What city in Texas should I move to? (Houston, Dallas: home, job market)

[C4CFC]

Hello. I'm a single male in my mid-twenties from South Carolina. I am very interested in moving to Texas. I've kind of narrowed my interests to Austin, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Which city has the best job opportunities? cost of living (prefer one bed apt rent)? nightlife? single women near my age? I'm sure each has what I'm looking for, but I want to know which one is the best choice all around. Austin seems fun, but sounds the most expensive. Fort Worth seems the most affordable, but I don't know of any down side. San Antonio seems nice too, but too big and spread out. I could be wrong altogether. Forgive me if I am. That's just what I gathered here and there from other posts. Please keep in mind I'm just going to go check out some of these fine cities to get a feel for them. I'm not going straight for a move. Just researching. Thanks. I appreciate any information.

[texasdiver]

Fort Worth has the best economy of the three.
Austin probably has the best nightlife and the most young-single oriented
San Antonio is the most family-oriented and least single oriented.

You don't say what profession you are in. All other things being equal, your best bet for making your start in Texas is probably Fort Worth. Austin has the weakest job market due to all the young college grads and hipster types who move there for the scene hoping to find work.

Another advantage to moving to Fort Worth if you are single is that if you are looking for work you have the whole Dallas area open to you as well. You would not want to commute from Fort Worth to Dallas but if you are living in Fort Worth and looking for better job opportunities then Dallas is right next door. You could easily search for work in Dallas while living in Fort Worth

[case44]

You may want to let us know what type of job you have and the situation you're looking for. That would have to take precedence over nightlife. I could recommend any of those three cities for you. What I will tell you is that Austin does have a higher cost of living, so just be aware of that.

[C4CFC]

I'm in the structural/civil engineering field.

[buzzpost]

My choice would be SA or FW. Both are great cities; you'll love it here in Texas. The people are friendly, the food is great, and it's just one of the greatest places on planet earth. And oh, btw, I'm not a native Texan.

[eepstein]

I would say forget all of those 3 and move to Dallas. The economy is Dallas is unreal and the job market is better than most any other major city at this time. There are endless opportunities for just about everything and the cost of living is reasonable. If you are in an upper tax bracket, then north dallas is about as upscale as it gets. You can easily visit Austin or San Antonio should the Cedar Hill area not be hilly enough for you.

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Fort Worth has the best economy of the three.
Austin probably has the best nightlife and the most young-single oriented
San Antonio is the most family-oriented and least single oriented.

You don't say what profession you are in. All other things being equal, your best bet for making your start in Texas is probably Fort Worth. Austin has the weakest job market due to all the young college grads and hipster types who move there for the scene hoping to find work.

Another advantage to moving to Fort Worth if you are single is that if you are looking for work you have the whole Dallas area open to you as well. You would not want to commute from Fort Worth to Dallas but if you are living in Fort Worth and looking for better job opportunities then Dallas is right next door. You could easily search for work in Dallas while living in Fort Worth

[300zxtwinturbo]

if you would like more rural living as I understand that many people don't really want urban living, just the ammenities of the city, then austins your choice, if you want a real city, the inner loop houston, around the galleria, or medical center

[Melissa78703]

Originally Posted by C4CFC

I'm in the structural/civil engineering field.

Definitely not Austin, then. While it would be a feather in your cap to get a job here, it's highly unlikely that you'll find one. Austin is to Texas as San Francisco is to California–it's "the" place to be. We also have more engineers and high-level professionals here than we can shake a stick at, so I'd avoid, avoid, avoid, unless you like waiting tables.

Start out more modestly. Dallas, Ft. Worth and Houston are all much better bets for employment. But don't neglect the small and medium-sized cities, either. I'd recommend taking into consider the region you want to live in, e.g., do you prefer a drier climate? One near the water? Mountainous or flat? Then see what jobs are available in all cities. You need a job first and foremost. Worry about entertainment and dating once you know you can make money here. HTH some!

[Quattro72]

I would say any of those except for San Antonio. San Antonio is a big city stuck in a small town mentality and it shows. The city is about two decades behind Austin, Dallas, and Houston in a lot of ways. Generally speaking, the attitude of the city is “manana” and that leads to why SA is behind in many things and most locals feel like there is nothing wrong with that.

Salaries in general are lower in SA than those three cities as well.

Your best option would be Dallas. Dallas is home to many corporate headquarters and there will be more opportunities than the other three. And for a single guy, you will fit right in Dallas.