California vs. Texas - 2019-nearing-2020 edition (live, best, state, better)
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Last year's California vs. Texas thread is old news. Even this year, California and Texas have continued to undergo dramatic changes socioculturally, eocnomically, even meteorologically and topographically. These are very arguably our two most culturally and economically important--and, really, most dynamic--states (though New York can make a solid case).
Anyway, let's go! As far as which state is better, what are your thoughts on...
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)?
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)?
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)?
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")?
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)?
A lot of these are hard to answer if you're looking at the entire states (LA is nothing like Redding is nothing like Eureka is nothing like South Lake Tahoe). So for the purposes of this thread, besides #s 3 and 4, I'll assume we're in a generic major metropolitan area in each state.
1. Quality of life: Depends on the kind of person, but for a generic average US citizen, probably Texas
2. General safety: Texas
3. Rural areas and natural scenery: California and it's not close at all
4. Urban areas: California
5. Career development: Texas unless you're in a creative field (even in tech, I'd say these days Texas is better for your money)
6. Culinary: IDK but California probably has more variety
7. Physical infrastructure: No idea
8. Social infrastructure: California
9. Politics: California but their housing policies are a huge blind spot
10. Culture and people: Hard to say - different, which is better depends on the vibe you're looking for
11. Overall location: California
Where I'd rather live: California, but if I had to move to Texas for a contract project, I can think of worse places to spend a year
Favorite major city in CA: Oakland
Favorite natural area in CA: The far north coast (Del Norte County)
Favorite major city in TX: Houston
Favorite natural area in TX: South TX
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)?
California
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)?
Texas
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")?
Texas
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)?
Texas
Texas leads 6-5. With all the natural disasters every few months in CA, coupled with the high taxes and super far left fringe politics at times, Texas seems more livable and chill LOL. But I prefer California.
Where would you rather live overall? California, Los Angeles or San Diego, hands-down.
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states?
California: San Diego and Los Angeles
Texas: San Antonio and Fort Worth
Last year's California vs. Texas thread is old news. Even this year, California and Texas have continued to undergo dramatic changes socioculturally, eocnomically, even meteorologically and topographically. These are very arguably our two most culturally and economically important--and, really, most dynamic--states (though New York can make a solid case).
Anyway, let's go! As far as which state is better, what are your thoughts on...
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)?
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)?
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)?
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")?
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)?
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)?
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)?
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")?
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)?
Where would you rather live overall?
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states?
Thanks!
1. Quality of life:Texas
2. General Safety: I picked Texas because of lack of big earthquakes
3.Rural Areas and natural scenery: California
4. Urban Areas: Texas for me
5. Career Development: Texas because I work in the oil and gas/fracking industry
6. Culinary: Texas
7. Physical Infrastructure: Texas
8. Social Infrastructure: Texas for me
9. Politics: Texas because I am a Conservative Republican and Texas has no state income tax
10. Culture and people: Texas
11.Overall location: Texas
B. Where would you rather live overall: Texas without a doubt
Bonus What is your favorite city or area in the two states
California: Southern California and the Cascade Region in California
Ugh I can imagine the homers typing their heavily biased comments now...
Anyways...
1. Quality of Life: Texas is more affordable and I think wins in primary education overall. Universities definitely go to California though. Overall tho: Texas
2. General Safety: You get tornadoes or hurricanes depending on where you are in Texas. California you get droughts and fires. In terms of crime, you can just pull up stats I guess but I always stuck to avoiding the known bad areas and a little common sense and you'll be fine. In general, I'd feel safer in Texas.
3. Rural areas and natural scenery: California and it's not really close.
4. Urban areas: California. LA and SF are multicultural and provide more amenities than the cities in Texas do and have better public transit. That's definitely not to say the Texas cities are not multicultural and have a lot of things to do. They just don't have the exciting "vibes" as the CA cities do.
5. Career Development: Texas. I just feel it's more business-friendly and provides more opportunities for those who aren't that rich and therefore can move up easier than those in the same boat California.
