Why in the world aren't there any big cities in Western Texas? (Houston: live, vs)

[Antares45]

Originally Posted by Midessan

Midland and Odessa have made full-hearted, and fool-hardy, attempts to diversify.

Is that spaceport still being built? If so, maybe rocket manufacturing could be something to diversify into? Kind of a ridiculous idea, but what better place to build rockets than a town with a space port and an ideal labor pool?

[Midessan]

Originally Posted by Antares45

Is that spaceport still being built? If so, maybe rocket manufacturing could be something to diversify into? Kind of a ridiculous idea, but what better place to build rockets than a town with a space port and an ideal labor pool?

Yeah its still on. Ironically enough though the Spaceport may prevent development in north-west Midland to keep its flight paths clear.

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by elan

Ouch. Midland was on my list because it's how Dallas was 25 years ago, or at least that was the hype. Anywho, that's really what I'm looking for. I don't mind growth, but the growth rate in Dallas is out of control. One of my kids when to school in Lubbock, I liked it. Just wish it was a tad closer to an interstate.

Seriously, Midland is where Dallas, was 25 years ago? Dallas has grown 235,000 people since 1990, almost twice the total Midland population today.

[peaceloveandjulie]

For the cities out here to grow, you need assets that will make people want to move in and STAY. The weather is awful (terrible drought, heat, and crazy dust storms), the landscape is flat and, well, ugly, and wages are low outside of the traditional professions (medicine and law) and the oilfields. This is minimum-wage, retail and call center country.

I live in Abilene and, remarkably enough for how difficult it can be to find a good-paying job for the average person, the cost-of-living isn't that low. Rents have really gone up since I've been here. A one-bedroom apartment in a decent complex will run about $575 and maybe include water and basic cable. Electric bills are high here. My son got robbed for electric at a reputable but older complex in town. So why would one live in a city toward the west like Abilene when you could live in a much more desirable part of the state with more opportunities, better wages, and a lot more going for it? Being single here is depressing to the max, lol.

My health has declined since I moved here so I'm out as soon as I can arrange it. I can't handle the dust, the heat, the lack of water anywhere nearby, and the lack of beauty, to be honest. I didn't think it would all affect me as much as it has. I know quite a few people who have left since I've been here or who are making plans to leave. Even the "established" people I know whose families have been here for generations own places in Colorado that they retreat to as often as possible (especially in the summer) and escape to the Metroplex on weekends for entertainment.

[Midessan]

I have thought about this question some more, and I think the answer lies in basic human psychology. Look at a population density map of the U.S. and you will notice that anyplace that has the combination of dry climate and flat terrain is sparsely populated. Big cities occur in places that are well watered, near mountains, or near major bodies of water. I think this is because our early human ancestors would use landmarks to navigate. Mountains and hills would have been useful for not getting lost. Obviously water would have been important. In those early times, traveling more than a 3 day walk from the nearest source of fresh water would have been a death sentence. So to our ancestors, and therefore ourselves, West Texas is a daunting environment. We have the technology to render the environment mostly harmless( if you get thirsty, just pull over and get a Big Gulp ), but the deep seated psychology remains.

[RMFW]

It isn't just the water... much of West Texas actually sits on top of a major aquifer, so the water has been there to support it for the most part.

One of the most significant reasons for why there "are no big cities in West Texas" will seem a little strange, but it is that there is one... but it's Fort Worth. Fort Worth for right on up until about the 1950s was not only the economic and cultural gateway to West Texas, but, in many ways, it was its capital. It was the state's major rail hub that extended lines out into West Texas and created several towns along the way (e.g. Abilene, Lubbock, Midland, etc.), it was the major market for the region's cattle and, later, cotton (with many of the largest ranch owners, such as the Waggoners, living in and having offices in Fort Worth), it was the source of investment for/staging point for/location of offices that managed/recipient of profits from the oil and gas industry in West Texas, its biggest booster (Amon G. Carter) was a big reason why Texas Tech became a major university, and when folks in West Texas went to "the big city," they were heading to Fort Worth. And when people struck it rich in West Texas, they ordinarily moved to Fort Worth. There is a reason why Fort Worth holds the motto of "Where the West Begins."

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by bigben1234

I'm not sure what you mean by "El Paso isn't good enough". But it is definitely classified as a big city. Data from Baruch College, CUNY: 2013 Pop. Estimate. El Paso, TX 674,433, thats #19 on the list for all U.S. cities. Ahead of Seattle, Denver, Washington D.C., Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Miami and New Orleans.

And of course that's the population for just El Paso. Everyone familiar with that area knows that El Paso and Juarez are really one community separated by the border. According to UTEP's website Ciudad Juarez's population for 2010 was 1,332,131. I'll let you do the math.

And all of those cities you named have larger metro populations, in one country, than the El Paso-Jaurez area. What you said is like saying Arlington is a bigger city than Miami. I mean, it is, but is it really?

[TT Dave]

Originally Posted by Midessan

I have thought about this question some more, and I think the answer lies in basic human psychology. Look at a population density map of the U.S. and you will notice that anyplace that has the combination of dry climate and flat terrain is sparsely populated. Big cities occur in places that are well watered, near mountains, or near major bodies of water. I think this is because our early human ancestors would use landmarks to navigate. Mountains and hills would have been useful for not getting lost. Obviously water would have been important. In those early times, traveling more than a 3 day walk from the nearest source of fresh water would have been a death sentence. So to our ancestors, and therefore ourselves, West Texas is a daunting environment. We have the technology to render the environment mostly harmless( if you get thirsty, just pull over and get a Big Gulp ), but the deep seated psychology remains.

Good post, reps to you! As you stated above, our early ancestors established more towns where there was water and other resources for survival. Naturally that occurred in the eastern half of the state. Out here in west Texas, El Paso has mountains and the Rio Grande so it had an advantage to develop into a larger city from the beginning.

[elan]

Originally Posted by TT Dave

Good post, reps to you! As you stated above, our early ancestors established more towns where there was water and other resources for survival. Naturally that occurred in the eastern half of the state. Out here in west Texas, El Paso has mountains and the Rio Grande so it had an advantage to develop into a larger city from the beginning.

True. What about the Pecos River though, I don't see anything sizable on it.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by elan

True. What about the Pecos River though, I don't see anything sizable on it.

The Pecos River in West Texas runs mostly through private ranchland.

It forms the entire western boundary of my home county. It's also incredibly rough, rocky, hot and dry country.