Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hey everyone! I am looking at possibly moving to Phoenix from Austin and I have questions. Have any of you that now live in the Phoenix area moved from Austin, and if so what are the pros and cons? Also do you find Phoenix to be cheaper than the Austin area, even though AZ has state income-tax and TX does not?
One thing that I might add is that I am originally from Nevada so I'm used to the desert and everything that comes along with it. I just am curious to see how the QOL in AZ compares to TX for day-to-day living.
Hello! I moved from Phoenix to Austin and back. Austin is a beautiful city, but it wasn't for us. Phoenix may be a tad cheaper than Austin, but not by much. Housing is cheaper here for sure as the cost of living in Austin is skyrocketing. Since you lived in Nevada you already know it is much drier here than Austin. We have mountains and plenty of hiking and outdoor activities all year around.
Austin and Phoenix are very different cities, IMO.
Regarding climate, Austin has more in the way of a four-seasons climate - trees defoliate in late fall / early winter, frost is more common during winter evenings and early mornings, flowers and trees bud and bloom in the springtime, etc.
Although still quite rare, Austin is more susceptible to snow and ice than Phoenix because winters tend to be cooler and wetter in Austin.
While summers in Austin can get quite hot, the heat you find in Central Texas pales in comparison to the unrelenting high heat you find in the Phoenix Valley. Relative to Phoenix, there are more ways to cool off in Austin, including lakes, swimming holes and natural springs in addition to natural shade.
People in Austin seem to be less "heat-adverse," too. For anyone who has spent any amount of time in Austin during the summer months, this is very apparent.
You certainly see more joggers / walkers / hikers / bikers, children playing in their yards or at parks, people dining "al fresco," etc. in Austin during the summertime. Not to mention there seems to be more in the way of summer festivals and other events in Austin.
If I had to wager, this is probably the result of Austin's slightly cooler summer weather coupled with the fact that most people who live in and around Austin are probably from Texas or neighboring states whereas most people living in Phoenix are originally from California, New England or the Midwest.
By comparison, Phoenix is practically dead-zone from May to September - far fewer cars on the road, much shorter wait times at restaurants / banks / post offices / physician offices, zero community events or festivals, doors and tinted windows shut tightly, etc.
IMO, Austin is a more aesthetically pleasing city at eye-level, which is due to the region having more trees and greenery than very arid Phoenix.
Although Phoenix is situated in the Sonoran Desert, its vegetation is more sparse than nearby Tucson, which is home to gorgeous Saguaro cacti, mesquite trees, an assortment of wildflowers, etc. The mountain vistas are not as dramatic in Phoenix relative to Tucson, either.
Because its natural scenery is fairly nondescript, Phoenix is landscaped to death. This gives the city a very manicured yet contrived and sterile look. Some people enjoy it, but most, especially city-slickers, do not.
In Austin and its vicinity, residential neighborhoods tend to have hillier, more varied terrain. Aside from Fountain Hills, most neighborhoods and suburbs of Phoenix are very flat.
House lots tend to be larger in Austin, too, so there is usually greater distance between neighboring houses. One thing I strongly dislike about the Southwest, including Southern California, is that homes tend to be very close together in suburban neighborhoods, especially newer ones.
People are better educated in Austin, too, which partly the result of UT's presence and the knowledge-based industries it attracts. Among large US cities, I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix had the highest rate of high school dropouts (lots of white trash and poor Mexicans living in Phoenix).
While people in Phoenix / Arizona are typically polite, people in Austin / Texas tend to be more polite and certainly friendlier and more outgoing. Phoenix, in particular Scottsdale, tends to attract a more hedonistic type of transplant who will easily turn their nose up at you if you don't look a certain way, drive a certain car, etc. People of other parts of Phoenix will seem aloof if you're accustomed to Southern hospitality.
Austin has a stronger hipster element, but outside of the central city, most of Austin is good old-fashioned Texas.
Texas has no state income tax, more competitive salaries / wages for professional and skilled work and a stronger, more diversified economy, so it's a better state than Arizona for the average worker. Phoenix is the epitome of a FIRE town.
That's all I can think of for now. I hope this helps!
Last edited by Bert_from_back_East; 02-08-2017 at 12:36 PM..
Austin and Phoenix are very different cities, IMO.
Regarding climate, Austin has more in the way of a four-seasons climate - trees defoliate in late fall / early winter, frost is more common during winter evenings and early mornings, flowers and trees bud and bloom in the springtime, etc.
