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I get that these two cities are in different leagues (obviously Dallas/FT Worth is larger), regardless they're both places we're considering relocating to later this year. We are a young family with two young boys (who like to spend time outside). Based on the below criteria, which city would you pick?
COL:
Economy/Job opportunities/growth:
Weather (they're both hot I know)
General safety/crime (we'll probably be living in the suburbs, but city safety as well)
Schools (probably won't matter much since we're homeschooling, but still)
I get that these two cities are in different leagues (obviously Dallas/FT Worth is larger), regardless they're both places we're considering relocating to later this year. We are a young family with two young boys (who like to spend time outside). Based on the below criteria, which city would you pick?
COL:
Economy/Job opportunities/growth:
Weather (they're both hot I know)
General safety/crime (we'll probably be living in the suburbs, but city safety as well)
Schools (probably won't matter much since we're homeschooling, but still)
Orlando and Tampa are two different metro areas with a bit of a break in between, so you'd be traveling quite a bit more to experience things. DFW is one continuous metro area and would be better logistically. One perk not mentioned is that DFW does experience different seasons even though winters are short. I imagine DFW has more food options as it's a larger and more diverse area and the job market is also much stronger while also offering quite a bit of stuff to do.
Like stated above, Orlampa isn't a single metro like DFW is. Dallas and FortWorth are only about 35 miles apart. Orlando and Tampa are about 85 miles apart, meaning you will most likely never see the other metro doing your day to day living in one of these places unless you make an explicit intention to break away from daily life to do so.
COL: It's close, Tampa is probably as pricey as DFW, Orlando is more affordable but we're splitting hairs when comparing areas of desirability.
Economy/Job opportunities/growth: DFW
Weather (they're both hot I know): Like citidata18 said, it will come down to personal preference. Orlampa is going to be the hotter of the two and its also more humid. DFW however gets cold snaps during the winter and experiences snow / ice more often than Orlampa. Orlampa gets more rain, DFW gets windy and more weather extremities on a consistent basis, except.. ..it doesn't get Hurricanes... I'm going to call it a tie.
General safety/crime (we'll probably be living in the suburbs, but city safety as well): It vastly depends on where you live / work but I'm also going to call this a tie.
Schools (probably won't matter much since we're homeschooling, but still): DFW
Transportation: In terms of driving? Tie. In terms of public transportation? DFW
Things to do/family activities: Orlampa
Food: DFW
Uniqueness: Hmmm.. ..not sure on this one.. I'm going to go with Orlampa because on one side you get a coastal city and on the other you also get amusement theme parks, time shares and resorts.
Like stated above, Orlampa isn't a single metro like DFW is. Dallas and FortWorth are only about 35 miles apart. Orlando and Tampa are about 85 miles apart, meaning you will most likely never see the other metro doing your day to day living in one of these places unless you make an explicit intention to break away from daily life to do so.
COL: It's close, Tampa is probably as pricey as DFW, Orlando is more affordable but we're splitting hairs when comparing areas of desirability.
Economy/Job opportunities/growth: DFW
Weather (they're both hot I know): Like citidata18 said, it will come down to personal preference. Orlampa is going to be the hotter of the two and its also more humid. DFW however gets cold snaps during the winter and experiences snow / ice more often than Orlampa. Orlampa gets more rain, DFW gets windy and more weather extremities on a consistent basis, except.. ..it doesn't get Hurricanes... I'm going to call it a tie.
General safety/crime (we'll probably be living in the suburbs, but city safety as well): It vastly depends on where you live / work but I'm also going to call this a tie.
Schools (probably won't matter much since we're homeschooling, but still): DFW
Transportation: In terms of driving? Tie. In terms of public transportation? DFW
Things to do/family activities: Orlampa
Food: DFW
Uniqueness: Hmmm.. ..not sure on this one.. I'm going to go with Orlampa because on one side you get a coastal city and on the other you also get amusement theme parks, time shares and resorts.
Orlampa does have much lower property taxes, and housing is more affordable. You can still get a nice size new construction home for less than $400K in desirable parts of Tampa / Orlando. Good luck with that in DFW.
Orlampa does have much lower property taxes, and housing is more affordable. You can still get a nice size new construction home for less than $400K in desirable parts of Tampa / Orlando. Good luck with that in DFW.
That is fine if you can find a high paying job. If you can't then Orlampa is not much better if you don't have much disposable income. Dallworth appears to do better in offering higher paying jobs.
That is fine if you can find a high paying job. If you can't then Orlampa is not much better if you don't have much disposable income. Dallworth appears to do better in offering higher paying jobs.
Orlampa does have much lower property taxes, and housing is more affordable. You can still get a nice size new construction home for less than $400K in desirable parts of Tampa / Orlando. Good luck with that in DFW.
For the majority of the Northern Suburbs that’s true but it’s still possible down in Mansfield and Cedar Hill area. And while may not be brand new, it’s still also possible to find nice homes under $400k in Coppell and areas not near the lakes of Lewisville and even eastern Frisco, Prosper or McKinney
That is fine if you can find a high paying job. If you can't then Orlampa is not much better if you don't have much disposable income. Dallworth appears to do better in offering higher paying jobs.
The average person buying a house normally has a professional job of some sort, right? Engineer, nurse, dental hygienist, attorney, accountant, etc. etc. These are jobs that are in demand in pretty much every large metro in the country. None of the above listed professions are having a hard time finding good-paying jobs in Orlando/Tampa.
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