Please help us decide where to live (Houston, Dallas: house, tech jobs)

[ChristieP]

The problem with DFW is that Dallas County is basically a liberal cesspool, and Tarrant County now leans liberal. Collin County has been conservative in the past, but with all of the incoming transplants, it’s hard to say how long that will last. Most of the jobs in DFW are in these three counties, and if you live outside them, you will have a much longer than 30 minute commute to work.

Travis, Bexar and Harris Counties are also blue now. So that eliminates the major metro areas.

[TX Rover]

Originally Posted by EDS_

You've noted lots of feelings and little evidence top to bottom. However, how exactly are Utah schools rated significantly better than Texas schools?

Utah's NMSF cutoff score is much lower than the same in Texas for one metric (212 vs. 220 for 2022).

Utah wouldn’t be a bad fit for them, although apparently an absolute non-starter. Schools are pretty decent comparatively (at some point the delta just becomes pointless), however, I think the employment prospects and housing relative to income would be the bigger issue.

[Angie682]

Originally Posted by EDS_

You've noted lots of feelings and little evidence top to bottom. However, how exactly are Utah schools rated significantly better than Texas schools?

Utah's NMSF cutoff score is much lower than the same in Texas for one metric (212 vs. 220 for 2022).

US World News and World Report ranks Utah public schools 10th and Texas public schools 34th.

Many public schools in Utah offer Dual Language Immersion programs starting in elementary school. Students have the ability to have a bilingual educational school experience and learn Chinese, French, Portugese, German or Spanish. They recognize that kids need to be able to compete globally not just locally. There are not any public school systems in DFW that offer anything similar that I am aware of?

Sorry, I just don't think Texas public schools are all that great. My child has attended public school in Texas since starting Kindergarten and is a junior now. She was pulled out in 1st grade for gifted and talented. She has never even learned about the Holocaust or WWII in school. What kind of quality education is that? These are topics most schools in other states cover in middle school.

My daughter is in the top 3% of her class and has taken college level classes since 9th grade. We value education in our home and have taught many topics on our own and had her in outside activities/programs. Overall, I've been pretty unimpressed by public education in Texas. It lacks.

Many school districts have issues with funding and voters consistently voting down bond packages to fund education. It's shocking to me people don't want to fund public education in Texas. There is a high percentage of students who live below the poverty line, have behavioral problems, drugs, etc. Throw in the nonsense with banning books now in school. It's a little backwoods/redneck to me. Texas needs to do better.

[TX Rover]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

The problem with DFW is that Dallas County is basically a liberal cesspool, and Tarrant County now leans liberal. Collin County has been conservative in the past, but with all of the incoming transplants, it’s hard to say how long that will last. Most of the jobs in DFW are in these three counties, and if you live outside them, you will have a much longer than 30 minute commute to work.

Travis, Bexar and Harris Counties are also blue now. So that eliminates the major metro areas.

You need to learn how to not put people in one “team” or the other. It essentially equates an area that went 51% for one official because the other was just a horrific mess, with the one that went 99%. It’s simply not statistically accurate. There are many voters that don’t just vote based on a letter next to the name.

Also, Collin county is still very much middle of the road.

[texasdiver]

In your shoes and based on your priorities I'd look at the Northwest suburbs of San Antonio. Places like Boerne which are further out, or closer in areas along the outer loop 1604. You have good schools, lots of Catholics, people are friendlier in San Antonio than Dallas or Houston in my experience. The outer suburbs like Boerne are more red, the closer-in parts of San Antonio are more blue. But that's the same as every city in the country. If you want to live in any sort of urban area with a thriving economy, it is at least going to be purple.

[honestjar5]

Originally Posted by TX Rover

That’s not really how Austin is laid out unfortunately, the vast majority of jobs are located in very small clusters - combine that with Austin’s notoriously poor infrastructure (that neighborhood basically has two ways in and out and one is the dreaded FM 620). Otherwise, that’s kind of the neighborhood that I would picture you were looking for.

Now, there’s quite literally hundreds of those neighborhoods in TX. One other factor, and I speak from experience specifically with Cedar Park. Daycare expenses are astronomical and underserved. Factor that 1200-1400/mo into the equation for the first few years if you or your husband are going to stay working.

I’d start with your employment prospects first. Narrow down where firms that align with your skills are located and then start digging around for more specific targets.

Bottom line, you definitely can find something that’s going to tick all your boxes in Texas (I’d be taking a hard look at SA and DFW). I wouldn’t sacrifice that commute so fast - trust me, when you come off the road after an hour of inexplicable traffic and your husband hands you the kid while he scrambles to get some work done or get dinner, etc that wear and tear starts adding up.

Oh, I guess I meant I was hoping there might be a possibility I could find a job with one of the smaller cities— I was looking at Round Rock— that seems like a bigger area near Cedar Park. Smaller cities always need engineers, though I realize that would severely limit my options as opposed to working downtown. I am vehemently against an hour-long commute. Thank for for the warning about childcare costs. Even though we plan on having children very soon and think often about schools, it hasn’t occurred to us to factor in child care costs.

