The past ten years was the 'decade of Texas'. Will the next ten years be the decade of DFW? (Houston: job market, taxes)

[DPatel304]

I'm a Dallas native and current resident and have only briefly lived in Austin, so I realize I am saying this with extreme bias here. From my point of view, it really looks like, economically speaking, DFW has a lot going for it this next decade.

The reason I think Austin will struggle this next decade is that they are not growing as much as Houston or DFW, yet they have the highest cost of living, the worst congestion issues, and the least amount of space to build more housing and more infrastructure. They seem to be really struggling with growth at this time, and I think it'll really hurt them this next decade.

Truthfully, I haven't spent enough time in Houston to really have an accurate opinion on their future outlook. From what I know, they have a lot of the same advantages that DFW does, I'd say their only disadvantage would be their job market isn't as diversified. Still, they do have a lot going for them, and hopefully this high-speed rail can become a reality in the next ten years and really take Dallas and Houston to the next level.

I also think that Fort Worth might start gaining a lot more attention and really begin to boom which will just make DFW even more deseriable than it currently is.

I realize, as someone who has mostly lived in Dallas that I'm biased, but that's why I wanted to get a discussion going and hear what other people have to say.

[H'ton]

Originally Posted by DPatel304

I'm a Dallas native and current resident and have only briefly lived in Austin, so I realize I am saying this with extreme bias here. From my point of view, it really looks like, economically speaking, DFW has a lot going for it this next decade.

The reason I think Austin will struggle this next decade is that they are not growing as much as Houston or DFW, yet they have the highest cost of living, the worst congestion issues, and the least amount of space to build more housing and more infrastructure. They seem to be really struggling with growth at this time, and I think it'll really hurt them this next decade.

Truthfully, I haven't spent enough time in Houston to really have an accurate opinion on their future outlook. From what I know, they have a lot of the same advantages that DFW does, I'd say their only disadvantage would be their job market isn't as diversified. Still, they do have a lot going for them, and hopefully this high-speed rail can become a reality in the next ten years and really take Dallas and Houston to the next level.

I also think that Fort Worth might start gaining a lot more attention and really begin to boom which will just make DFW even more deseriable than it currently is.

I realize, as someone who has mostly lived in Dallas that I'm biased, but that's why I wanted to get a discussion going and hear what other people have to say.

Both Houston and Dallas Ft. Worth will continue to build and become the two super cities of Texas.

Houston is not stading still...by any measure.

Plus, remember this...5 of the 13 most populous cities in the entire United States are in Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Ft. Worth).

And all are in the Texas Triangle, imagine if that Triangle continues to fill in and develop!

[DPatel304]

You're definitely right, I didn't mean to say that the rest of the state will stand still. Texas (as a whole) will continue to boom as it has been, but I perceive that Austin will likely fall behind this coming decade simply because they don't appear to be equipped to handle the growth. They will still grow, but at a slower pace compared to DFW and Houston.

I don't really know much about Houston's local economy. I know they have basically been neck and neck with DFW in a lot of ways. It does surprise me a bit as I always figured their job market was not as diversified, so I'm actually a bit surprised they are performing as well as DFW, and that's why I'm not as bullish on their market in the coming decade. I could be completely off base here and missing a lot more about what makes Houston such a success.

[KoNgFooCj]

Although Dallas and Houston grew a lot in population, their skylines didn't seem to change very much.

Houston is diversifying it's economy pretty fast. I'd say Houston's flooding could become a great disadvantage if it's not dealt with with the utmost urgency.

To anyone outside of Texas, Ft Worth is just a giant suburb of Dallas so anyone moving there will just be doing so to be close to Dallas, unless of course they get a job in Ft Worth.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by KoNgFooCj

Although Dallas and Houston grew a lot in population, their skylines didn't seem to change very much.

Houston is diversifying it's economy pretty fast. I'd say Houston's flooding could become a great disadvantage if it's not dealt with with the utmost urgency.

To anyone outside of Texas, Ft Worth is just a giant suburb of Dallas so anyone moving there will just be doing so to be close to Dallas, unless of course they get a job in Ft Worth.

How close to Dallas do you think Ft. Worth is?

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by DPatel304

I'm a Dallas native and current resident and have only briefly lived in Austin, so I realize I am saying this with extreme bias here. From my point of view, it really looks like, economically speaking, DFW has a lot going for it this next decade.

The reason I think Austin will struggle this next decade is that they are not growing as much as Houston or DFW, yet they have the highest cost of living, the worst congestion issues, and the least amount of space to build more housing and more infrastructure. They seem to be really struggling with growth at this time, and I think it'll really hurt them this next decade.

Truthfully, I haven't spent enough time in Houston to really have an accurate opinion on their future outlook. From what I know, they have a lot of the same advantages that DFW does, I'd say their only disadvantage would be their job market isn't as diversified. Still, they do have a lot going for them, and hopefully this high-speed rail can become a reality in the next ten years and really take Dallas and Houston to the next level.

I also think that Fort Worth might start gaining a lot more attention and really begin to boom which will just make DFW even more deseriable than it currently is.

I realize, as someone who has mostly lived in Dallas that I'm biased, but that's why I wanted to get a discussion going and hear what other people have to say.

I think some could argue that this decade was the “decade of DFW.”

Not living in DFW myself it is hard to say what drives the economy there. From the outside it looks to be driven by corporate relocations, and it would appear that a lot of back-office type jobs move to DFW. As long as the U.S. economy does well then DFW will do well, and vice-versa. I know there is some buzz about DFW gaining tech jobs, but are they “real” tech innovation jobs or just back-office jobs for tech companies like the recent Uber announcement?

Houston’s economy is more sensitive to the world economy. For example the China-US trade war could have a negative impact on Houston’s port activity. Oil prices obviously impact Houston’s economy. The healthcare industry in Houston somewhat offsets those other two but we do need more research and innovation in this space.

High Speed Rail would be cool but not sure it would have any impact on either region’s economy.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I think Texas is the future of the United States. As far as the economy goes, Texas is the way America is suppose to be. It already serves as a role-model state to other states. Many states want their state to be run like Texas. Good roads, strong economy, good growth, good paying jobs, low taxes, good weather, clean water, a mostly laid back easy going people. The way the rest of the United States is booming now, is the way modern-day Texas has been booming ever since World War 2.

Unless the bottom falls out of everything, I don't expect Texas to stop booming or growing in the next 10 years. It might slow up a bit, but the recovery will be a speedy one. When the economy all across the country is bad, Texas is almost always the last state to feel the effects of a bad economy and the first state to recover.

[jd433]

DFW will do fine over the next decade but it will not be the only place. Austin stands a better chance of dominating the next decade than Dallas. Houston will do just fine as well.

[UrbanLuis]

What are cannabis laws like in Texas?

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by UrbanLuis

What are cannabis laws like in Texas?

Pretty damn backwards, but getting better on a local level.