Rural Central Texas towns (Killeen, Copperas Cove: crime rate, pros and cons, living in)

[ruralgal]

We're looking to move to a rural area in Central Texas -- probably Caldwell, Bastrop, Lee, Fayette, or Milam Counties. Can anyone recommend really great towns (or warn us about places to avoid!)? If you have a town you love or hate, please tell me why

[mpope409]

I don't think I like central Texas, period. It's just not me. Partly because within that whole entire area there is not enough to do. Killeen and Copperas Cove might be exceptions only because of the fact that they have good churches, one okay soul food restaurant, and Killeen has quite a few quality small businesses. But other than that there's nothing. The Killeen Mall used to be a lot of fun to go to, but now whenever I visit it's usually a pretty dull trip (except for the Chick-fil-A). I'm just glad I no longer live there.

[doss1]

People move to Central Texas' small towns to get away from "things to do". They want a small town feel, a place where people call you by your first name, where the bakery opens at 5am and closes at 1pm. "Things to do" are things like working on your ranch, enjoying the bright stars at night, breathing the clean air and visiting your neighbors for coffee and games. Everything is slow there, but that's the way they like it.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

People move to Central Texas' small towns to get away from "things to do". They want a small town feel, a place where people call you by your first name, where the bakery opens at 5am and closes at 1pm. "Things to do" are things like working on your ranch, enjoying the bright stars at night, breathing the clean air and visiting your neighbors for coffee and games. Everything is slow there, but that's the way they like it.

You are ever so correct, and I believe ruralgal is looking for such. Those you mentioned are the "things to do" that I love, the simple but special things in life. Malls and restaurants are a dime a dozen in this nation, but wide open spaces, bright stars, clean air, etc. are not.

TexasNick, you are a prize and one of these days if it hasn't happened already, one lucky young lady will find you and you two will truly know what living is all about. She is going to be one very lucky girl.

ruralgal ~~ I know nothing about the counties you mentioned. One county I really like is Bosque and two small towns in it are very nice. There are others I'm sure, but I'm really only familiar with Clifton and Meridian. Another one is Cranfills Gap, but it's extremely small. I like it too and would live outside of any of them. I'm just not much for living in any town; it has got to be outside of a town for me.

Be careful though if you do consider Bosque. One of the proposed plans of that blasted Trans-Texas Highway is going to be right through Bosque, so far a pretty unspoiled place. It will totally break my heart should they choose that plan, one of many they're considering.

If I don't end up in the Hill Country, I'm seriously considering Bosque but not until I'm sure that it doesn't get ruined by a huge highway.

[lonestar2007]

Is that still in the works? Haven't heard anything about it lately. That's really what we need, a super highway running through the state!!

Only thing about Meridan, etc. is rock (limestone), prickley pear, rattlesnakes! Try to dig a hole...ROCK! I'm talking huge prickley pear, and yeah buddy, there are snakes!

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

Is that still in the works? Haven't heard anything about it lately. That's really what we need, a super highway running through the state!!

Only thing about Meridan, etc. is rock (limestone), prickley pear, rattlesnakes! Try to dig a hole...ROCK! I'm talking huge prickley pear, and yeah buddy, there are snakes!

I'm pretty sure it's still in the works as I haven't heard anything differently. There's a really long thread somewhere on this forum about the entire highway from Mexico to Canada and the proposed plans are still up on the web.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

People move to Central Texas' small towns to get away from "things to do". They want a small town feel, a place where people call you by your first name, where the bakery opens at 5am and closes at 1pm. "Things to do" are things like working on your ranch, enjoying the bright stars at night, breathing the clean air and visiting your neighbors for coffee and games. Everything is slow there, but that's the way they like it.

Well when I said "things to do" I meant like family and kids' activities. You don't want the kids to be bored. There's only a portion of Central Texas that is rural, but a good deal of it is urban. Even Florence, one of the smallest towns in the area still has a little urban feel.

I just think that if you're going to live somewhere rural it should have a heavily populated area not too far off in the distance. You never know what you'll need or want.

[ruralgal]

TexasNick, you described it perfectly. We WANT a rural lifestyle. As for the kids being bored - that's what ranch work is for!

I probably should have been clearer when I first posted. I understand the pros and cons of rural life in general. I'm looking for information about the personality of different towns, or issues like nearby industrial plants causing pollution or an unusual crime rate for a small town, or anything else that doesn't fall into the category of "just your average rural town."

On the Trans-Texas Corridor - yes, that is still in the works. There's a lot of activity in the Texas Legislature right now, I think the best site to keep track of that is www.CorridorWatch.com.

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by ruralgal

TexasNick, you described it perfectly. We WANT a rural lifestyle. As for the kids being bored - that's what ranch work is for!

I probably should have been clearer when I first posted. I understand the pros and cons of rural life in general. I'm looking for information about the personality of different towns, or issues like nearby industrial plants causing pollution or an unusual crime rate for a small town, or anything else that doesn't fall into the category of "just your average rural town."

On the Trans-Texas Corridor - yes, that is still in the works. There's a lot of activity in the Texas Legislature right now, I think the best site to keep track of that is www.CorridorWatch.com.

Do you want to be close, but seperate to a big town? Or do you want to be completely isolated from any dense area?

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by ruralgal

TexasNick, you described it perfectly. We WANT a rural lifestyle. As for the kids being bored - that's what ranch work is for!

I probably should have been clearer when I first posted. I understand the pros and cons of rural life in general. I'm looking for information about the personality of different towns, or issues like nearby industrial plants causing pollution or an unusual crime rate for a small town, or anything else that doesn't fall into the category of "just your average rural town."

On the Trans-Texas Corridor - yes, that is still in the works. There's a lot of activity in the Texas Legislature right now, I think the best site to keep track of that is www.CorridorWatch.com.

Great site. Thanks!! I just can't believe they're going to ruin more unspoiled land.