A question about Waco/Killeen/Temple/Tri-Cities area/Central Texas (San Antonio: crime, Home Depot)

[C24L]

Hi y'all,
Are the areas of Waco and the Tri-Cities area considered white-collar or blue-collar overall???I might move to the area so Im curious.I live in Midland which is mainly white-collar and our sister city to the west,Odessa is blue collar.I get the impression that Waco and Tri-cities areas may be more working class/blue collar or at least thats what my dad thinks.

I get the impression Killeen is a blue collar town because of Fort hood. I also get the impression that the area is blue collar/working class because of King of the Hill and Arlen although i know television and entertainment is not the best source.I keep on hearing Waco is run-down but i think it have a good sized white collar population due to the university.

I think i may want to live in a safe blue collar area because of the Millionaire Next Door and property taxes/lifestyle creep.So are Waco and the central Texas/Tri-cities area more white collar or blue collar overall???I took some sociology classes in college so im curious about these kinds of things although not just from an academic perspective.

I am not trying to cause trouble.....I am just wondering.I live in a white collar neighborhood now but a neighborhood like the Hill's in Arlen may be appealing as long as its safe.Thanks in advance, Texas subforum.I know i can gather data online but I want hear from real people who have experience and personal knowledge about this topic.

[texasdiver]

Largest Waco employers (kind of an old list but looks roughly correct)
https://livability.com/tx/waco/caree...-top-employers

Providence Health Center 2,434
Baylor University 2,360
Waco I.S.D (Public Education) 2,350
City of Waco 1,729
Hillcrest Health System 1,700
L-3 Integrated Systems (Aircraft Modification) 1,619
H.E.B. Stores (grocers) 1,350
Wal-Mart 1,290
Sanderson Farms Inc. 1,170
McLennan County 850
Examination Management Services 750
Veterans Administration Medical Center 735
TYC-McLennan County (Juvenile Correctional Facility) 721
Cargill Foods Inc. 694
Texas State Technical College 684
McLennan Community College 677

Top employers in Temple (apparently this list doesn't include government)
https://templeedc.com/doing-business...jor-employers/

Baylor Scott & White Healthcare 7,793
McLane Company, Inc. 1,564
Wilsonart International 949
H-E-B Retail Distribution Center 900
Pactiv Corporation 850
Walmart Distribution Center 767
Performance Food Group 590
Scott & White Health Plan 470
Texas Hydraulics, Inc. 400
BNSF Railway Company 300
Reynold's Consumer Products 300
E.R. Carpenter L.P. 289
Acer America Corporation 232
Artco-Bell Corporation 221
Fikes Wholesale, Inc. 203
PDI 180
Panel Specialist, Inc. 156

[ChristieP]

It kind of goes without saying that the largest employer in Killeen (and also likely a large percentage in Temple) is the US Army. The military is neither white nor blue collar. It's the military, and it is different. Most soldiers (both officer and enlisted) earn a good salary, and they like to have fun with their disposable income. The phrase "GI Town" definitely applies to Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Harker Heights. What this means is that the military tends to bring a more transient population, and there are also businesses that tend to cluster around a base: pawn and tattoo shops, used car lots, bars, etc. If you'll look at past posts here, you'll see that Killeen tends to have higher crime than it statistically should for a town its size. This is because of that transient population I mentioned earlier. It's definitely something to keep in mind if you're considering moving there. The Killeen area has almost no industry besides the military, and various retail and service businesses to support it.

And, it should also go without saying that if you're still looking for that single, Church of Christ-attending young lady, your odds of finding her in a GI Town are statistically almost impossible.

[Watchful]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

And, it should also go without saying that if you're still looking for that single, Church of Christ-attending young lady, your odds of finding her in a GI Town are statistically almost impossible.

I just about choked on my breakfast cereal

[supfromthesite]

Not trying to hijack the thread but I have a question for you Christie or whoever else may be able to answer. What do you think is the nicest town around this area? Specifically near Killeen or Temple. My only real experience is driving up 281 from San Antonio and going through Burnet and Lampasas. These always seemed like fine towns to me. Is there anything better?
Thank you

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

Not trying to hijack the thread but I have a question for you Christie or whoever else may be able to answer. What do you think is the nicest town around this area? Specifically near Killeen or Temple. My only real experience is driving up 281 from San Antonio and going through Burnet and Lampasas. These always seemed like fine towns to me. Is there anything better?
Thank you

In my opinion, Belton is the nicest town in that area

[TXStrat]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

In my opinion, Belton is the nicest town in that area

Second the vote for Belton. Salado is also nice, but a bit further afield.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

And, it should also go without saying that if you're still looking for that single, Church of Christ-attending young lady, your odds of finding her in a GI Town are statistically almost impossible.

Very good point. I have argued before that OP needs to consider more dating options. Single and any denomination of Christianity would be reasonable. His current requirement is too fussy.

I sense some analysis paralysis here. He's been trying to leave Midland for a long time but has not actually done so. He could find a good fit somewhere in Texas, but he's being too stringent on criteria.

[DanielWayne]

I'm going to piggyback here. I've been considering moving away from suburbia (and hurricanes) to a smaller place that still has plenty of amenities like grocery stores and adequate healthcare. I may have time to do some scouting runs this summer. I am interested in this part of the state as well. Belton sounds like the place to be.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by DanielWayne

I'm going to piggyback here. I've been considering moving away from suburbia (and hurricanes) to a smaller place that still has plenty of amenities like grocery stores and adequate healthcare. I may have time to do some scouting runs this summer. I am interested in this part of the state as well. Belton sounds like the place to be.

Belton has an historic old main street and courthouse that has been reasonably polished up but not to the point of making it some sort of gentrified corporate Disney version. They are always having town festivals and such there. There are lots of older and newer neighborhoods to choose from. There is even a small college with a top football team in the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. And you have easy access Austin and larger cities. But it isn't so close that it is becoming absorbed by the Borg such as places like Katy, Allen, etc.

Temple is basically right next door so you have all the malls and big box shopping you could need. The only thing you'd be missing are high-end shops like Whole Foods, Apple Store, etc. As well as eclectic upscale restaurants and good ethnic food. But you'll have your big HEB stores as well as Lowes, Home Depot, Sam's Club etc.