Why on earth would you want to move to Texas ? (Portland: live, people)

[Mister Torgue]

Originally Posted by ndcairngorm

Texas has no state income tax, one of the few states that doesn't, and outside the big cities, real estate property tax is not a big burden.

Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the country as well as a high overall tax burden and cost of living than several other states that are better destinations. The three states my wife and I seriously considered moving to (including the one we ultimately chose) have a state income tax but most other taxes and the cost of living were anywhere from a little to a lot cheaper. I'll list a few of tax rates in Texas for grins.

New vehicle sales tax = 6.25%
Sales taxes range from 6.25%-8.25% on everything else
Average property taxes = ~1.81%

Property tax by county map 2019:
https://static.taxfoundation.org/med...019/index.html

Top 5 (median) property tax 2019:

1. New Jersey: 1.89%
2. New Hampshire: 1.86%
3. Texas: 1.81%
4. Nebraska: 1.76%
5. Wisconsin: 1.76%

Total tax burden (Texas is only #17):
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-wit...-burden/20494/

Where Texas shines with taxes is the corporate / franchise tax.

You can choose your own type weather

Yup you're right, there's; hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, cool for a week, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, it rains for several days, hot, hot, hot, hot, tornadoes, hot, hot, hot, a little cool for a few weeks, hot, hot, hot and finally a huge cold snap before this all repeats.

Most places in the US are what you are willing to make them.

Maybe, though I would like to say a few states start off in MUCH BETTER positions to do so.

[KathrynAragon]

You can't talk about property tax rates without including cost of living/housing rates. I'd rather pay 3 percent of $200,000 than 2 percent of $600,000.

[ikoolu]

and what about car registration or the fees for this or that - how about gas tax and fuel cost

what about the huge saving on your 401k or SEP accounts -

[twinkletwinkle22]

1/3rd of my family lives in Texas. Their kids grew up there, went to great Texas universities and they got jobs there, got married, had kids.

They travel to Europe and Asia for job and for fun but Texas is their home and always will be. They love it.
I've visited, hate the traffic, hate the heat. I need a smaller city.
If a couple has "get ahead" ambitions, for themselves and their children then Texas is a great choice.

I've lived in a state with 6% state income tax and low property tax, Texas's higher property tax and no income tax is equivalent.

[SOPO]

Originally Posted by JJG

Why do you people give in to these obvious troll threads?

There shouldn't be ANY replies . . .

.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

You can't talk about property tax rates without including cost of living/housing rates. I'd rather pay 3 percent of $200,000 than 2 percent of $600,000.

No Doubt.

However, as far as cost goes, Texas is ranked 23rd for median home cost, so around average. With only 2 states with higher property taxes, that means more than half of the other states it is going to be more affordable to own a home.

Usually, people who think Texas home prices/taxes are "A good deal" come from one of the most expensive states.

Running a state is very expensive, so they have to get the money from somewhere. It's really hard to have no income tax and low property taxes unless you are Nevada and Tax Vices. I wish Texas would legalize pot already so we can get some money from that...It isn't as if Texans don't already smoke pot and that could take some pressure off the property taxes.


I think what keeps Texas moving is the very low business Taxes that keep moving well-paying jobs here. A great job and no income tax will offset the high property taxes and companies can afford to pay good wages here because it is cheap enough for them...plus they don't have to pay coastal wages but they don't need to offer a high QOL.

I don't think Taxes are particularly low on people here unless you underspend on your home and make in the upper % of earners, but the low business taxes keep wages competitive.

QOL would be better if you made Dallas/Austin/Houston wages in Cincinnati, Clevland, Birmingham, Boise, or Indi, even with the state income taxes, but there are fewer jobs there that pay Dallas wages.


To answer the OP: I moved here for the economy. There are plenty of other places that if money was no object I would prefer, but money is an object. Poverty with a view is still poverty. Texas offers lots of opportunity and good relative affordability to wages.

As a place to live it offers good amenities, especially at the price point.

[Trainwreck20]

Ignoring the 'troll' aspect, the original question of why people move here is a good one. For the most part, it seems to be jobs.

The 'tax burden' thing is very case-specific - if you are a two income family (especially if above median income), then property taxes tend to work out better than income taxes; income tax applies twice (once to each person) whereas property taxes only applies once. I have done the math for many other potential locations, but very few come out economically better for my family. And even the ones that do 'come out better' can't provide the same high-paying jobs for both my wife and myself, so although my tax burden might be lower, out take-home pay would most likely plummet, as well.

Just this morning I was catching up with a friend I hadn't talked with in about a year. Since then, his MIL has moved here, as well as two SILs. The MIL recently lived in NH and was from CO, but it was cheaper to live here than either of those two, not to mention the cold which she has grown less tolerant of as she has aged. The younger SIL moved here (with husband and kids) from CO because her spouse was tired of the cold and he could get a higher paying job here and the quality of the schools was better for the areas that they could afford. The older SIL divorced some years ago and moved down here to be close to family and (I strongly suspect) for tax reasons - she is in sales and makes a ton of money, so I am guessing the CO income tax was a much bigger hit than TX property tax.

Now, they could have chosen other places and might have if their daughter/sister did not already live here, who knows?

[ndcairngorm]

Originally Posted by Mister Torgue

Property tax by county map 2019:
https://static.taxfoundation.org/med...019/index.html

Top 5 (median) property tax 2019:

1. New Jersey: 1.89%
2. New Hampshire: 1.86%
3. Texas: 1.81%
4. Nebraska: 1.76%
5. Wisconsin: 1.76%

I did say, if you recall, that my whole subject was about OUTSIDE the large Texas cities. The real estate taxes on small towns do not approach the high levels you mentioned.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by ndcairngorm

I did say, if you recall, that my whole subject was about OUTSIDE the large Texas cities. The real estate taxes on small towns do not approach the high levels you mentioned.

That's true of most rural areas though.

[ndcairngorm]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

That's true of most rural areas though.

Yep