Looking to move from Lubbock to somewhere else. (Houston, Dallas: house, job market)

[paintedbison]

DH needs to find a different job. He is in IT. There just isn't the industry where we currently are for him to have many job options. We are now trying to figure out if we want to stay in the state, or move somewhere else. Several have suggested Austin. I wonder if the hype matches the reality. There are several jobs available in Dallas. I grew up in the area and am not sure how I feel about moving back.

Things we would like in a location:

1. A market for IT jobs.

2. A city of at least about 500,000. We would like for the area to be big enough that if he doesn't like the new job, there would be other opportunities in the same city.

3. A reasonable cost of living. We would like to be able to make it on one income. Somewhere that we can get a house for less than a half million dollars.

4. Driving distance (within about 18 hours) from a Texas border would be a plus. All our family is in the state and flying a large family back and forth to visit grandparents will be expensive.

5. Access to places to hike/ running trails/ nature of some sort.

6. Not crazy amounts of traffic. Or public transit. Or a walkable location.

7. I would like my children to be able to see snow. It doesn't have to be much, but all of Florida and Houston are not places I am hopping to move. (I would make exception if I could live IN Disney World.)

8. I would love to escape from a place that is completely republican and "good ol' boy".

9. I'd love a city with some flair to it. I don't really want to live in sprawling suburbia.

[rr2005]

How about San Antonio? I have relatives there and always thought the area is nice. The only requirement it won't meet is maybe the snow. I don't know if they ever get any there?

[davis449]

Right now San Antonio is your choice with the exception of number 7. You're going to be hard pressed to find a place that sees significant snow in this state (despite the crazy winter storms in the northern part of the state this year that definitely aren't the norm). I've been here a little over a decade total and I love it.

[gguerra]

Dallas and Austin have the best IT job markets. San Antonio is not quite up there on availability and pay scale. Cost of living is also higher in Dallas and Austin so it may balance out as far as pay. Traffic is terrible at all three with Austin quickly becoming the worst since their infrastructure is not keeping up to the growth. Not sure about Houston, they are big for oil related jobs but currently the oil prices are way down so that is in a slump. So going over your criteria I would also say San Antonio. There is a compromise there somewhere. As far as traffic just move close to where you work.

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by paintedbison

DH needs to find a different job. He is in IT. There just isn't the industry where we currently are for him to have many job options. We are now trying to figure out if we want to stay in the state, or move somewhere else. Several have suggested Austin. I wonder if the hype matches the reality. There are several jobs available in Dallas. I grew up in the area and am not sure how I feel about moving back.

Things we would like in a location:

1. A market for IT jobs.

2. A city of at least about 500,000. We would like for the area to be big enough that if he doesn't like the new job, there would be other opportunities in the same city.

3. A reasonable cost of living. We would like to be able to make it on one income. Somewhere that we can get a house for less than a half million dollars.

4. Driving distance (within about 18 hours) from a Texas border would be a plus. All our family is in the state and flying a large family back and forth to visit grandparents will be expensive.

5. Access to places to hike/ running trails/ nature of some sort.

6. Not crazy amounts of traffic. Or public transit. Or a walkable location.

7. I would like my children to be able to see snow. It doesn't have to be much, but all of Florida and Houston are not places I am hopping to move. (I would make exception if I could live IN Disney World.)

8. I would love to escape from a place that is completely republican and "good ol' boy".

9. I'd love a city with some flair to it. I don't really want to live in sprawling suburbia.

It sounds like you are considering outside of TX also? Denver sounds like it would work for you.