Japan to killeen (Austin, Waco, Temple: real estate, rental homes, crime)

[Island.Boy]

I'm a DOD Civilian who's lived on a Pacific island for 30 years. I'm finally being reassigned to Ft Hood in January. All the information I'm seeing on Killeen is a little scary, "crime capital of TX". I'm 54 and will be living alone. Any suggestions on finding a safe, quiet place to live?

[WillysB]

Use a google map to find Ft Hood and check out the towns in the area. There's thousands of civilians still living along the Hood, from Copperas Cove to Temple. The Hood metro is booming and I've seen only one mortuary. Some military even head on down towards Austin, living in Georgetown.

As far as where to live... what sort of arrangements you looking for? How much? You want to live across the hiway from the main entrance or a commute?

Fill in some detail preferences and you'll get plenty of guidance.

But first, go to the Texas Travel Guide website and order your Texas Travel guide. It's FREE ! ! ! including international delivery.

[NOTAM]

I live in a rural area west of Ft Hood, and work on post. Killeen aint the only option for you to live in. It is very congested, busy, commercial. There are however, some VERY nice areas on the outskirts of Killeen e.g. around the airport (very rural) and around Chapparal Road, i think it is. I hear Killeen has lots of crime. Sure, there are ghetto areas, downtown probably aint a good place, or anywhere along Rancier Blvd or WS Young Blvd. I have to do some shopping in Killeen and go dine out there once in a while and never have felt unsafe, however. I have friends who live off of Clear Creek Road, near the airport and Metroplex Hospital-it's a sea of subdivisions. It's ok, if you like suburbia and cookie cutter homes.
Lots of military families in Killeen, of course. Harker Heights to the east is more upscale, lots of military, more officer types, McMansions. Though there are trailer parks and inexpensive rentals in HH. Temple/Belton-nice towns, safe, moderately priced, can be very rural and cheap in certain areas, or upscale lakeside living along Lake Belton or in the small community of Morgans Point Resort. Then to the west is Copperas Cove, a bedroom community-lots of military, semi-commercial, suburbia, less expensive than Harker Heights, safer than Killeen (everywhere is safer than Killeen). If you want to live very rural, with little military, country folk, cowboy/rancher types, Gatesville is the best small community, and VERY VERY cheap, and the NICE thing about it is though the distance is longer to post than the other towns mentioned, the commute involves NO traffic, so the time is the same for commuting. You would drive West Range Road on post, through artillery areas, rolling hills, wide open range, creek crossings, cattle guards-absolutely gorgeous. Then there is Lampasas to the far west, very small, safe, quiet, rural, slightly more expensive than Gatesville. Lampasas has HEB and SuperWalmart. Gatesville has HEB, SuperWalmart with truck/tires shop, and a Tractor Supply Company.
Then you have the options of Salado (expensive), Georgetown (expensive)...lots of the very highly paid professionals I work with live in those towns.
Other towns my coworkers live in are Nolanville (small town northwest of Harker Heights/Killeen), and Moody (north of Temple).
KEEP IN MIND: KILLEEN/HARKER HEIGHTS/COPPERAS COVE, the three major cities/large towns around Ft Hood, which are heavily populated by military families, have higher rents because the rents are BASED ON BAH. THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND PRIVATE OWNERS KNOW HOW MUCH BAH OUR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY FAMILIES GET AND KNOW HOW MUCH THEY CAN CHARGE, SO THEY CHARGE THE MAX. I dropped my rent in HALF by moving from Copperas Cove to the rural small town non-military area.
If you have been living in Japan/Okinawa/Pacific Basin area and are accustomed to asian foods, you will love, as I do, OMART grocery store in Killeen-it's a huge grocery store full of asian/pacific rim/hawaiian/korean/japanese/chinese/vietnamese/taiwanese/thai grocery items and also has a section of appliances/furnishings etc, and a sit-down cafe with fast food plate lunches and a bubble drink kiosk (tapioca pearl drinks gone Starbucks)...i go shopping there often. Killeen has diverse cuisine so it's great for eating out-a handful of Hawaiian plate lunch cafes, tons of Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino etc restaurants.
Craigs List is a WONDERFUL place to find rental homes or real estate/land. Go to Craigs List and search for Waco/Ft Hood/Killeen subcategory. Let me know if you need anything else. Good luck. Welcome to "The Great Place". You will love it. Hooah!

[NOTAM]

Why dont you expand on that, and explain exactly what you mean by that. Not sure if you are assuming the OP is Japanese? If so, it's not like there is a HUGE Asian population in Killeen, but has a sizeable population of Asians-Koreans/Japanese/Vietnamese. This is due to the diversity of the military. There are Korean churches everywhere, and a Buddhist Temple on I95 in Killeen, just south of Maxdale/Ding Dong and north of Florence, i believe where i saw it, on the right hand side, heading south.
If you are just referring to the possibility that the OP is accustomed to asian foods, sure they will be satisfied to know that they wont be without, in this area.

