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I'm sure you guys get this a lot but I had a few questions about possibly relocating to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
A little background, my wife and I are early/mid 30's with 3 kids, one school aged, two infants. We currently live in Houston, TX but have been looking to make a huge life change. I grew up in Florida and have made stops in Tennessee and Louisiana, she's never lived outside of the Houston area. We're tired of life in "the big city" although we do love an "urban/downtown" lifestyle, we're tired of the rampant crime that comes with living in a huge city like Houston.
We've considered moving to Florida or Tennessee, but honestly, I've been there and done that and truthfully, we're sick of the humidity that comes with living in the deep south. Arizona is attractive to us because of the different weather that the state has, meaning we like the idea of being able to be in the snow in the northern part of the state and having warm (hot) temperatures most of the time in the southern part. We like the idea of the desert and the activities that it entails, as well as hiking in the mountains, plus it seems that it's the best possible location with proximity to California without actually having to live in California.
Okay, first question.. is the population in Phoenix very diverse? I ask because my wife and I are in an IR marriage and she's black and would probably require ethnic types of stores for hair care, ect.
Second question, is Phoenix affordable? What would an average rent look like around the city?
Third, how are utility costs? Electricity is astronomical in Houston.
Fourth, is auto insurance astronomical in Phoenix?
Fifth, what does the job market look like in the Phoenix area? Are there a lot of openings? Is it a diverse job market with opportunity? or is it like Florida where there's a lot of dead-end retail and fast food careers.
Sixth, what do most people do for fun outside of sports (I would most certainly be attending Cardinals, D-Backs, and Coyotes games.)
Seventh, what is the political climate like? Coming from Texas, my wife and I are fairly conservative.
Either, is there a state income tax? If so, how much?
Ninth, does the state have concealed handgun licenses or constitutional carry?
Tenth, what's the process for drivers licenses and vehicle registration? If it expensive?
Does anyone have any additional tips?
Is there anyone that's currently living in the Phoenix area that can share their transition from Texas to Arizona?
I appreciate your time, I'm just trying to gather as much data about my possible relocation as I can.
Well you are not going down in size much...Houston is what, the 4th largest Metro in the US? We are 6th?
A lot of your questions have been answered and searching may give you some more insight but...
1) Not for African Americans...no it is not. Metro Phoenix is mostly Caucasians and Latinos. Only about 6.5% of our population is African American.
2) Depends on what you think is affordable. We have homes ranging from the $100k - $MILLIONS.
3) Again, this depends. How cool do you want your home in the Summer? About $200 - $300 seems normal in the summer although some new builds have better insulation/sealed better than some other homes.
4) From what I understand, our Auto Insurance is some of the highest in the nation.
5) Depends on what your profession is.
6) Hiking, camping, swimming, any number of outdoor activities, etc.
Well you are not going down in size much...Houston is what, the 4th largest Metro in the US? We are 6th?
A lot of your questions have been answered and searching may give you some more insight but...
1) Not for African Americans...no it is not. Metro Phoenix is mostly Caucasians and Latinos. Only about 6.5% of our population is African American.
2) Depends on what you think is affordable. We have homes ranging from the $100k - $MILLIONS.
3) Again, this depends. How cool do you want your home in the Summer? About $200 - $300 seems normal in the summer although some new builds have better insulation/sealed better than some other homes.
4) From what I understand, our Auto Insurance is some of the highest in the nation.
5) Depends on what your profession is.
6) Hiking, camping, swimming, any number of outdoor activities, etc.
9) Yes and Yes...with the exception that you don't NEED a CCW to conceal carry....but it is recommended.
10) Transfer your license and registration...Vehicle registration is a percentage of your vehicles' value
If you use the search function on the forum and/or want to be more specific you will get more specific responses.
I appreciate your reply! Sometimes when I use the search feature, I end up getting outdated information; for example, things can change a lot within a year or even six months. I was told that this was THE place to get friendly information about relocation to various areas, I suppose for more in-depth responses I can try other forums.
That said, I see that the actual city of Phoenix is about 1.5 million and the metropolitan area is about 4.5 million, Houston has roughly 2.3 million in the city with a metro of about 6.4 million, so there's a pretty sizable difference.
You're right about the black population difference between the two, wow, roughly a 20% difference? Houston does oddly have a higher percentage of latino's and a much lower percentage of Caucasian.
I suppose I'll keep doing research on my own or possibly look into Las Vegas.
Your wife will find hair care, ethnic stores, etc. Just not as many and not as well concentrated.