6. Culinary: In my opinion, California and Texas are #1 and #2 respectively in the nation in this category. It's close but I think California just has every cuisine imaginable due to its multiculturalism. Texas does a great job though and I like how they generally have larger portions and don't cater to the health nuts either.
7. Physical infrastructure: Texas has wide, sprawling highways with huge interchanges. Even though LA probably has the most robust freeway system in the world (just over capacity) I think Texas cities would be more impressive if the cities were the size of LA. California wins in bridges and seaports though. Airports... I have never had a problem at the ones I been to in either one of these states which would be Houston, SJ, DFW, and LAX so it's moot. By a slighty margin: Texas.
8. Social Infrastructure: California wins this one for me.
9. Politics: Texas. California is too blue for my liking. I think the cities of Texas offer a nice moderate balance in politics and it very much seems like if you don't flaunt your political agenda's in people's faces, no one would care.
10. Culture and People: This is hard to say. I guess I'd go with Texas here. I don't want to go into much detail here but it's what my gut feels.
11. Overall location: California personally
I would prefer to live realistically in Texas.
Favorite City in CA: LA
Favorite City in TX: Houston
I've only been to Texas airports so can't really contribute that much.
I do know this though-
If you want to be really clever and original, find an internet post about moving from California to Texas and say "please don't bring your politics to Texas", because I don't think ever seen that in an internet comment before.
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)? CALIFORNIA, considering its diversity of damn near everything comprehendible. It's a continent in a state, basically, and as long as you're willing to budget more tightly than in most states, you can typically make it there. California's selection and caliber of universities is only rivaled by the United Kingdom, and has seemingly incalculable impacts on research and development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social infrastructure. (Yes, I acknowledge that California has a severe homeless problem, too.) Texas can be wonderful if you want to live the middle-class lifestyle and prototypical American dream, though.
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)? TEXAS, but not overwhelmingly. I really only voted for Texas because of its more robust self-defense laws, having less of a proclivity to have massive wildfires and earthquakes, and having a more strongly organized statewide disaster relief program in place. However, I feel and am less safe from serious crime in many parts of south Houston or south Dallas, than in south Los Angeles or east Oakland, and Texas can get some crazy floods. Not to mention, I learn of waaaaaay more violent robberies, where, for instance, a store clerk is killed before the store is robbed, in Texas than in California.
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)? CALIFORNIA, without question. Sure, Texas has Hill Country, Big Bend, the Guadalupe Mountains, Palo Duro, and deep pines, but a majority of Texas still consists of some of the most uninspiring landscape you could ever imagine. Texas' Gulf coastline isn't anything to write home about.
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")? CALIFORNIA, without question. Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin have a lot to offer as amenities go, and are even cosmopolitan, but even San Jose and San Diego feel more "energetic" and vibrant in many respects, in comparison. The only truly "energetic" city in Texas is Houston, and that's really just inside the West Loop, and that still feels much more watered-down and even sterile compared to L.A. and S.F. California is also full of wonderful small cities, like San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, and Chico (yes, it's super nice), but then it also has less-than-desirable cities like Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Salinas. In Texas, Galveston is a neat small city in its historic core, but the rest of Galveston County is generally dumpy; Georgetown and Round Rock are cute small cities around Austin, and they're really still towns-turned-suburbs. Even Texans will also say that places like Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Midland/Odessa, and much of the Rio Grande Valley are just awful.
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)? CALIFORNIA, all things considered, though Texas pays well in many professions and your money can go a lot further in most communities here.
6. Culinary (dining, freshness, affordability, diversity)? CALIFORNIA. End of story. Sorry, Texans, Tex-Mex is fine, but California Mexican is superior and fresher; and that's just (Americanized) Mexican food, for starters. The Central Valley from Bakersfield to Redding is one of the food baskets of the world! That said, Houston is quickly gaining rightful respect as being a city with quite a palate for diverse, high-quality food. Also, as grocery stores go, California-based Trader Joe's is the best small grocery store ever, but Texas' own H-E-B is the best supermarket ever (blows Vons and Safeway out of the water!)
7. Physical infrastructure (highways, bridges, rail, airports, seaports)? TEXAS, as California takes forever to build a road or high-speed rail line thanks to the "environmentalist" wackos.
