Which Texas city should I be considering? (Houston, Dallas: low crime, high school)

[ironspider]

Well, I'm sure this is thread 1 billion asking this but I wanted to get some of the experts' opinions about what Texas city might be best for my particular profile.

I'm a 42 year-old white male with no attachments living in the upper Midwest. I'm a type 1 diabetic and the brutal winters, rainy days, snow, raking leaves, humidity, shoveling snow, etc. are just getting harder and harder on me and I'm feeling like it's time to make a change.

I've been pouring over these forums for several weeks (mostly lurking) and every thread is like an Amazon review for something: some people love places and some people hate them--and they can really sell their hatred sometimes! I've been thinking mostly about Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, or Texas. Of them all, Texas seems to have a lot going for it and the economy seems to be pretty strong going forward compared to those other states.

As far as my career goes, I currently make about 71k working in IT management at a University. I have a BA in English (don't ask), a Master's in Hospitality Management, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship. I had two years of Spanish in college and I just got the Fluenz red box to get back into it since I know the SW has a ton of Spanish-speakers no matter where you look.

I guess the things I'm looking for are probably what 99% of other people say they're looking for: good economy, low humidity, no/little snow, lots of sunny days, low crime. I'm not religious or hyper-political so those factors don't really matter to me.

So, although I know that's kind of nebulous, I'm looking for some cities in TX to narrow my search down to. Also, if you maybe lived somewhere else and moved to TX, or vice-versa, I'd love suggestions/advice/thoughts on TX vs. other places.

Thanks!

[BobTex]

The 1st thing that jumped out at me was that the humidity was getting to you (along with rain, snow, snow shoveling, and raking leaves). This rules out probably most of Texas (humidity). You will be limited to the high plains and will still have some snow to deal with(not a lot) ... but no leaves and little rain.

So looks like you've painted yourself into a corner that would be north of I-20 and west of Forth Worth (if you drew a north/south perpendicular line thru FW). There is no true perfection but as of right now Texas has a much better economy that the other areas but that can even be quasi regional in Texas. I am in SE Texas and in healthcare so can't help you much more I am afraid.

Far West Texas could fit the bill too on second thought ... might look into El Paso, Odessa, Midland. Can you handle Texas heat?

[ironspider]

Thanks BobTex. Interestingly, I had emailed another person that I went to High School with about the humidity in Austin and he just responded and said "It' not as bad as Michigan". I found that interesting because another person (not from Michigan) told me "It's like 1000% humidity all the time). This person, as you can imagine, is from the SW.

So I imagine the humidity level is pretty subjective (although it's based on actual numbers ) and maybe I should back off that "requirement" some.

Like I would take some humidity if there was sun over dreary snow days, shoveling, and raking 2 acres of leaves!

[RoadWarrior12]

Dallas (really, the DFW area) seems to fit as I read your post. Little bit lower humidity than Central and East TX, still has a very strong and fairly diverse economy - which, based on your background might be a benefit. Doesn't look like you've pigeonholed yourself in any one career field!

I'd say hit up the job boards and see what you can find in the greater DFW metroplex and then see if the city/area fits what you're looking for in a landing spot.

Do be aware that you're trading a brutal winter for a HOT summer, although we tend to dry out a bit when it gets really hot, so it's not as bad as upper midwest humid summers. Plus, our infrastructure is a bit more set up for heat, you can AC hop just about everywhere.

[TheOverdog]

The Uof Texas is in Austin, it sounds like it would fit all your criteria. I'd say DFW area as well, Denton with University of North Texas and Houston with the UofH. These are all big schools with IT departments that would be similar to what you are used to. All these cities also have multiple universities so you have some opportunities for changing jobs as well.

Lubbock with Texas Tech, Texas State in San Marcos, and Tex A&M in College Station would be secondary options.

Las Cruces, NM, and Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona, and U of Oklahoma would be options outside of Texas. I'm not very impressed with Nevada universities or Nevada in general unless you wish to hang out in Vegas all the time, so no recommendation there.

I know you didn't mention CA, but Sacramento might also hit your criteria. It's not really that much more expensive than Austin. It will have better summers than any place in Texas.

If you have any more specific criteria or want to change industries, have any special lifestyle considerations, those might change my generic listing.

[ironspider]

Thanks for all the tips/advice so far.

I have been doing a lot of those "****" type quizzes (the real-ish ones, not the silly Facebook ones that are like 6 questions long) and each one has said Las Cruces as a top spot. I had never even heard of it.

A lot of them also suggest Las Vegas which, of course, has UNLV and more hospitality jobs than you can shake a stick at but a lot of people just think it's a &*%#hole.

[GBCommenter]

FWIW, here's thoughts from this 43 year old white male that had no attachments in Minneapolis when he left (though not really for medical reasons - just hated the cold and actually went to FL first until I got the right job that brought me to Dallas).

I'd second Dallas, which isn't humidity free but seems a lot lower than Minneapolis in the summer. It's not absolutely snow-free, but it generally melts in a day or two (at least did last winter). Dallas would have a good economy too.

Others mentioned Abilene or Lubbock. I don't know much about them, but what I've heard seems positive. You might get less humidity and Lubbock does have Texas Tech.

As mentioned, be ready for hot in the summer - and one difference to at least Minneapolis is it doesn't much cool down at night. At 11PM it can still easily be 90F, so expect that if you come to TX.

Austin would have UT but my impression is more humidity. That said, I've heard the nighttime heat isn't as bad as Dallas. I also have a somewhat less favorable impression of economy in Austin (not horrendous, but not Dallas).

One great advantage (IMO) to TX is no state income tax. Yes, property tax is more and you may have tolls depending on where you choose but overall still less taxes. It definitely is less tax than MN.

[Bobloblawslawblog]

Originally Posted by ironspider

A lot of them also suggest Las Vegas which, of course, has UNLV and more hospitality jobs than you can shake a stick at but a lot of people just think it's a &*%#hole.

And having lived there for four years, I can definitely confirm that it is. Avoid at all costs (unless you're just going there for a wild weekend). Great place to visit, horrible city to live in.

I've lived in many, many different cities all over the country, and I can say without the slightest trace of doubt the worst one was Las Vegas. Never again.

[Campeador]

The upper midwest is more humid during the summer months than most cities in TX (except for Houston). If you are coming from MN, WI, or MI you will find it to be slightly drier in any of the cities of TX along I-35.

I'd visit DFW, Austin, and San Antonio and see what you think. They each have their own flavor and you'll want to find your best match. You might also see what you find in the way of work and consider the merits of each offer too.

[TheOverdog]

The upper midwest is more humid during the summer months than most cities in TX (except for Houston).

I don't think so. Here's a chart that shows dew points. The average summer dew point for Minneapolis is 56 (not humid)-66F (humid), the average for Dallas in the same period is about 64(humid) to 72 (oppressively humid) and Houston is even higher. Austin & San Antonio are the same as Dallas. So Texas is both way hotter and more humid than the upper midwest in the summer.

https://weatherspark.com/averages/30...-United-States