Small Towns In Texas? (Houston, Austin: 2013, crime rate, houses) - City-Data Forum

dani2013 · 08-01-2010, 08:24 AM

I want to move to a small town in Texas. I would really like to live in a town with under, like, 500 people in it. It would be better if it were under 300, but 500 is okay. Does anyone know of any towns? If so, can you please tell me their names?

And this is the first time I'm moving, and I don't know what all you need to know about where you are moving. Like crime rate and everything. If you could list some things off for me, that would be helpful, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

GayleTX · 08-01-2010, 08:53 AM

School ratings? Cost of housing; housing availability? Job availability? Transportation? Climate/geography? Medical facilities?

Cathy4017 · 08-01-2010, 09:35 AM

Here is a list of towns <1000 on City-Data. From the first page, choose the dropdown box for the tiny towns.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Texas.html

Balmorhea is the only one on the list I would even consider, and I'd have to think hard about that one! I don't know anything about the rest of them.

Willsson · 08-01-2010, 09:50 AM

First of all, I don't think a small town, 300 - 500 is going to have much crime rate but there's literally hundreds of small towns in Texas. Take a look at a google map. Set the map on a terrain view and you'll see the changes of elevations from coastal going north or from east to west.

Cathy4017 makes a good suggestion with reviewing the forum info on towns in Texas. You might also visit the Texas Travel Guide for a colorful guide to regions in Texas and the various towns within them. You might also take a look at the Handbook of Texas Online where you can look up history of any town in Texas.

Good luck with your research. We'll look forward to you moving to Texas soon. Bring cash.

texasdiver · 08-01-2010, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dani2013

I want to move to a small town in Texas. I would really like to live in a town with under, like, 500 people in it. It would be better if it were under 300, but 500 is okay. Does anyone know of any towns? If so, can you please tell me their names?

And this is the first time I'm moving, and I don't know what all you need to know about where you are moving. Like crime rate and everything. If you could list some things off for me, that would be helpful, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Where are you moving from?

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of small towns that fit your description. The majority are declining and many are just drying up and blowing away. Most small towns in Texas were formed to be regional centers of commerce back when rural Texas was populated by small farms. Now the 100 acre family farms of a century ago have mostly been absorbed into giant corporate farms and the small little towns that served farm families no longer have a purpose.

If you want to live in a small town that isn't destined to become a ghost town then your best bet is to find one that is reasonably close to a larger city so that there is still some economy left. Here in the Waco area I'd say the town of Valley Mills would be a good candidate. Cute town with a pretty main street that lies along the banks of the Bosque River. And it's only about 25 minutes from Waco so one can live there and still find work and shopping within driving distance. There are some interesting old houses in Valley Mills that look like good candidates to buy and restore. I'm sure there are hundreds of similar towns around the state.

dani2013 · 08-01-2010, 10:09 AM

Everyone is telling me to consider different states then Texas too. Know any other states that have good small towns?

And I'm from a small town in Virginia, so I know how small towns are. We don't have much crime here, Thank God, but we don't have much to do either. So I'm looking for a place where there are things to do. And we also live like two hours away from the nearest town that even has Wal-Mart. We only have a Dollar Store, a Foodland, and a Rit-Aid here.

catman · 08-01-2010, 10:26 AM

Cathy4017: Balmorhea is hot in summer, but property is cheap there, and it's not far from Fort Davis. I think you'd almost have to be bilingual there.

Cathy4017 · 08-01-2010, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catman

Cathy4017: Balmorhea is hot in summer, but property is cheap there, and it's not far from Fort Davis. I think you'd almost have to be bilingual there.

The hot weather is a downer, for sure.

It has a lower elevation (26-2700 ft) than FD/A/M, but I'd choose it over several other places if I had to!

I wish I had the guts to try one of the more isolated, high-elevation places in Fort Davis, such as the Davis Mountains Resort. Many of the properties have to have water hauled in and stored in onsite tanks.

Canine*Castle · 08-01-2010, 03:18 PM

Why are you leaving VA? I absolutely fell in love with Floyd County as well as the area around Galax and one day, it MIGHT be where I relocate.

From Cathy's list, I like Bandera even though it has more than 500 people. It's very hot there, but it's really a pretty area.

Camp Wood ... It's a poor little town, but I like the rugged surroundings and the Frio River.

Walnut Springs ... Again, another kind of poor town, but the area it very peaceful, quiet, lovely, and green.

Thrall ... wide open and rather lovely ... nearer to Austin

Crawford ... I like it. There is a Farm to Market road out of Crawford that is one of the most peaceful drives I've ever been on. It's pretty and absolutely calming. I'd move waaayyy out there in a heartbeat.

Goodness, I was going to list all the towns I've been to, but I realize I'd be here at the computer too long. Anyway, I hope some of my information is helpful, and good luck to you.

For many details of any city/town, go to www.city-data.com. You can find out statistics galore on that sight. Another good sight is Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed

Melissa78703 · 08-01-2010, 04:14 PM

Only small towns I'm familiar with are Utopia and Round Top. Utopia is in a very pretty area of the state. Very bad schools and the food at the one market isn't exactly fresh, if you know what I mean. Bilingual a given. I wouldn't expect to find employment there.

Round Top is around Population 90. It's darling. Again, sweet area of the state, but if you want to find work, that might be really difficult, if not impossible. It's sort of a retirement town with a few antique stores to lure in tourists.

A lot of the small towns on this list are actually bedroom communities that are appended to big cities like Houston.