Although still quite rare, Austin is more susceptible to snow and ice than Phoenix because winters tend to be cooler and wetter in Austin.
While summers in Austin can get quite hot, the heat you find in Central Texas pales in comparison to the unrelenting high heat you find in the Phoenix Valley. Relative to Phoenix, there are more ways to cool off in Austin, including lakes, swimming holes and natural springs in addition to natural shade.
People in Austin seem to be less "heat-adverse," too. For anyone who has spent any amount of time in Austin during the summer months, this is very apparent.
You certainly see more joggers / walkers / hikers / bikers, children playing in their yards or at parks, people dining "al fresco," etc. in Austin during the summertime. Not to mention there seems to be more in the way of summer festivals and other events in Austin.
If I had to wager, this is probably the result of Austin's slightly cooler summer weather coupled with the fact that most people who live in and around Austin are probably from Texas or neighboring states whereas most people living in Phoenix are originally from California, New England or the Midwest.
By comparison, Phoenix is practically dead-zone from May to September - far fewer cars on the road, much shorter wait times at restaurants / banks / post offices / physician offices, zero community events or festivals, doors and tinted windows shut tightly, etc.
IMO, Austin is a more aesthetically pleasing city at eye-level, which is due to the region having more trees and greenery than very arid Phoenix.
Although Phoenix is situated in the Sonoran Desert, its vegetation is more sparse than nearby Tucson, which is home to gorgeous Saguaro cacti, mesquite trees, an assortment of wildflowers, etc. The mountain vistas are not as dramatic in Phoenix relative to Tucson, either.
Because its natural scenery is fairly nondescript, Phoenix is landscaped to death. This gives the city a very manicured yet contrived and sterile look. Some people enjoy it, but most, especially city-slickers, do not.
In Austin and its vicinity, residential neighborhoods tend to have hillier, more varied terrain. Aside from Fountain Hills, most neighborhoods and suburbs of Phoenix are very flat.
House lots tend to be larger in Austin, too, so there is usually greater distance between neighboring houses. One thing I strongly dislike about the Southwest, including Southern California, is that homes tend to be very close together in suburban neighborhoods, especially newer ones.
People are better educated in Austin, too, which partly the result of UT's presence and the knowledge-based industries it attracts. Among large US cities, I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix had the highest rate of high school dropouts (lots of white trash and poor Mexicans living in Phoenix).
While people in Phoenix / Arizona are typically polite, people in Austin / Texas tend to be more polite and certainly friendlier and more outgoing. Phoenix, in particular Scottsdale, tends to attract a more hedonistic type of transplant who will easily turn their nose up at you if you don't look a certain way, drive a certain car, etc. People of other parts of Phoenix will seem aloof if you're accustomed to Southern hospitality.
Austin has a stronger hipster element, but outside of the central city, most of Austin is good old-fashioned Texas.
Texas has no state income tax, more competitive salaries / wages for professional and skilled work and a stronger, more diversified economy, so it's a better state than Arizona for the average worker. Phoenix is the epitome of a FIRE town.
That's all I can think of for now. I hope this helps!
Wow! You really are good at making Phoenix sound like a hellhole. You even make Austin sound nice, and I live here! I know how it really is though.
One thing that I may add about my experience in desert heat (I am from Nevada) is that it's often not as unbearable because, as cliche as it may sound, it is a dry heat. So when it's 110 in Phoenix, it would feel like 85-90 in Austin. Let's just say that this last summer when I was in AZ, I was able to go on runs in the morning because I wasn't being eaten alive by bugs, and I was also able to tolerate the heat because it was dry.
I've also considered Tucson before but one thing I didn't care for is the lack of landscaping, most of the city seems to be very wild. That could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on the person.
No kidding. Id venture to guess the poster hasn't spent much time here.
You'd be correct! I've only been there a couple dozen times, usually not for long though. The only thing that I'm basing any of my knowledge of Arizona off of is the times I have been there as well as research, and my dad because he lived in Tucson for 5 years when he was in college.
I see that you live in Scottsdale, my family had some investment properties there. How do you like it?
You'd be correct! I've only been there a couple dozen times, usually not for long though. The only thing that I'm basing any of my knowledge of Arizona off of is the times I have been there as well as research, and my dad because he lived in Tucson for 5 years when he was in college.
I see that you live in Scottsdale, my family had some investment properties there. How do you like it?
Austin and Phoenix are very different cities, IMO.
Regarding climate, Austin has more in the way of a four-seasons climate - trees defoliate in late fall / early winter, frost is more common during winter evenings and early mornings, flowers and trees bud and bloom in the springtime, etc.
