moving from california to houston suburbs (renting, health insurance, how much)

[afuentes916]

Hello,

me and my family are thinking of moving to texas by the end of the year. I have a 4 year old and a baby on the way.
Can anyone give me some advice on what we can expect. How is the car insurance? health insurance? utility bills?
I know housing is alot more affordable but what about everything else?

Thanks!!

[SugLandDAd]

You should be a bit careful.......Housing in Houston is generally less expensive than other large American cities. Its not always less expensive than smaller cities and towns. It depends a lot on where you are coming from.

[afuentes916]

So we are thinking of mving to the suburbs in houston, we are moving from california!!

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by afuentes916

So we are thinking of mving to the suburbs in houston, we are moving from california!!

What is your budget and where in California are you coming from?

[Sollaces]

Go visit the Houston thread. There is a permanent sticky thread that gives a lot of information on moving to Houston.
One thing that may help - Houston sprawls like a cow town. You can find everything close to where you live and not have to travel across town to find something. So wherever you end up, you should be self contained.

There are lots of threads on where to live, schools, subdivisions, etc. You need to do your research and figure out how much of a commute you want and then plan. Take a map and draw a circle. Plenty of choices. Do consult a flood plain map, hire a good realtor, and my bit of advice. Don't buy a flooded home. No. Thank me later. ))

[southeasttexas]

Find yourself a job first before you move. Definitely. Once you do, you will see the areas that are a potential fit for you. Houston can take an hour or more to drive across. Too many unemployed people move here thinking jobs fall from trees in Houston, but that is incorrect. Jobs go to those whose skills are in demand.

[afuentes916]

thanks everyone, we are moving from orange county california and are considering spring texas or tomball.

[TheOverdog]

I believe house insurance is more than California - everything else is less but just a bit less, like maybe 10%. No income taxes, only property tax which are dependent upon your home purchase price, so there is an opportunity to save money there.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by afuentes916

Hello,

me and my family are thinking of moving to texas by the end of the year. I have a 4 year old and a baby on the way.
Can anyone give me some advice on what we can expect. How is the car insurance? health insurance? utility bills?
I know housing is alot more affordable but what about everything else?

Thanks!!

Why do you want to move to TX?

//www.city-data.com/forum/houst...-you-need.html

Texas is a very low public services states so don't expect many of the services you get at little or no cost in CA.

Utility bills are high in summer because of the heat, and humidity most of the year.

Houston is very prone to flooding from heavy rains and hurricanes, so its very important to check the flood plain maps before buying or renting a home.

Health insurance is largely dependent on what your employer provides. If you have to buy your own it will be very expensive.

Car insurance is high in TX (#10), not as high as CA (#7) but still way up there. https://www.insure.com/car-insurance...nce-rates.html

[southeasttexas]

OP, what kind of work do you plan on doing to support yourself and your children?