Should I move to W Texas (Houston, Austin: crime, how much, job market)

[dancer511]

I'm single professional woman in my 30s and currently in Austin. I'm concerned with the increasing crime and homeless situation here and would like to move away. I'm conservative and have been to Midland a handful of times for work and found the pace nice, the people friendly and it was refershing to be around people who share my values. However, curious if there are a decent amount of single people there or is it mostly families? I've also seen people comment on crime/safety in Midland-- is it generally a safe feeling city or is crime a problem?

[Raider Scott]

Originally Posted by dancer511

I'm single professional woman in my 30s and currently in Austin. I'm concerned with the increasing crime and homeless situation here and would like to move away. I'm conservative and have been to Midland a handful of times for work and found the pace nice, the people friendly and it was refershing to be around people who share my values. However, curious if there are a decent amount of single people there or is it mostly families? I've also seen people comment on crime/safety in Midland-- is it generally a safe feeling city or is crime a problem?

I live in Houston, but attended Texas Tech and lives in Lubbock for 5 years. My daughter also went to Tech and we visited Lubbock several times a year, when she was there.


Personally...I loved Lubbock. No traffic, no humidity, little crime and it barely rained - so I could ride my bikes several times a week. Friendly people and a slower pace, although it is a town of 300k people.


Because of the large university, Lubbock has a vibrant restaurant and live music scene and there are lots of things to do there. Many nice parks and places to ride bikes and enjoy the low humidity and clear blue skies. Great sunsets out there as well.

Summer in Lubbock is WAY better than summer in Austin. First, there is less humidity, always a breeze and like the desert, it cools off more at night than it does in Austin. Less 100 degree days as well. We dined outside evenings in August in Lubbock and never broke a sweat.



The only downfalls I found were the weather in January and February could be really cold and icy or snowy. Although....ice and snow there tends to last only a few days. The dust storms were mostly in late spring and again...the dust came in and was there a day and left and then life went back to normal. I will take that over Houston's horrible humidity and constant flooding rains. I spent way more time enjoying outdoor things in Lubbock than in Houston.


Lubbock is pretty conservative, overall. I would not worry about that. Compared to Austin..it will seem VERY conservative. LOL Texas Tech has a Christmas celebration called "The Carol of Lights" where everyone in the town comes out and they sing carols and light the buildings....it is very respectful of the holiday for a large diverse university of over 40k students. I would say people there are more center-right libertarian sorts that want to be left alone. Yes, there are many evangelicals but you can easily be a part of their world or ignore it entirely if you wish.



Lubbock is large enough that you will find all the stores you love in Austin to be there...even HEB and Lubbock's HEB is super huge and nice and HEB is planning three more stores in Lubbock soon.


As far as the singles scene..I have no idea, but it IS a town of 300k and with a large university...so...it is always possible.

If I did not have so much family here in the Houston area...the wife and I would totally consider retiring in Lubbock. Yeah...we loved it that much. LOL



Yeah...I would say give Lubbock a look and maybe San Angelo or Abilene...but Lubbock is my favorite West Texas town!

[case44]

Originally Posted by dancer511

I'm single professional woman in my 30s and currently in Austin. I'm concerned with the increasing crime and homeless situation here and would like to move away. I'm conservative and have been to Midland a handful of times for work and found the pace nice, the people friendly and it was refreshing to be around people who share my values. However, curious if there are a decent amount of single people there or is it mostly families? I've also seen people comment on crime/safety in Midland-- is it generally a safe feeling city or is crime a problem?

Originally Posted by Raider Scott

Lubbock is large enough that you will find all the stores you love in Austin to be there...even HEB and Lubbock's HEB is super huge and nice and HEB is planning three more stores in Lubbock soon.

As far as the singles scene..I have no idea, but it IS a town of 300k and with a large university...so...it is always possible.

If I did not have so much family here in the Houston area...the wife and I would totally consider retiring in Lubbock. Yeah...we loved it that much. LOL

Yeah...I would say give Lubbock a look and maybe San Angelo or Abilene...but Lubbock is my favorite West Texas town!

Dancer511, you might find West Texas surprising. That part of the state has had many myths told about it through the years, but you'll be amazed at what's happening in Lubbock. The same is true for Midland and Amarillo, and you can't really go wrong with either of those areas. Of the three, Lubbock has the most new development happening at this time. It also has a slightly larger airport than the others, and their terminal renovation is about to be completed. As Raider Scott pointed out (and which I've partially highlighted), the growth in Lubbock has been accented by H-E-B's recent arrival in the area as an alternative to United and Lowe's grocery stores. That's a sign of progress. They're turning dirt in a number of places as more business is coming to the area. Some Tech graduates actually stay in the area as the job market there is strong. The most notable addition to the city in the past year is the new Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences.

Abilene and San Angelo are smaller communities and are generally quieter, even though those places have had some new activity pop up. I would vouch for Lubbock as it's the largest city of the areas mentioned thus far, but it also depends on what specific job you are looking for as you make your way to settle in. They have better leadership than Austin has and you'll have a better quality of life overall.

I've found a link to a chart which may enable you to check out stats on Lubbock singles. It's at least worth looking at: https://www.towncharts.com/Texas/Dem...hics-data.html

Let us know how you're doing on your search. Merry Christmas!

[supfromthesite]

There are much better medium sized cities and small towns in texas than Lubbock. I think you are overreacting Jesse

[LocalPlanner]

There's a lot I personally like about West Texas (even though my politics don't align well with either "end" of the traditional spectrum), and I've like the people I've worked with when I've had projects there. Retaining younger adults has, yes, traditionally been an issue even in the larger cities like Lubbock and Amarillo, but the higher education campuses and medical institutions will always have a churn of younger folks who are looking to socialize and find companionship.

One thing to think about is how much you will miss natural trees and green in the landscape over time. And the lack of terrain to compensate, as you have in, say, El Paso (mountains). It may not bother some folks, but I've wondered if it would really eventually get to me.