Phoenix is newer in growth and while the black population is smaller than some areas it also isn't segregated into neighborhoods or areas of town.
Phoenix typically cuts up along socioeconomic lines. White there is a large population it isn't that urban of a city.
It also doesn't have the diversity of Houston, but most places do not. Houston is kinda sneaky with all it offers IMO.
Phoenix does have its own culture and pace and many things aren't obvious.
If you like shooting, the are plenty of options here. Outdoor activities are huge. Decent car culture. People tend to keep to themselves. Plenty of IR couples and marriages, not something that anyone is really going to concern themselves with.
I appreciate your reply! Sometimes when I use the search feature, I end up getting outdated information; for example, things can change a lot within a year or even six months. I was told that this was THE place to get friendly information about relocation to various areas, I suppose for more in-depth responses I can try other forums.
That said, I see that the actual city of Phoenix is about 1.5 million and the metropolitan area is about 4.5 million, Houston has roughly 2.3 million in the city with a metro of about 6.4 million, so there's a pretty sizable difference.
You're right about the black population difference between the two, wow, roughly a 20% difference? Houston does oddly have a higher percentage of latino's and a much lower percentage of Caucasian.
I suppose I'll keep doing research on my own or possibly look into Las Vegas.
Thanks again!
You are right that some information on older threads can be dated. I will say, though, that you asked a lot of questions in one post, making it somewhat daunting to respond to in detail to every question. KurtAZ gave you some good basic information and jumping off points. If you want to get into more in depth discussion on some of the questions you asked, go ahead and do that, here in this thread. People will be happy to help you.
The Black population here is relatively small, yes, but there are MANY interracial couples here. And, as indicated above, the Black population is not so concentrated as in some other cities, because racial and ethnic groups here in the Valley are located by economic factors, and thus are found in most all areas of the Valley.
What do people do for fun here besides sports? (not sure if you meant watching sports, playing them, or both ) Well, the climate allows for all kinds of outdoor activities, hiking, golf, tennis, swimming, you name it. Lakes for boating activities a very short drive from the metro. One of a kind museums, lots of shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues, including casinos that are right in town, at the edges of the Valley. Otherwise, people do for fun here whatever interests them, just like in any large metro area.
For state income tax info, the best source is the Department of Revenue. www.azdor.gov
Auto insurance does tend to be somewhat high here, with rates determined in part by ZIP code. So, there's some variation depending on where you live.
Vehicle registration is higher here than in a lot of states. A big chunk of what you pay is the equivalent of a personal property tax, which is also deductible for income tax purposes. www.azdot.gov/mvd
We can give you more job market info if we know a bit more about what you would be looking for.
I'll jump back in later when I have more time. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.!
Last edited by observer53; 01-18-2017 at 05:51 AM..
I'm sure you guys get this a lot but I had a few questions about possibly relocating to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
A little background, my wife and I are early/mid 30's with 3 kids, one school aged, two infants. We currently live in Houston, TX but have been looking to make a huge life change. I grew up in Florida and have made stops in Tennessee and Louisiana, she's never lived outside of the Houston area. We're tired of life in "the big city" although we do love an "urban/downtown" lifestyle, we're tired of the rampant crime that comes with living in a huge city like Houston.
We've considered moving to Florida or Tennessee, but honestly, I've been there and done that and truthfully, we're sick of the humidity that comes with living in the deep south. Arizona is attractive to us because of the different weather that the state has, meaning we like the idea of being able to be in the snow in the northern part of the state and having warm (hot) temperatures most of the time in the southern part. We like the idea of the desert and the activities that it entails, as well as hiking in the mountains, plus it seems that it's the best possible location with proximity to California without actually having to live in California.
Okay, first question.. is the population in Phoenix very diverse? I ask because my wife and I are in an IR marriage and she's black and would probably require ethnic types of stores for hair care, ect.
Second question, is Phoenix affordable? What would an average rent look like around the city?
Third, how are utility costs? Electricity is astronomical in Houston.
Fourth, is auto insurance astronomical in Phoenix?
Fifth, what does the job market look like in the Phoenix area? Are there a lot of openings? Is it a diverse job market with opportunity? or is it like Florida where there's a lot of dead-end retail and fast food careers.
Sixth, what do most people do for fun outside of sports (I would most certainly be attending Cardinals, D-Backs, and Coyotes games.)
Seventh, what is the political climate like? Coming from Texas, my wife and I are fairly conservative.
Either, is there a state income tax? If so, how much?
