Planning to move from NJ/NY to TX (Houston, San Antonio: sales, apartments)

[juniorbansal]

I am working as computer programmer and making 95k in NJ.... I have lived in VA, CT in the past and see that the cost of living for me is the second highest in NJ behind the ridiculously expensive CT among the 3 states.

I checked the cost of living comparison calculator here Cost of Living comparison calculator and notice that I can maintain the same standard of living in TX by taking a cut from 23.83% to 36.11% depending upon the places I wish to go. There are like 20 more places whose % fall in between that range.

My biggest expense is renting. I am paying 1450$ for a small 2 bedroom + 1 Bath house. I got 2 Kids and Wife with me.....

I saw a lot of websites like Apartments for Rent & Homes for Rent - Rent.com® Apartment Finder, www.apartmentguide.com and the price of renting is around 600-800$ for the same or even better amenities than what i pay now. I totally understand that I would pay the same or a slightly lesser amount for utilities like Current, TV + Internet + Phone, Water + Sewer, Heat (I don't think I need to pay for heat)...But I would need to pay for AC. I spend like 150$ on Fuel being 10 miles away (1 way) from office. Sales Tax is 7.5% here. I am renting so no idea about Property Tax.

I am Indian. So I am generally used to Hot and Humid weather. So weather's not a issue.. I kind of hate Snow as I am the one who shovels.

I believe I can make the same 95k or more than that as I work for a employer who has similar contracting opportunities nationwide. I need to anyways confirm the salary trends with my employer.


So what do I need?

1) Is TX really cheap compared to What I make and Spend here in NJ?

2) Since TX is cheap Are people making enough money as they make in NJ..?

Please advise if there is rationale behind my thoughts?

[jimboburnsy]

The best thing about Texas is that there are no full-service filling stations. I seriously hated that in Jersey.

If you settle in DFW, Austin, Houston or San Antonio, you're probably not going to notice an enormous difference in the impact that the costs of goods and services have on your bottom line. In other words, if the cost of living is your only reason for relocating then this is not likely to be a move that makes economic sense.

I'm not trying to discourage you from coming to my fair state, but you should temper your expectations. Living is expensive anywhere people congregate.

[BstYet2Be]

Originally Posted by juniorbansal

1) Is TX really cheap compared to What I make and Spend here in NJ?

2) Since TX is cheap Are people making enough money as they make in NJ..?

Please advise if there is rationale behind my thoughts?

Pluses:

There is no state income tax in Texas, so your take-home net salary will increase.

There is a large Indian workforce here already, especially in the DFW metro.

To answer your questions above:

1) Most all of the metro areas will equal what you spend in NJ. Rent is at a premium in the metro areas due to the large influx of people moving in, thus a higher demand for rentals. While you may see much lower rental rates listed on the sites you mentioned above, that does not mean the locations of these rentals will be feasible for a reasonable commute, or in an area that you would want to live in. As is everywhere, the better the location, the higher the rent. Also, keep in mind that you most likely will need an automobile here as public transportation is very limited compared to the NJ area.

2) Texas is not cheap... it may cost a bit less from where you are now, and more for others moving to Texas from other areas. IT contract job pay is usually equal to or more than the NE, but this strictly depends on whether there is a demand for the type work you do, your experience and company you'll be contracting with as well as what the company you'll be contracting for is willing to pay.

This is about all the general info that can be furnished to you. Specific info by city/area can vary widely - Texas is a huge state, and many of the metro areas are much larger than a number of the states in the NE! .