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)? CALIFORNIA, though some of the suburbs north of Dallas are at least trying in this regard to develop cohesive, "connected" downtowns. As a side note, and connectedly, the quality of K-12 public education in Irvine, Claremont, or Palo Alto, versus Plano, McKinney, or Round Rock, is probably about tied.
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)? TEXAS, without question. California's too lefty-left for its own good sometimes.
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")? TIED, ultimately. I actually find people around L.A. to be the most openly friendly and open-minded out of any urban area in either California or Texas, interestingly--generally. Don't conflate the west L.A., entertainment industry nonsense with the rest of the vast metropolis. I've actually found people around the S.F. Bay Area to be a real mixed bag, San Diegans to honestly be prickly and unpleasant generally, and people throughout the rest of California to be generally friendly and affable. Texas culture is a weird one, in that the people can generally be boisterously friendly to the point of it being fake, and yet also be too direct and crass. I can't quite figure out Texans. I do know that urban Texans aren't any friendlier than urban Californians for the most part, road rage and customer services are arguably worse out here generally, and rural Texans are friendly enough but patently insular and cliquish. Yet, Houston is now the most diverse city in the country, and Austin and Dallas aren't far behind, so as races, ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities go, Texans are arguably every bit as inclusive as Californians--if not even more so. As a side note, Houston gave the world Mattress Mack--and you can't help but like Mattress Mack!
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)? CALIFORNIA, for what it's central to: Baja, the Pacific Northwest, Las Vegas, Utah's National Parks, Arizona, and flights to Hawaii. What Texas is central to isn't nearly as interesting (New Mexico and Monterrey are cool, but Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas get boring, quickly), despite its central location in the southern heartland. What's more, flights are generally more expensive leaving Texas, for destinations domestic and foreign, than leaving California.
Where would you rather live overall? Having lived in California previously, and living in Texas currently, my vote is for CALIFORNIA. I'm increasingly respecting why Texans love their home so much, but I'll probably never be brought on board with the "Texas ethos," despite my generally conservative political leanings.
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states? California: Los Angeles (major city), Oakland and Sacramento (tied) (mid-major cities), and San Luis Obispo County and Siskiyou County (rural regions)
Texas: Houston and Fort Worth (tied) (major cities), Hill Country and Big Bend region (tied) (rural regions), and Georgetown (small town, though it's becoming a small city). I admit, I gripe a lot living near Houston, but I do find it spades more interesting as a city than Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
Therefore, my ultimate vote: 7 California, 3 Texas, 1 Tie
Last edited by AmericaBravoCharles; 10-30-2019 at 09:03 PM..
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)? CALIFORNIA, considering its diversity of damn near everything comprehendible. It's a continent in a state, basically, and as long as you're willing to budget more tightly than in most states, you can typically make it there. California's selection and caliber of universities is only rivaled by the United Kingdom, and has seemingly incalculable impacts on research and development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social infrastructure. (Yes, I acknowledge that California has a severe homeless problem, too.) Texas can be wonderful if you want to live the middle-class lifestyle and prototypical American dream, though.
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)? TEXAS, but not overwhelmingly. I really only voted for Texas because of its more robust self-defense laws, having less of a proclivity to have massive wildfires and earthquakes, and having a more strongly organized statewide disaster relief program in place. However, I feel and am less safe from serious crime in many parts of south Houston or south Dallas, than in south Los Angeles or east Oakland, and Texas can get some crazy floods. Not to mention, I learn of waaaaaay more violent robberies, where, for instance, a store clerk is killed before the store is robbed, in Texas than in California.
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)? CALIFORNIA, without question. Sure, Texas has Hill Country, Big Bend, the Guadalupe Mountains, Palo Duro, and deep pines, but a majority of Texas still consists of some of the most uninspiring landscape you could ever imagine. Texas' Gulf coastline isn't anything to write home about.