I really appreciate your replies, thank you.

[honestjar5]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

In your shoes and based on your priorities I'd look at the Northwest suburbs of San Antonio. Places like Boerne which are further out, or closer in areas along the outer loop 1604. You have good schools, lots of Catholics, people are friendlier in San Antonio than Dallas or Houston in my experience. The outer suburbs like Boerne are more red, the closer-in parts of San Antonio are more blue. But that's the same as every city in the country. If you want to live in any sort of urban area with a thriving economy, it is at least going to be purple.

Thank you, that is great to know, and we will. We can probably make a trip out of Austin and San Antonio, just to get a feel for it. I have visited both and thought that both are very beautiful and friendly.

[TX Rover]

Originally Posted by honestjar5

Oh, I guess I meant I was hoping there might be a possibility I could find a job with one of the smaller cities— I was looking at Round Rock— that seems like a bigger area near Cedar Park. Smaller cities always need engineers, though I realize that would severely limit my options as opposed to working downtown. I am vehemently against an hour-long commute. Thank for for the warning about childcare costs. Even though we plan on having children very soon and think often about schools, it hasn’t occurred to us to factor in child care costs.

I really appreciate your replies, thank you.

That’s kind of why I thought it’d be easier for you to focus on your career needs, since the geographic spread is likely to be a little tighter. Be prepared for that first 18 months of childcare costs! Whew… those will scare you

[TX Rover]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

In your shoes and based on your priorities I'd look at the Northwest suburbs of San Antonio. Places like Boerne which are further out, or closer in areas along the outer loop 1604. You have good schools, lots of Catholics, people are friendlier in San Antonio than Dallas or Houston in my experience. The outer suburbs like Boerne are more red, the closer-in parts of San Antonio are more blue. But that's the same as every city in the country. If you want to live in any sort of urban area with a thriving economy, it is at least going to be purple.

I’d probably come closer in to Stone Oak. Boerne would be a tough commute.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Angie682

US World News and World Report ranks Utah public schools 10th and Texas public schools 34th.

Many public schools in Utah offer Dual Language Immersion programs starting in elementary school. Students have the ability to have a bilingual educational school experience and learn Chinese, French, Portugese, German or Spanish. They recognize that kids need to be able to compete globally not just locally. There are not any public school systems in DFW that offer anything similar that I am aware of?

Sorry, I just don't think Texas public schools are all that great. My child has attended public school in Texas since starting Kindergarten and is a junior now. She was pulled out in 1st grade for gifted and talented. She has never even learned about the Holocaust or WWII in school. What kind of quality education is that? These are topics most schools in other states cover in middle school.

My daughter is in the top 3% of her class and has taken college level classes since 9th grade. We value education in our home and have taught many topics on our own and had her in outside activities/programs. Overall, I've been pretty unimpressed by public education in Texas. It lacks.

Many school districts have issues with funding and voters consistently voting down bond packages to fund education. It's shocking to me people don't want to fund public education in Texas. There is a high percentage of students who live below the poverty line, have behavioral problems, drugs, etc. Throw in the nonsense with banning books now in school. It's a little backwoods/redneck to me. Texas needs to do better.

1. I figured you might have been looking at something like US News. Big states with very big cities and let's be honest large minority populations are going to measure poorly compared to a small, very white state with few big cities and few very large inner city schools.

2. As you've noted you kids are well above average, why be concerned with statewide averages?

2.1. TX' much higher NMSF cutoff score is hard evidence that very top students in Texas are better educated than the same in Utah. For 2022 TX' NMSF cutoff is 220 roughly in line with Washington, California, New York, Mass and Virginia......Utah's 212 is roughly in line with Arkansas, Alabama, New Mexico and Kentucky.

2.2. Likely no one on CD is more committed to education than me, my wife as well. Both of our kids are 99th+ percentile academic performers.

4. Withers Elementary down the street offers a Two Way Dual Language Program focusing on English and Spanish, which given local metrics makes sense. Looking around a number of DISD schools offer similar.

4.1. With respect I have a hard time believing your Texas based G&T child wasn't exposed to WWII or The Holocaust. A nice young lady, 9th grade, across the street and down two houses attends WT White (DISD-comprehensive).....I know for a fact she wrote a paper about the Holocaust because I read it. Further, contextually certified Texas teachers must show tested proficiency vis a vis The Great Depression, The Holocaust and WWII specifically.

4.2. Your point about funding could not be more amiss. Per pupil TX funds K-12 ~+25% vs. Utah.

4.3. Nearly all of the recently failed school bond packages around here were earmarked for athletic facilities, notably at Allan HS which has one of the couple of nicest/most expensive HS football stadiums in The US already, and very expensive and narrow use fine arts buildings. Several packages earmarked for school building re-builds, upgrades and maintenance passed.

4.4. What nonsense about banning books?

Sorry for the typos and clumsy verbiage.