Will my money go further in Texas than Chicago? (Dallas: apartments, renting)

[LStrom]

My husband and I are trying desperately to move from Chicago to Dallas. I know that the homes are more affordable than here in Chicago(even with the high taxes), but what else is cheaper in Texas? Besides houses, I have found nothing that is considerably more affordable than it is in Chicago (apts., food, clothes,childcare etc. all about the same). What else can we plan to get more for our money for down there?

[getmeoutofhere]

I'd say a bit of everything.

Gas, food, clothes, housing...it all tends to be cheaper in Texas.

[rosscountry]

Originally Posted by LStrom

My husband and I are trying desperately to move from Chicago to Dallas. I know that the homes are more affordable than here in Chicago(even with the high taxes), but what else is cheaper in Texas? Besides houses, I have found nothing that is considerably more affordable than it is in Chicago (apts., food, clothes,childcare etc. all about the same). What else can we plan to get more for our money for down there?

i moved to dallas a few years ago from chicago
here is the scoop

in texas
sales tax lower
parking cheaper--
sushi cheaper
restaurants cheaper
income tax lower
better public schools
housing waaaaay cheaper
gas is ridiculously cheaper
some retail products are cheaper due to lower cost of doing busiess
drinks are waaay cheaper---i laugh at bar tabs in dallas compared to chicago and i am thankful at the same time


the low price you pay for the great quality of life you get in a progressive city like dallas, makes it tough to leave after you get settled in...

there is a stat out there that dallas has had positive growth for over 6 years in a row... for a place with no beach or major tourist attraction that says a lot....

people don't visit dallas--they go there to live.... i botched this phrase

[CMDallas]

^
I know!
We need a major tourist attraction, the best we have is the Texas State fair...and a couple of Sports games...

anyways...
Generally everything is cheaper, except Airfare...but being from Chicago, another hub of AA it shouldn't be that different. Esp, if you don't travel.
The weather is generally pretty nice year round, by a Chicagoan's standard, the Summers can get hot...but I shouldn't be telling you anything new.

[getmeoutofhere]

Out of curiosity, why would you want to move here?

I am doing everything I can to get out. Texas sucks.

[dogblitz]

as mentioned... Dallas is not a great place to visit... but a great place to live...
one intangible that money can't buy- great people.... once your here, you'll adjust and love it... plus our economy and housing are holding up just fine....summers can be brutal, but you can also play golf 12 months a year sometimes; and NO ugly and gloomy, grimy snow covered streets for months at a time; like the saying goes here, "I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could"

[killer2021]

Originally Posted by getmeoutofhere

Out of curiosity, why would you want to move here?

I am doing everything I can to get out. Texas sucks.

Most people move to texas for cost of living and jobs. Those two things are VERY important for most people. If you don't have those you probably are a) broke on living on the streets. b) living paycheck to paycheck. That is what happened to my parents who live in orange county, ca. Lost good paying job, now living paycheck to paycheck trying to figure out how they are going to retire. My mom wants to stay in the OC but I tell her, "the only way you can make it in OC is if you work for the rest of your life." Then I tell her she should sell the home and move to very cheap area like a depressed small town and just live off social security and all the cash she made from selling her paid off home. Retirement these days is a luxury, not everyone gets to do it!

[LStrom]

Originally Posted by getmeoutofhere

Out of curiosity, why would you want to move here?

I am doing everything I can to get out. Texas sucks.

There are SO many reasons why I want to leave Chicago
No Jobs
High cost of living
crime
bad schools(elementary-high)
segregation
generally unfriendly people
bad weather
and just pure boredom from living here all of my life.
My husband and I have 3 children, we would like for them to be able to play outside and get a quality education. My husband can make about 30% more in Texas in IT than he can in Chicago doing the same job. Chicago is like a sinking ship right now in my opinion(unless you are rich) and we are essentially abandoning ship! Times are really hard here and we are just tired of struggling to make ends meet.
I think that you are taking all that Texas has to offer for granted.

[getmeoutofhere]

Originally Posted by LStrom

I think that you are taking all that Texas has to offer for granted.

I think it's more a difference of I've lived here all my life, and have never really liked it, and that's only grown as I've gotten older.

The weather is miserable, and it's one of the most boring states around.

Of course, I have no children and a job that makes it easy relocate.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by LStrom

There are SO many reasons why I want to leave Chicago
No Jobs
High cost of living
crime
bad schools(elementary-high)
segregation
generally unfriendly people
bad weather
and just pure boredom from living here all of my life.
My husband and I have 3 children, we would like for them to be able to play outside and get a quality education. My husband can make about 30% more in Texas in IT than he can in Chicago doing the same job. Chicago is like a sinking ship right now in my opinion(unless you are rich) and we are essentially abandoning ship! Times are really hard here and we are just tired of struggling to make ends meet.
I think that you are taking all that Texas has to offer for granted.

Hi LStrom,

I also live in Chicago and will (possibly) be leaving for Dallas at the end of this month! I already have an apartment lined up and everything. Just waiting for one final confirmation from my employer that it is ok to relocate.

I do have to disagree with you on one point - you mention that there are no jobs in Chicago...I think this depends on what field you are in and what level of experience you have. I work in IT and my view is that there are a lot of well-paying IT jobs here in Chicago (more so than in Dallas, actually) but you have to have the experience to compete for those jobs. A lot of it is also "who you know", as a lot of jobs go to people who are friends with people who are already on the inside at a lot of companies. I have been trying to read a lot on the Dallas IT Job Market and a lot of the jobs there tend to be help-desk type of jobs...just a heads-up (Your Mileage may vary).

Rosscountry is right - generally, MOST things are going to be cheaper in Dallas (especially car fuel, food, and drinks). However, I have noticed that there are some things that cost more:

1. Car insurance - for me, my car insurance will JUMP by $50 a month, compared to Chicago. Why? because Texas has limits on how much deductible you can have on your policy. I think the limit is $1000 in TX, whereas in IL I have a $2000 deductible (which I am comfortable with here, because I rarely drive my car here in Chicaog - rely more on the excellent public trans).
2. Electricity - I dont know if this is because electrical demand in the TX summer heat is higher than in Chicago or what - but it seems that my electric bill will be about $100 or more per month higher than in IL.
3. Apartments - I have found that, in general, YES, apartments in Dallas will be cheaper for the same comparable apartment in Chicago...in other words, a $1000 a month apartment in chicaago will be maybe $700 a month in Dallas HOWEVER...this is because the Price per Square Foot is cheaper...but MANY APATRMENTS IN DALLAS (especially in Uptown neighborhood, where I will be living) are VERY LARGE!!! So, even tho it is "cheaper", you end up paying more for your apartment per month, because you are renting more square feet!! Although - you tend to get a LOT more than just the sq footage...you get things like free parking, a pool, jacuzzi, and many other really sweet perks, from renting in Dallas, that many apartment buildings in Chicago simply cannot offer you. But bottom line, at least for me, my 'monthly expenses' living down in Dallas is actually going to be HIGHER, than living in Chicago, by at least a couple hundred dollars. BUT, yes, I will be getting an amazing apartment, great weather, friendly people, etc. For me this trade off seems to be worth it. Again, YMMV.