. Many minorities in the state endorse that law as they don't see it as racially profiling but enabling our state government to enforce immigration laws. The Dallas metro is fiscally and socially conservative.
Dallas is conservatively religious whereas Phoenix isn't. Dallas is a part of the Bible Belt the majority of the Dallas residents in the metro are Evangelical. Phoenix is not a very religious city at all.
"Are you concerned about water shortage?"
No, we differ from most areas in Southern California by a few inches of rain. Technically, Phoenix and most parts of LA have the same environment and concerns regarding water. The definition of a desert has to do with the amount of rain a place receives. Technically, we exceeded that definition this year.
"How close are you to the mountains and cooler temperatures (perhaps winter skiing)?"
If you live in North Phoenix, you are 2 hours to the slopes. I went skiing this year in Show Low which was a 3.5 hour drive from Chandler. The skiing was amazing albeit smaller. There are mountains that permeate the city like Camelback etc so
"I know cost of living is good in Dallas, but it looks pretty low in Phoenix, too."
A few years ago, the cost of living in Dallas would have been significantly cheaper than Phoenix. With real estate bust, the cost of housing has gone down considerably and it's more even but Dallas is still more affordable.
Thank you dfwtransplant! Do you know how schools compare? What about comparing the friendliness of people? And, political and religious climate? Are you concerned about water shortage? How close are you to the mountains and cooler temperatures (perhaps winter skiing)? I like that it is closer to San Diego, but am not sure how much I actually go once I lived there. Lastly, I know cost of living is good in Dallas, but it looks pretty low in Phoenix, too. Someone warned me that prices are going down there still, but that seems like a good thing to me since I don't plan to but for a year or so.
I was born, raised, and lived in the Dallas area for 36 years before moving to Phoenix last summer.
We've been to San Diego twice in the last six months (just got back last Friday). We're already planning a trip to Disneyland next summer when our youngest daughter is a bit older to enjoy it. My wife and I love to travel and looking forward to the various trips we have planned for the next several years. When living in Texas, you can only visit Austin and San Antonio so many times before it gets old.
Based on what I've seen in the news and heard from friends, I would put most of the Dallas area schools above PHX and the surrounding areas. I still follow the news back in Dallas and you don't hear about teachers losing their jobs or the state creating a special tax to keep teachers and police employed.
Before moving to Phoenix, we lived in Grapevine which is part of the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. A couple years ago both high schools in that district were rated in the top 100 in the nation. I haven't heard of any similar statistics about any public schools in Phoenix.
I would have to disagree to some extent about "friendliness" and the two cities. It is rare that I have someone hold the door for me when going in/out of the gas station or a similar store. It was pretty common in the areas I lived and visited in the Dallas area.
Also most of the neighbors on my street keep to themselves. I don't know if its because literally all of the houses except for one on our street changed ownership in the past year or lack of grass in the front yard for kids to play on. Whatever the reason, I rarely see any of my neighbors since they don't have any reason to be out front of their houses. I've made an effort to meet some of the new neighbors and just don't see them out much.
As far as cost of living, some expenses are higher, some lower. For example, our house in Grapevine was 2,000 sq ft and we sold it for $195k last June. We bought a 3,900 sq ft house near I-17 and Carefree Highway for $250k. It didn't have any kitchen appliances and needed new carpet, but other than that was move-in ready. Car registration taxes are quite a bit higher here, but property tax is lower too. Gas prices are higher here as well.
Since we're as far north in Phoenix as you can get before leaving the city limits, we're about 90 minutes from Sedona and not much more away from Flagstaff. There are a ton of mountains out here, to the point where some radio stations don't come in very well.
Overall, I'm happy with the move to Phoenix but know that we're going to have to fill in the gaps with our children once they start school. Luckily my wife is a former special ed teacher with Masters in Education and I have a couple Masters degrees in Business, so we'll be ok.
Phoenix has more to do outdoors and is closer to other places that have lots to do outdoors. Phoenix is also more laid back. I wouldnt say Phoenix proper is any more liberal/conservative than Dallas proper, but by the time you add the metro areas, I think Phoenix is more liberal. Dallas' suburbs are pretty conservative.
Dallas is a more international city has better eating, nightlife (in my opinion), and is slightly (I say slightly because both are suburban in nature) more urban. There is also more diversity among people there. The economy is also more diverse and doing better in Dallas. I also give the edge to Dallas in the arts (especially by the time you add in Fort Worth).
I like Phoenix ok, but I prefer Texas. Either way, there are lots of places that I would prefer Phoenix to. Its a nice place. You cant go wrong with either choice. I wish Dallas was as laid back as Phoenix and had as much to do outside, but other than that I am very happy here.
Mod cut: Personal....is always coming on Dallas threads and generalizing about how everyone is a holy-roller religious nutjob. NOT TRUE. There are some mega- churches out in the burbs but most of us laugh at them. Dallas is the gay capital between coasts: The Lavender Heart of Texas - TIME We've recently had three female Jewish Democrat mayors, a black Democrat mayor, Black and Hispanic School Supers, a gay county judge (head of the county government), a gay county clerk, lesbian county sheriff, largest county in US to have elected a black Democrat DA, many gay city council members, etc..
Also I would say Dallas is a better investment looking at it from the Real Estate and business point of view.
Last edited by Grannysroost; 06-30-2010 at 11:49 PM..
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I personally pick Phoenix because as you said it's close proxmity to San Diego/Las Vegas/Mexico Beaches...Also big factors include Cost of Living/Quality of Life/Scenic....Also the 300 + days of sunshine and palm trees are a added incentive....Good luck in your decision.
