moving for work. Irvine vs. Dallas (Orange: rent, homeowners insurance, houses)

[engineerck]

I currently work in Atlanta. I have received one job offer from Irvine, CA and one from Dallas, TX.
I am unable to make up my mind, as both are similar in terms of career growth (well at least I assume they are).

The offer from Irvine is about $210k and the offer from Dallas is about $170k. I am not sure if the difference is enough to cover the added taxes (no income tax in TX) and extra cost of living in OC area.

Any thoughts or comments whether Irvine would be a competitive offer?

[goozer]

You'll get by just fine on both salaries in those respective cities. I would think about what city would suit you more re interests, culture, proximity to family, etc. Coming from Atlanta, I think Dallas would be a less dramatic change in lifestyle. But if you think you could transition well to a Southern California lifestyle, both the good and the bad, you might consider taking the leap and moving to Orange County.

[k374]

While $210k is nothing to scoff at and will do pretty good in OC the taxes are going to kill you. Most of your income is going to be taxed at 9.3% so that takes off $21k right off the top. Property taxes are lower in CA but the much higher home prices in CA negate the 1.5% higher taxes in TX.

Given that you are such a high earner I am guessing your expectations are also equally high to match in terms of the kind of home and neighborhood that you want to live in. Even at your very high wage it's going to be a struggle because the kind of home you are used to in ATL is probably going to cost you around $1-1.2 million here. Just the property taxes on such a home will be $1000/mo, more if there is mello-roos.

What kind of work do you do to get such a high salary? I must be in the wrong damn field!!!

[engineerck]

Thanks for the comments. They been really helpful.

So for houses, I should expect something less than what I can afford in Atlanta. I guess I will have to think about which lifestyle choice I would like to take.

as for my line of work, its telecommunication system engineering.

[socalmd123]

I would take Dallas. I make 450K and my wife makes 80K and we get absolutely killed in taxes. We make a lot but it all goes to the govt. At least in TX u won't pay state income taxes. And since you'll be caught under the AMT you would not be able to deduct your state taxes(or property taxes) from your federal in CA….that's the huge killer. If I thought I could make in TX anywhere near what I make here I'd move in a heartbeat.

[TimTheEnchanter]

I love California and especially Orange County. There are so many positives with the lifestyle and weather it isn't even funny.

But.

This state is in deep, serious trouble and it ain't getting any better any time soon. I'd take the job in Dallas in a heartbeat and live in the Park Cities.

[thelopez2]

Take Dallas and with your savings vacation to California or wherever you want. The money you save in Dallas, you can even rent a small place by the beach in California.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by engineerck

I currently work in Atlanta. I have received one job offer from Irvine, CA and one from Dallas, TX.
I am unable to make up my mind, as both are similar in terms of career growth (well at least I assume they are).

The offer from Irvine is about $210k and the offer from Dallas is about $170k. I am not sure if the difference is enough to cover the added taxes (no income tax in TX) and extra cost of living in OC area.

Any thoughts or comments whether Irvine would be a competitive offer?

With the fantastic weather here (latest protracted heat wave acknowledged) and ocean-close location, I would recommend taking the Irvine offer for an overall better QOL.

Taxes will take a big bite, but just make adjustments, such as a smaller home & smaller mortgage, in anticipation of that cut.

[8to32characters]

I've lived and worked in Irvine, CA; Plano, TX (suburban DFW); and Alpharetta, GA (suburban ATL).

IMO, Irvine smokes all threes of those places to the point where it's not even a contest, really. The weather, scenery, culture, and lifestyle are much more preferable in Irvine than in suburban Dallas or Atlanta. However, Dallas and Atlanta, aside from the differences in weather and scenery, are somewhat similar, and they're much more comparable to each other than to Irvine.

Like another poster alluded to, it really depends on your interests/lifestyle and how dramatic a change you're looking for coming from Atlanta. Moving to Dallas would entail less dramatic a change and may be somewhat less expensive overall than Irvine in terms of COL, but it's still in TX, which means dealing with all of the [many] negatives that go along with living there--hot, humid summers; cold, icy, windy winters; frequent tornado watches/warnings; fracking-induced earthquakes (depending on where in DFW you live, and far more frequent overall than earthquakes in CA); roads in generally poor condition; flat, bland, uninspiring scenery; a culture of gluttony and excess; extremely religious and socially conservative attitudes and politics; far less active/outdoorsy/fitness-oriented culture--the list goes on and on.

Depending on the size/age/location of the home your purchase, you're going to be facing a pretty steep property tax bill in DFW. Since TX has no state income tax, the state collects a significant portion of its tax revenue in property taxes.

Your utility bills will be MUCH in TX, too, due to far greater utilization of A/C AND heat. FWIW, DFW has very hot, humid summers that last from about May to Sept. as well as surprisingly cold winters--at least by CA standards--that last from about Nov. - Mar/Apr. In fact, because of the wind issue, DFW winters, IMO, *feel* colder than those in ATL. For most people who move from CA to TX, this is the real killer.

And don't even get me started on homeowners insurance in DFW--it's through the roof! Remember, there are lots of things that can damage or even completely destroy your home in DFW--tornadoes, hail, high winds, fracking-induced earthquakes, etc.

Also, unless you're living in a far-flung exurb, auto insurance is approximately twice as much in most of DFW when compared to OC. TX drivers, esp. those in the DFW area, are much more aggressive than those in OC, and driving conditions in DFW are consistently worse in terms of road hazards (mostly weather-related) than in OC.

Oh, yeah--if you're into healthy/organic eating, your food bill will be significantly higher in DFW vs. OC due to the more limited selection of fresh, organic produce and other food items. Beef is cheaper in TX; however, I don't eat red meat.

Just remember, there is more to TX's perceived low COL than meets the eye.

[BeatAngMoh]

TX in general is a very provincial place. Almost everyone flies the TX flag before they fly the US flag. If you are not from TX, you are pretty much an outsider. If you are an ethnic minority, then it gets somewhat worse. Hispanic would be far better than Iranian or Russian for example. It's not outright bias against non-native Texans but basically the vibe is you are not a good ole boy. Its a sophisticated city and the state is able to send people to the White House but I found the IQ of the people to be low and their general worldliness to be almost zilch. Of course, there are exceptions, but that is the general norm IMO. Should your attractiveness to the state be discounted for this factor? Only you would know. Perhaps coming from Atlanta you can't feel it given my perception of your current city (no insult intended)but if you went there as a hired gun from say the Big Apple to solve a company's problems and produce results you would feel it in the office no matter what your title IMO. Irvine is a diverse city with an educated worldly workforce. I would say your potential neighbors in Irvine at least have a passport and watch the nightly news and read the NYT, WSJ and don't ask why the Financial Times is pink. I found the people in TX to be somewhat backward country (bad word inserted)s.