Ninth, does the state have concealed handgun licenses or constitutional carry?
Tenth, what's the process for drivers licenses and vehicle registration? If it expensive?
Does anyone have any additional tips?
Is there anyone that's currently living in the Phoenix area that can share their transition from Texas to Arizona?
I appreciate your time, I'm just trying to gather as much data about my possible relocation as I can.
Okay, first question.. is the population in Phoenix very diverse? I ask because my wife and I are in an IR marriage and she's black and would probably require ethnic types of stores for hair care, ect. I don't think an IR relationship is any kind of a big deal. Like Houston, PHX is very live-and-let-live. There are not a lot of blacks in Phoenix, just so you know.
Second question, is Phoenix affordable? What would an average rent look like around the city? Depends on where you look. Expect to pay out the butt in places like Scottsdale, less so in Surprise. The area also depends on rent, depending if its older, run down, etc. Just like any other place. Expect to pay around $1K a month for a small 2-bedroom place. Id say that's pretty average.
Third, how are utility costs? Electricity is astronomical in Houston. Summer electricity costs are just as bad as Houston I can imagine. Our a/c comes on in April and stays on until mid-October at least. In the thick of the heat (June/July/Aug/Sep), it runs almost non-stop. We pay around $200-250 a month, but we like to keep it a little cooler than most (74 degrees at times).
Fourth, is auto insurance astronomical in Phoenix? Yes. Its ridiculous. Be prepared to get raped. Also, you pay more for your plates if the car is newer. For example, I only pay $25 a year for our old Jeep, but my neighbor had to fork over $400 for his plates on his new Ford Fusion.
Fifth, what does the job market look like in the Phoenix area? Are there a lot of openings? Is it a diverse job market with opportunity? or is it like Florida where there's a lot of dead-end retail and fast food careers. Job market is decent, but its no NYC or SEA. Its mostly service jobs and call center BS. There are, of course, options, but the market is tight if that's not your area of expertise.
Sixth, what do most people do for fun outside of sports (I would most certainly be attending Cardinals, D-Backs, and Coyotes games.) Hike, bike, art walks, etc.
Seventh, what is the political climate like? Coming from Texas, my wife and I are fairly conservative. Its mostly conservative here, you should fit in well. Of course you'll have pockets of bleedin heart libs just like anywhere else, but you just deal with them like you do anywhere else: ignore them and hope they go away back to their Democratic hell holes that they escaped from.
Either, is there a state income tax? If so, how much? Yes. Read the link the other poster provided.
Ninth, does the state have concealed handgun licenses or constitutional carry? CCP isn't required from what I understand, but is something that you should have, just in case.
Tenth, what's the process for drivers licenses and vehicle registration? If it expensive? See my response above about the car insurance.
Does anyone have any additional tips? Visit in mid-June to see if you can cope with the heat. Also know that July/Aug/Sep are quite humid as well. Nothing near HOU levels, but still quite sticky. The "dry heat" thing you always hear thrown around only really applies to June and October. When taking the kids out hiking or whatnot, be aware of your surroundings. The desert is hot and harsh, and everything seemingly wants to stick you or bite you. Its not really a great place for kids to be gallivanting about.
Is there anyone that's currently living in the Phoenix area that can share their transition from Texas to Arizona? LOTS of ex-Texans here. Besides CA plates, I probably see more TX plates than anything else. I guess everyone's sick of that crappy TX weather?
Auto insurance does tend to be somewhat high here, with rates determined in part by ZIP code. So, there's some variation depending on where you live.
My insurance is about the same or slightly less here than where I lived in the midwest. The cost to register my car also didn't change much, plus I like the option to renew for 2 years that is available here. You do need to pass emissions, which I didn't need before, but that's not a big deal.
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My insurance is about the same or slightly less here than where I lived in the midwest. The cost to register my car also didn't change much, plus I like the option to renew for 2 years that is available here. You do need to pass emissions, which I didn't need before, but that's not a big deal.
Must be nice. Ours went up $75 a month, both of us with perfectly clean records.
Insurance is definitely more expensive here, just listen to the traffic report and watch the news and it makes sense.
Our state minimums are really low and even then many dint have insurance, so carrying uninsured/underinsured is a must
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) Well, the climate allows for all kinds of outdoor activities, hiking, golf, tennis, swimming, you name it. Lakes for boating activities a very short drive from the metro. One of a kind museums, lots of shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues, including casinos that are right in town, at the edges of the Valley. Otherwise, people do for fun here whatever interests them, just like in any large metro area.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.!