Translation, Austin has hot summers and cold winters. Phoenix has hot summers and awesome weather the rest of the year. Phoenix is about to start blooming now, Google Phoenix wildflowers and you'll see how vibrant the colors of the Sonoran desert are.
Although still quite rare, Austin is more susceptible to snow and ice than Phoenix because winters tend to be cooler and wetter in Austin.
While summers in Austin can get quite hot, the heat you find in Central Texas pales in comparison to the unrelenting high heat you find in the Phoenix Valley. Relative to Phoenix, there are more ways to cool off in Austin, including lakes, swimming holes and natural springs in addition to natural shade.
People in Austin seem to be less "heat-adverse," too. For anyone who has spent any amount of time in Austin during the summer months, this is very apparent.
You certainly see more joggers / walkers / hikers / bikers, children playing in their yards or at parks, people dining "al fresco," etc. in Austin during the summertime. Not to mention there seems to be more in the way of summer festivals and other events in Austin.
a very typical exaggeration of summer here. Unlike this poster I actually do hike and cycle year round and it's far from empty on the trails during the summer mornings.
If I had to wager, this is probably the result of Austin's slightly cooler summer weather coupled with the fact that most people who live in and around Austin are probably from Texas or neighboring states whereas most people living in Phoenix are originally from California, New England or the Midwest.
By comparison, Phoenix is practically dead-zone from May to September - far fewer cars on the road, much shorter wait times at restaurants / banks / post offices / physician offices, zero community events or festivals, doors and tinted windows shut tightly, etc.
Maybe if you live in a snowbird community, in Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix the best restaurants stop have waits, I still hit traffic every morning, wait in line for haircuts and so on...
IMO, Austin is a more aesthetically pleasing city at eye-level, which is due to the region having more trees and greenery than very arid Phoenix.
Although Phoenix is situated in the Sonoran Desert, its vegetation is more sparse than nearby Tucson, which is home to gorgeous Saguaro cacti, mesquite trees, an assortment of wildflowers, etc. The mountain vistas are not as dramatic in Phoenix relative to Tucson, eithe
were situated smack dab in the middle of the Sonoran desert with some of the most beautiful and unique flora and fauna you can find in the US. This is just silly
Because its natural scenery is fairly nondescript, Phoenix is landscaped to death. This gives the city a very manicured yet contrived and sterile look. Some people enjoy it, but most, especially city-slickers, do not.
In Austin and its vicinity, residential neighborhoods tend to have hillier, more varied terrain. Aside from Fountain Hills, most neighborhoods and suburbs of Phoenix are very flat.
House lots tend to be larger in Austin, too, so there is usually greater distance between neighboring houses. One thing I strongly dislike about the Southwest, including Southern California, is that homes tend to be very close together in suburban neighborhoods, especially newer ones.
People are better educated in Austin, too, which partly the result of UT's presence and the knowledge-based industries it attracts. Among large US cities, I wouldn't be surprised if Phoenix had the highest rate of high school dropouts (lots of white trash and poor Mexicans living in Phoenix).
Clearly another person who likes to generalize and make racial claims, total nonesense
While people in Phoenix / Arizona are typically polite, people in Austin / Texas tend to be more polite and certainly friendlier and more outgoing. Phoenix, in particular Scottsdale, tends to attract a more hedonistic type of transplant who will easily turn their nose up at you if you don't look a certain way, drive a certain car, etc. People of other parts of Phoenix will seem aloof if you're accustomed to Southern hospitality.
Austin has a stronger hipster element, but outside of the central city, most of Austin is good old-fashioned Texas.
Texas has no state income tax, more competitive salaries / wages for professional and skilled work and a stronger, more diversified economy, so it's a better state than Arizona for the average worker. Phoenix is the epitome of a FIRE town.
That's all I can think of for now. I hope this helps!
If this post didn't make it obvious, Phoenix has it's fair share of haters who love to make everything sound as negative as possible.
No kidding. Id venture to guess the poster hasn't spent much time here.
Well I've spent several years in both cities and agree with that OP you guys are criticising.
All his points on how Austin is superior to Phoenix are true. Austin is the classier and cooler...In more ways than one!...City, hands down. Phoenix doesn't have one single attribute over Austin.
If you think I'm wrong, then name something. And we'll see.
There is a reason more people move to Austin than any other place in the nation, and have been for years. I also venture to say neither you or the sun devil dude above your post ever spent much time in Austin.
Adios.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
