Denver or Houston (insurance, high crime, mortgage)

[dreamboatannie953]

Our daughter has been thinking of moving to Houston. We were thinking of moving to Denver and never thought of Houston till she mentioned it. Which is better Denver or Houston and why? Anybody know about both cities?

[5280milehiguy]

Sounds like both of you want to get out of the rain? Denver is great for that, with over 300 days a year of sunshine, it is my choice because of the relatively mild weather. Yes, a few days in winter can get brutally cold in Denver, when the arctic fronts plow down the plains, but summers are relatively warm, not hot. My sisters house north of Denver doesn't even have a/c. Yes, you get maybe a few blizzards a year, but the wetness is in the Fall and Spring, winters are relatively dry, and can even hit the 70's.

Houston. Well I grew up in San Antonio, and yes Texas is downright HOT. Houston has by far the worst sweat factor in Texas, with temps daily in the 90's and humidity not far behind that figure. Houston has horrible traffic problems and they aren't rapidly expanding their Metro like that is happening in the Denver area. As seen last summer, Houston is prone to hurricanes and serious floods. On the upside, Texas has some great bar-b-que.

I think Denver has some nice walkable areas too, they are urban areas where walking, window shopping and eating at a sidewalk cafe can be had, all with decent, dry weather. Culturally, Houston seems more diverse with large populations from Latin America and S.E. Asia. You can go to the Texas coast in about an hour, but it is no California or Mexican beach. Denver has great access to the mountains, and you can be up over 10,000 feet relatively quickly when the city does heat up in the summer.

You should be more specific on what types of outdoor activities you enjoy, what type of work you would look for, what kind of commute you'd like, etc., those are basics when trying to identify a new place to live.

[renlouis]

The beaches near Houston are crap. Nothing like Florida, East Coast or Calif. beaches. Water is dirty and beaches almost as dirty. Yuck. (I live in Dallas and go to NC or Florida for beaches, though it is much farther to travel - I could be at the beach in Galveston in 5 hours, but wouldn't waste my time).

[DenverAztec]

Both are very different and it depends on what you are looking for in a new location? Houston is massive but it is an effort to get around the city as there is not great focus on core development. Their focus is on developing districts, hospital, museum, but the residents want to live away from the city. Denver is very much about core development, but we are not immune to sprawl in the burb. What are you and/or your daughter looking for in a city?

[steveindenver]

Ever been to Houston in the summer?

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by dreamboatannie953

Our daughter has been thinking of moving to Houston. We were thinking of moving to Denver and never thought of Houston till she mentioned it. Which is better Denver or Houston and why? Anybody know about both cities?

With respect to you, it's just a matter of taste. The two cities could not be more different from each other if they tried. One is dry, the other humid. One is one of the most populated cities in the country, the other doesn't even have what most from out of state would consider traffic jams. One is consistently named the healthiest city in America, one finds itself near the bottom. One is in Texas (though I love Texas, it's oftentimes like living in a different country). One is at least TRYING to make an effort to go towards a greener economy, the other depends largely on oil. There is water nearby one, the other is landlocked. One has a massive downtown, complete with what seems like hundreds of skyrises, the other has a "quaint" downtown that is great, but not massive. One has a very high crime rate, the other is considered average. One has very specific places you have to live if you want to be safe and have your kids in good schools, the other has plenty of areas to live in where you can find that.

My husband received 2 job offers after deciding to retire from the Air Force. One was in Houston and one was in Denver. We chose Denver because it seemed like Houston was just way too big for us. We didn't want to have to live in Sugar Land or The Woodlands in order to feel safe. That being said, had we moved to Houston, we would have found ourselves enjoying whatever we could find.

I think no matter where you live, it is ultimately YOUR opinion and not ours that should be the deciding factor. One person's hell is another's slice of heaven. But, if your child is moving to Houston and you want to be close by, then let THAT be your decision maker. If being near family is important, then it doesn't matter if they live in Fargo, ND.

By the way, DON'T be fooled by the cheap home prices in Texas. What you don't pay for a mortgage, you make up for by VERY high property taxes. Many friends in Texas were shocked when they found out how much their mortgage was, after having property taxes and homeowner's insurance rolled in. Also, Houston is a mess when it comes to finding a company to supply your energy. Unlike Denver, when you automatically have whatever company provides utilities in your neighborhood, Houston has a free-for-all market where you can have one company and your neighbor can have another. The bills and service quality vary widely and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on which one is better. They all seem to charge a lot and don't provide quality service.

Also, don't forget that there are hurricanes in Houston. Remember Hurricane Rita? I was driving across country and working my way to Florida after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and got to see for myself what the freeways look like when a major US city is being evacuated. We do have the occasional tornado here and lots of warnings, but in Houston, there is a very real possibility you and your family will find yourself with your possessions packed up and trying to find a place to sleep.

[5280milehiguy]

Lol, that's quite a comparison. I'm glad I got out of Texas, the humidity was a killer and the bugs are huge. I did like Austin though, smaller with all the big city conveniences. I miss Rudy's BBQ terribly. Anyhow, made a trip mid March to Denver, what a place. Sorry I missed the happy hour, had a hard time getting down to Denver from Ft Collins. Anyhow, spent the whole day on Monday walking downtown, got a bus pass and went to neighboring districts. Wow, the city is nice to walk around, and even if you go from downtown to other "districts" it's still easy to get around. I don't think Houston would be like that, besides with temps in the 70's I didn't mind walking around a bit. Houston won't be seeing daytime highs in the 70's for a while, unless there are tropical downpours. But I'm happy to say I am glad to be choosing Denver and Colorado as my new home. I got my King Soopers card, so guess it's official, See you soon!

[PokerMunkee]

Go to Houston in July......OMG! Just walking out of the airport you can feel the humidity hit you!

Houston does have cheap housing, but Houston has the feel of a BIG city, which I personally hate. You gotta go visit Denver and Houston for a week each to get the feel.

[Sheridan1962]

We recently moved to Denver (we've been here only 3 months), and I grew up in Houston. I haven't lived in Houston since 1990, but I can tell you I'd pick Denver over Houston hands down. Houston will always have a special place in my heart, but the 1) humidity 2) lack of scenery 3) traffic 4) gross weather keep me from wanting to go back to living there. Since leaving Houston in 1990, we've lived in Austin, TX, Wichita, KS, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, Oklahoma, DFW Metro area and now Denver (darn corporate relocations). Denver has a very nice climate (although I'm not too sure I believe the 330 days of sunshine I keep hearing about :lol ), and the scenery and recreational opportunities put it in a class by itself compared to any other place we've lived.

BUT, that being said, I am EXTREMELY close to my children, and if moving to Houston meant I could live close to my kids once they are grown and out of the house, I'd be there in heartbeat.