Austin, Phoenix, Dallas or San Antonio (Houston, Howe: real estate, how much, home)

[mjfadaway]

I’ve been residing in Denver for the past 7 years and I am overall ready for a change. Denver is really a great place but the cost of living has sky rocketed since moving here and I would like to be living somewhere with a warmer climate. I am currently looking into Austin, Phoenix, Dallas and possibly San Antonio. Does anyone have experience with all of these cities and their surrounding suburbs? How do these areas compare to the Denver metro area. If you had to rank them all, what order would you put them in? Feel free to include Denver in the ranking. Am I crazy for wanting to leave? I don’t find myself skiing or snowboarding, so overall I’m just kind of bored here. Thanks an advance everyone.

[Rustybolt]

I get it because I do a lot of work in CO and, though it is nice, I'm not inclined to live there. I live in San Antonio. It isn't perfect, but where is perfection. For correlation., Austin is like Boulder only with high-rises and ten times the population and California real estate prices..plus traffic that is crazy. I still love Austin because I grew up there, but the city I grew up in no longer exists. Denver probably most closely resembles Houston for the sprawl, though DFW metro probably dwarfs Denver. Houston is like Denver in a steam bath and far more multi-cultural. I like Houston, but not the size of it. Then there is San Antonio. San Antonio is big, but manageable. It has a low cost of living. People are friendly. It is predominantly hispanic, but welcoming of all. I've had the benefit of living in or visiting 30 countries around the world (military and San Antonio is Mecca for retired military). While I still love to travel and visit, San Antonio is a good home because of the balance of cost, amenities, weather. Make a visit and check it out.

[A-Tex]

Since cost of living is such a concern and a driving factor in your desire to move, you should cross Austin off your list.

[Idlewile]

Having lived in Denver AND Austin with a deep understanding of the cost of living in both, cross Austin off your list, it’s just as expensive now, with a lot more traffic. San Antonio is much cheaper. Can’t comment on the others.

[m1a1mg]

San Antonio. Easily.

[BijouBaby]

I voted Austin because I've lived here cumulatively for so long and like it for the most part. But it's really just sentimentality because I lived here back in Austin's heyday and have fond memories of what it was and can still find pockets of that old Austin if you know where to look (though I can't afford to live in those pockets anymore!). It's true that it is badly designed for effective traffic flow through and around the city. That makes a hellish commute and I do it every day. Still, Austin has it's charms and has a certain laid-back allure that Houston and Dallas don't have. But be ready for the sticker shock of living here. It's way over-priced, but may be worth it if you can afford it.

My second choice to vote for on your poll would have been San Antonio. Much more affordable and also has a nice laid-back feel, a proud and very active Latino heritage, friendly people, and plenty to do to entertain yourself. And like Austin is mostly surrounded by the lovely Texas hill country which is generally considered the most desirable part of Texas in which to live. I'm considering retiring to the San Antonio area when the time comes. It ticks all my boxes and am still close enough to Austin to visit whenever I like.

However between the two, Austin has a bigger & better job market than SA which generally pays more. But it also costs more to live in Austin. So, there are trade-offs to be made depending on your priorities and resources.

I've also lived in Denver and Boulder and do love both cities, the Colorado climate and scenic beauty. Boulder has a bit of the feel of a younger Austin when it was a much smaller, more liberal, and a "hippier" version of current self. I just couldn't afford to buy anything suitable in Denver or Boulder, which is why I finally returned to Austin. If I could comfortably afford to live there, I would seriously consider moving back to retire in Colorado. I do miss all the outdoor things to do and those snow-capped Rocky Mountains.

Ahhh - just goes to show, there is no place perfect when you're not super wealthy and can just do any old thing your heart desires. But back to your original question, having also lived in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and spent a lot of time in San Antonio - I'd choose either Austin or San Antonio depending on your budget. Hou and Dal are just too crazy-big and manic for my tastes.

[Aquitaine]

I think you'll get the wrong idea from a poll. These are all great cities with a lot to recommend them. The drawbacks (and they all have them) will bite you differently depending on where you are in life and how much you care about different quality of life indicators.

I work from a home office so I hardly ever experience what can be a mind-altering Austin commute if you have the misfortune to live somewhere that isn't near your job. That's a huge negative ... with no impact on me.

Boulder could beat Austin for natural beauty with half its brain tied behind its back, but it can't get any bigger and the concentration of PhDs and high-end jobs means the schools, while great, are pressure cookers. For some that's a plus, and for others a dealbreaker.

What I'd suggest you do is take your preferences and post in each city's forum. Indicate the other cities you're considering but spend more time on your own likes and dislikes (and your budget). You'll get useful perspectives (good and bad). I can't even answer this poll because I've only visited most of the cities on it!

[DCtoTejas]

Originally Posted by mjfadaway

I don’t find myself skiing or snowboarding, so overall I’m just kind of bored here.

What is it that you like to do? That will be a big factor in your choice. Houston has a large pleasure boating scene, one of the largest in the country, while Austin, Dallas and San Antonio have lakes nearby and Phoenix has, I don't know, rocks?

Do you want big city, suburbs or small town? Austin and San Antonio are relatively close to some pretty quaint hill country towns.

Do you have to work? How important is commute time?

You need to provide some more info if we are to have any chance of helping you out.

[A-Tex]

Originally Posted by DCtoTejas

What is it that you like to do? That will be a big factor in your choice. Houston has a large pleasure boating scene, one of the largest in the country, while Austin, Dallas and San Antonio have lakes nearby and Phoenix has, I don't know, rocks?

Do you want big city, suburbs or small town? Austin and San Antonio are relatively close to some pretty quaint hill country towns.

Do you have to work? How important is commute time?

You need to provide some more info if we are to have any chance of helping you out.

Phoenix has plenty of lakes in the area.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by A-Tex

Phoenix has plenty of lakes in the area.

And it has lots of golf and baseball. It has all the major pro sports as well. It’s definitely on my future retirement short list in 15 years. Unless the rising property taxes change here in Texas, I don’t see myself staying here after retirement.