Houston vs Raleigh/Durham (West, Howe: calculator, income, income tax)

[lmbebo]

Hi

Having a hard time figure this out. Currently living in West Texas. I'm content with my current job. stable and great pay. Wife has not liked it out here and wants to relocate. No jobs, the desert climate, further from her family in the NE.

I have an opportunity in Houston that seems pretty solid, but no means the job of my dreams. It will be busy. The way my industry works, couldn't really move around after this job hop without shooting myself in the foot. I have the contract, I just need to sign it and don't have much time to sign it left.

I received an opportunity to interview for another position that I've wanted for a long time in Raleigh. Its government based and has a better life/work balance. Life wouldn't be as much of a grind as it is now. Pay isn't as great, but cost of living is less there is less, less traffic/big city issues, closer to my wife's family and has much better retirement benefits (pension and matching of the TRP?401k?).

Bird in the hand, two in the bush scenario.

Personally, I'd rather wait for the NC opportunity and if nothing worked out I'd still be ok with my current job. My wife isn't giving me that as an option. If I weren't to get the NC job, then I'm not sure where we would be. I've already explored all other avenues of moving to other big cities in Texas (and rejected a few other offers). I'd have to start looking to move outside Texas (which doesn't thrill me as my family lives here and adds even more expense on my end to leave Texas professionally).

Thoughts?

[Lowexpectations]

A quick look at a COL calculator has Houston metro about 8-10% more expensive than Raleigh so it's not that much different

[lmbebo]

Well, maybe in terms of day to day stuff. Part of Houston we'd be interested tends to have more expensive housing. Plus cost of commuting every day will be longer in terms of time spent in car.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by lmbebo

Hi

Having a hard time figure this out. Currently living in West Texas. I'm content with my current job. stable and great pay. Wife has not liked it out here and wants to relocate. No jobs, the desert climate, further from her family in the NE.

I have an opportunity in Houston that seems pretty solid, but no means the job of my dreams. It will be busy. The way my industry works, couldn't really move around after this job hop without shooting myself in the foot. I have the contract, I just need to sign it and don't have much time to sign it left.

I received an opportunity to interview for another position that I've wanted for a long time in Raleigh. Its government based and has a better life/work balance. Life wouldn't be as much of a grind as it is now. Pay isn't as great, but cost of living is less there is less, less traffic/big city issues, closer to my wife's family and has much better retirement benefits (pension and matching of the TRP?401k?).

Bird in the hand, two in the bush scenario.

Personally, I'd rather wait for the NC opportunity and if nothing worked out I'd still be ok with my current job. My wife isn't giving me that as an option. If I weren't to get the NC job, then I'm not sure where we would be. I've already explored all other avenues of moving to other big cities in Texas (and rejected a few other offers). I'd have to start looking to move outside Texas (which doesn't thrill me as my family lives here and adds even more expense on my end to leave Texas professionally).

Thoughts?

How long of a time frame does the contract cover ? Is the job opportunity in NC a Federal position ?

[lmbebo]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

How long of a time frame does the contract cover ? Is the job opportunity in NC a Federal position ?

Yes, NC is a federal option. They don't come up that often because turnover is so low.

Houston, its a 1 year contract, renewable to 2nd. But usually what happens is that you get the 1 yr, then a 5 year contract.

[lmbebo]

Update: Houston was kind enough to allow me the opportunity to parse out NC.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by lmbebo

Update: Houston was kind enough to allow me the opportunity to parse out NC.

I guess that settles that, keep us posted....

[lmbebo]

Thanks. It was a really hard decision to make. Grateful that they are giving me the opportunity to explore it. Our prior job decision move didn't. had we'd been given the same opportunity before, I doubt I'd be in this position to move.

[Ghost Town]

Raleigh: real ocean, but too far from it.
Houston: not so far from the beach, but it's not a real ocean, just a gulf. And beaches are mediocre here.
However beach season is definitely longer in Houston.

Houston: no state income tax. Raleigh: 6% state income tax.
But 1-year contract in Houston is not serious enough. Permanent job in Raleigh seems a better option.

I would try to speed up Raleigh interview and mention that you already have a contract in Houston, so maybe they will move faster with an offer.

[Spade]

The Gulf is part of the ocean. How is it not real? Some of the best beaches in the world are on the gulf.