Originally Posted by Calle13

You lived in Japan you say? Then you'll fit right in Killeen.

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by NOTAM

Why dont you expand on that, and explain exactly what you mean by that. Not sure if you are assuming the OP is Japanese? If so, it's not like there is a HUGE Asian population in Killeen, but has a sizeable population of Asians-Koreans/Japanese/Vietnamese. This is due to the diversity of the military. There are Korean churches everywhere, and a Buddhist Temple on I95 in Killeen, just south of Maxdale/Ding Dong and north of Florence, i believe where i saw it, on the right hand side, heading south.
If you are just referring to the possibility that the OP is accustomed to asian foods, sure they will be satisfied to know that they wont be without, in this area.

I would lean more to the diversity of the military wifes as the reason.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Calle13

lol what are you ranting about now? I ain't reading all that.

The more you read, the more you might learn rather than making short comments which don't really explain what you mean. The term "ranting" has nothing to do with explaining and elaborating about a subject.

[NOTAM]

actually, thanks for clarifying this-that is really what i meant. though there is a small amount of soldiers of asian decent, the majority of the asian population brought into the area are due to the Korean and Japanese wives. absolutely.
with regards to the unusual amount of hawaiian restaurants, there are actually quite a few active duty soldiers here (and also when i was at Ft Stewart for 3 years before I cam here) who are from Guam, American Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii. so these soldiers have families, who have kids, and aunties and the whole population grows....so on and so on, and auntie starts a mom-n-pop cafe...

Originally Posted by Steel Man

I would lean more to the diversity of the military wifes as the reason.

[dentin]

Hi NOTAM, your posts about the Fort Hood area are excellent and very helpful.
I'm going to be stationed at Ft. Hood in about 6 months and I am looking to rent a house in that area. You said that you live in Gatesville and noted that the commute time would be about the same as that of Copperas Cove? How long is your commute time from Gatesville?
Thanks.

[NOTAM]

it's about 30-45 minutes depending on exactly where you live in Gatesville. If you live in Ft Gates area of Gatesville, you are right near the West Range Road gate.
If you live in Flat (town just east of Gatesville), you are near East Range Road gate.
Copperas Cove "looks" like it is closer to Ft Hood, and it is, however the population is larger, and the traffic is heavier, therefore same time commute, but shorter distance.
Copperas Cove, you can go on Tank Destroyer Road onto post thru Tank Destroyer gate, or go on Hwy 190 to either Clark Road gate, or Main Gate, or Santa Fe gate.

personally, i dont like traffic. i would prefer to have a relaxing drive through rolling hills, creeks, cattle guards...GORGEOUS drive from Gatesville through post. i always have to laugh at all the signs "Proceed at your own risk, artillery fire overhead"....yep, risking your life to drive to work ha ha..(i've never been hit by artillery)

Originally Posted by dentin

Hi NOTAM, your posts about the Fort Hood area are excellent and very helpful.
I'm going to be stationed at Ft. Hood in about 6 months and I am looking to rent a house in that area. You said that you live in Gatesville and noted that the commute time would be about the same as that of Copperas Cove? How long is your commute time from Gatesville?
Thanks.

[dentin]

Thanks for the reply NOTAM, it helps out a lot.

I was wondering if there are any areas in Copperas Cove that are nicer to live in and areas that aren't so nice.

How long would the commute time be from Kempner and Lampasas? I looked at the map and they seem kind of far away and one would have to use highway 190 (traffic congested?) to get on base, right?

I am looking to rent a house-- I think you mentioned that you recommend Craigslist as a good source? Are there any others?

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by NOTAM

it's about 30-45 minutes depending on exactly where you live in Gatesville. If you live in Ft Gates area of Gatesville, you are right near the West Range Road gate.
If you live in Flat (town just east of Gatesville), you are near East Range Road gate.
Copperas Cove "looks" like it is closer to Ft Hood, and it is, however the population is larger, and the traffic is heavier, therefore same time commute, but shorter distance.
Copperas Cove, you can go on Tank Destroyer Road onto post thru Tank Destroyer gate, or go on Hwy 190 to either Clark Road gate, or Main Gate, or Santa Fe gate.

personally, i dont like traffic. i would prefer to have a relaxing drive through rolling hills, creeks, cattle guards...GORGEOUS drive from Gatesville through post. i always have to laugh at all the signs "Proceed at your own risk, artillery fire overhead"....yep, risking your life to drive to work ha ha..(i've never been hit by artillery)