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Old 03-08-2018, 10:10 AM
 
Location: Sputnik Planitia
7,829 posts, read 11,781,536 times
Reputation: 9045

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Looking for core differences in the following between Dallas and Austin:

- Tech jobs and salaries
- Cost and availability of housing
- Weather (less rain and stormy weather, less cold the better)

One other specific question... how are the hiking trails in Dallas? I'm in California and we are absolutely spoiled for hiking here due to the geography but I recently visited Austin and hiking along the riverfront was quite beautiful actually. I have yet to visit Dallas although I briefly drove through about 2 decades ago.
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Old 03-08-2018, 10:26 AM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,603 posts, read 14,877,226 times
Reputation: 15396
Quote:
Originally Posted by k374 View Post
Looking for core differences in the following between Dallas and Austin:

- Tech jobs and salaries
- Cost and availability of housing
- Weather (less rain and stormy weather, less cold the better)

One other specific question... how are the hiking trails in Dallas? I'm in California and we are absolutely spoiled for hiking here due to the geography but I recently visited Austin and hiking along the riverfront was quite beautiful actually. I have yet to visit Dallas although I briefly drove through about 2 decades ago.
DFW is cheaper. Both are similar climate-wise. Austin's a bit warmer in the summer and less prone to the ice and occasional snowstorms DFW gets in the winter.

There's no sugarcoating it. DFW is a really crappy area for hiking. The terrain is mostly flat and bland. Trails that pass for good hiking there would rate a 2 or 3 out of 10 in a place like Denver. You'll have to drive anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours to get to "ok" hiking near DFW. Austin is considerably better in that regard.
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Old 03-08-2018, 01:33 PM
 
Location: MO->MI->CA->TX->MA
7,034 posts, read 14,474,847 times
Reputation: 5580
Quote:
Originally Posted by k374 View Post
Looking for core differences in the following between Dallas and Austin:

- Tech jobs and salaries
- Cost and availability of housing
- Weather (less rain and stormy weather, less cold the better)

One other specific question... how are the hiking trails in Dallas? I'm in California and we are absolutely spoiled for hiking here due to the geography but I recently visited Austin and hiking along the riverfront was quite beautiful actually. I have yet to visit Dallas although I briefly drove through about 2 decades ago.
Austin has more tech jobs but is a little pricier.

Both have stormy weather and a lot of rain. If you want dry weather and lots of hiking nearby, come to West Texas but good luck finding a suitable Tech job.
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Old 03-09-2018, 08:10 AM
 
245 posts, read 235,950 times
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Austin is noticeably warmer in winter than Dallas. Austin averages in the 60s in winter on average, with frequent 70-80 temps. Dallas averages in the 50s and gets freezing precipitation every year. Austin doesn’t get freezing precipitation every year. Austin has mature palm trees around town. Dallas doesn’t for the most part.
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Old 03-09-2018, 08:15 AM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,095,392 times
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Dallas has more "four season" weather (4 seasons for Texas at least), Dallas has many more corporate headquarters, and many more legal and accounting jobs than Austin. Tech jobs will vary, depends on what exactly you are looking for, engineers will likely find more jobs in the DFW area. Austin has the most expensive housing market in Texas for both single family homes and apartments.

Austin has more trails and hiking possibilities than Dallas but it is NOTHING like California.
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Old 03-09-2018, 04:29 PM
 
Location: Houston
1,187 posts, read 1,419,236 times
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I'm a Houstonian, so perhaps I can give a bit of an outsider's perspective. They are both great cities and the differences in climate are subtle. Winters are maybe a bit less cold in Austin, but I'm not sure if there is enough difference to most people. Houston gets a lot of criticism for being more humid, but frankly, I think all 3 cities are unpleasant for at least 3 or 4 months each year.

Austin does offer a bit more in terms of hiking and biking nearby. However, (and I haven't explored this yet) Dallas has some interesting sounding places relatively close in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Those places don't sound so sexy, but maybe they are undiscovered gems, I dunno.
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Old 03-09-2018, 08:48 PM
 
Location: South Padre Island, TX
2,452 posts, read 2,300,050 times
Reputation: 1386
Quote:
Originally Posted by madrone2k View Post
I'm a Houstonian, so perhaps I can give a bit of an outsider's perspective. They are both great and the differences in climate are subtle. Winters are maybe a bit less cold in Austin, but I'm not sure if there is enough difference to most people. Houston gets a lot of criticism for being more humid, but frankly, I think all 3 are unpleasant for at least 3 or 4 months each year.
A matter of fact, Houston is actually the least of evils in regards to synoptic comfort factors. But humidity is too big of a boogey-man for most people.

Quote:
Austin does offer a bit more in terms of hiking and biking nearby. However, (and I haven't explored this yet) Dallas has some interesting sounding places relatively close in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Those places don't sound so sexy, but maybe they are undiscovered gems, I dunno.
Definitely. Those two states have some interesting topography corresponding to the Ozark-Ouachita ranges. Also, some national parks in Arkansas like Hot Springs.
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Old 03-09-2018, 10:33 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,603 posts, read 14,877,226 times
Reputation: 15396
Quote:
Originally Posted by madrone2k View Post
Austin does offer a bit more in terms of hiking and biking nearby. However, (and I haven't explored this yet) Dallas has some interesting sounding places relatively close in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Those places don't sound so sexy, but maybe they are undiscovered gems, I dunno.
Those are the "ok" areas I referenced that are 90 minutes to 3 hours (plus) away. Other than the Arbuckle "Mountains" they aren't close enough to be day hiked.

Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
Austin has more trails and hiking possibilities than Dallas but it is NOTHING like California.
Agreed, and compared to Austin, DFW hiking is honestly not worth the time or the effort. Most of the trails are short, flat, and not very scenic or challenging.

Last edited by bluescreen73; 03-09-2018 at 10:47 PM..
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Old 03-11-2018, 05:56 PM
 
Location: Texas
1,982 posts, read 2,087,591 times
Reputation: 2185
Houston's humidity is an actual problem for some people, not just made out to be a boogeyman. I grew up in Dallas and can comfortably walk around for hours during the summer with a jacket on, no sweat. When I went to UH, I went on walks ever night, when it wasn't even summer and I would return to my dorm covered in sweat. The humidity and sweat also cause my skin to break out despite me having tge same diet and exercising the same amount.

Houston is a great city and I would love to live there if it weren't for the humidity (which no one told me about before I went), or small Korean population
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