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")? CALIFORNIA, without question. Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin have a lot to offer as amenities go, and are even cosmopolitan, but even San Jose and San Diego feel more "energetic" and vibrant in many respects, in comparison. The only truly "energetic" city in Texas is Houston, and that's really just inside the West Loop, and that still feels much more watered-down and even sterile compared to L.A. and S.F. California is also full of wonderful small cities, like San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, and Chico (yes, it's super nice), but then it also has less-than-desirable cities like Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Salinas. In Texas, Galveston is a neat small city in its historic core, but the rest of Galveston County is generally dumpy; Georgetown and Round Rock are cute small cities around Austin, and they're really still towns-turned-suburbs. Even Texans will also say that places like Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Midland/Odessa, and much of the Rio Grande Valley are just awful.
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)? CALIFORNIA, all things considered, though Texas pays well in many professions and your money can go a lot further in most communities here.
6. Culinary (dining, freshness, affordability, diversity)? CALIFORNIA. End of story. Sorry, Texans, Tex-Mex is fine, but California Mexican is superior and fresher; and that's just (Americanized) Mexican food, for starters. The Central Valley from Bakersfield to Redding is one of the food baskets of the world! That said, Houston is quickly gaining rightful respect as being a city with quite a palate for diverse, high-quality food. Also, as grocery stores go, California-based Trader Joe's is the best small grocery store ever, but Texas' own H-E-B is the best supermarket ever (blows Vons and Safeway out of the water!)
7. Physical infrastructure (highways, bridges, rail, airports, seaports)? TEXAS, as California takes forever to build a road or high-speed rail line thanks to the "environmentalist" wackos.
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)? CALIFORNIA, though some of the suburbs north of Dallas are at least trying in this regard to develop cohesive, "connected" downtowns. As a side note, and connectedly, the quality of K-12 public education in Irvine, Claremont, or Palo Alto, versus Plano, McKinney, or Round Rock, is probably about tied.
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)? TEXAS, without question. California's too lefty-left for its own good sometimes.
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")? TIED, ultimately. I actually find people around L.A. to be the most openly friendly and open-minded out of any urban area in either California or Texas, interestingly--generally. Don't conflate the west L.A., entertainment industry nonsense with the rest of the vast metropolis. I've actually found people around the S.F. Bay Area to be a real mixed bag, San Diegans to honestly be prickly and unpleasant generally, and people throughout the rest of California to be generally friendly and affable. Texas culture is a weird one, in that the people can generally be boisterously friendly to the point of it being fake, and yet also be too direct and crass. I can't quite figure out Texans. I do know that urban Texans aren't any friendlier than urban Californians for the most part, road rage and customer services are arguably worse out here generally, and rural Texans are friendly enough but patently insular and cliquish. Yet, Houston is now the most diverse city in the country, and Austin and Dallas aren't far behind, so as races, ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities go, Texans are arguably every bit as inclusive as Californians--if not even more so. As a side note, Houston gave the world Mattress Mack--and you can't help but like Mattress Mack!
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)? CALIFORNIA, for what it's central to: Baja, the Pacific Northwest, Las Vegas, Utah's National Parks, Arizona, and flights to Hawaii. What Texas is central to isn't nearly as interesting (New Mexico and Monterrey are cool, but Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas get boring, quickly), despite its central location in the southern heartland. What's more, flights are generally more expensive leaving Texas, for destinations domestic and foreign, than leaving California.
Where would you rather live overall? Having lived in California previously, and living in Texas currently, my vote is for CALIFORNIA. I'm increasingly respecting why Texans love their home so much, but I'll probably never be brought on board with the "Texas ethos," despite my generally conservative political leanings.
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states? California: Los Angeles (major city), Oakland and Sacramento (tied) (mid-major cities), and San Luis Obispo County and Siskiyou County (rural regions)
Texas: Houston and Fort Worth (tied) (major cities), Hill Country and Big Bend region (tied) (rural regions), and Georgetown (small town, though it's becoming a small city). I admit, I gripe a lot living near Houston, but I do find it spades more interesting as a city than Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
Therefore, my ultimate vote: 7 California, 3 Texas, 1 Tie
ya Midland/Odessa is quite bad. My favorite cities in Cali are San Diego and Los Angeles and my favorite cities in Texas are Austin and Lubbock.
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