Moving to Texas?

Question

I am looking for the best city to raise 3 little boys up (5,3,1). My husband and I currently live in Orlando, FL and I love this city but cost of living here is extremely expensive for a young family trying to make it. I am looking for something that offers good jobs with good pay, great schools, affordable homes and good universities (since I want to go back to school). I heard good things about Texas but am not too familiar with the cities and what they offer. We are a young hispanic family in search of a good future for a family.

Answer 1

I'll put in a plug for East Texas and specifically, Smith County and its county seat of Tyler, Texas. Tyler has about 90,000 people and the total for Smith county is about 175,000.

This is a very inexpensive area to live in. There are no state or local income taxes. Smith county and the City of Tyler have either held their already low property tax rates steady or even lowered them (how many places have you heard where that happened) every year for about the last ten years.

There is very little serious crime around here and its the type of place where I never bother to lock my doors.

Housing is very inexpensive and a new 3 bedroom 2 bath house in a desirable area of the county can be purchased for as little as $110,000. If, like me, you want a little land its easy to afford. I have a nice piece of forest with a couple of creeks running thru it, mature oaks and southern pine, deer and assorted other wildlife wandering around and two houses (one is for guests). The whole thing cost $239,000.

The local school district is fine and there is a good selection of private schools. Tyler Junior college has 8000 students and the University of Texas at Tyler with 3200 is the fastest growing branch of the UT system.

Unemployment is a mere 3.2% and jobs are plentiful.

Despite being a relatively small town in rural Texas there is a wealth of cultural activities. Tyler was an oil boom town many years ago and the newly rich oil men endowed a lot of civic institutions that continue to this day. We have a Symphony Orchestra, a Civic Ballet Company, the largest privately owned zoo in North America, a children's theater program, an Opera company, and an annual Blues Festival, to name just a few things. The nearby city of Kilgore has an annual Shakespeare Festival with actors imported from New York.

There is a growing Hispanic community, principally of Mexican origin. Other Hispanic subgroups (Cubans for example) are a bit harder to find.

In the interest of full disclosure I will say that this is also a very conservative area. Nightlife is limited and life tends to center around church (usually southern Baptist) and family.

This area has been experiencing strong and sustained growth. I genuinely think its a great place for a family to put down roots and grown along with it.

A little personal note about Texas. I lived many years in St. Louis, Missouri, a transplant from New York. In St. Louis the general feeling was that if you weren't born there you were a "foreigner."

A few days after I moved to Texas I was having a beer in local establishment. One of the other patrons, hearing my accent, asked me "Where are you from?" "I just moved here from St. Louis," I replied. "If you moved here then you're a Texan!" he exclaimed, "let me buy you a beer and introduce you around."

That's what Texas is, a state founded by people who came here running from everything from bankruptcy to bad love affairs and posses(read Texas history). The people here haven't forgotten that and, I promise, will welcome you with open arms and the kindest, biggest hearts in America.

Answer 2

Wow, thoughtful question and a great answer provided by "rillifane". I do agree with her assesment of the Tyler/Longview/Kilgore area of East Texas, it is a really nice area to consider; however, I have lived in several areas of Texas over the last 30 years (Austin, Houston, Longview, San Antonio) and my personal preference would be just outside of San Antonio in the Comfort, Boerne area (about 30/40 miles NW of San Antonio on Interstate 10). My only reasons for preferring that area over East Texas would be a little nicer weather, its close enough to San Antonio to have some wonderful night life, great restaurants, sporting activities, etc but still not as expensive as the "big city". And, if job opportunities are a major concern I would think that the San Antonio area would have a bit more to offer just because of its sheer size and number of companies (if job opportunities were your first priority then it is really hard to beat Houston). Texas has a lot of really fine people (plus the normal amount of idiots and bigots but they are anywhere you go), good economics and generally pretty decent weather. If I was a young family looking to plant some long-term roots it would be hard to beat Texas. Hope you get some good answers and your family prospers in the future. Good luck.

Answer 3

It looks like you've received a lot of info on the education in the area; there are tons of options. I just wanted to say that Dallas is a great place to live. There is plenty to do and lots of great cities to visit with a quick few hours drive; Houston, San Antonio, Austin, when you need a change. If you come to Texas with an open mind, knowing its different than many other parts of the country you will probably love it. The people here are really friendly and the weather is generally great.

Answer 4

I'll put in a vote for Tyler as well, although I wouldn't classify it as a small town. And I just got back from a terrific vacation in San Antonio and Round Rock, and it sure was great to get out of all that humidity (I live in Louisiana). But I will tell you I heard that area (San Antonio/Austin) is supposed to be heck on allergies, but I never suffered while I was there for a week.

Good luck!
Oh!!! If you decide to move to Round Rock, I was just there to see 2 great speakers, Dr Ed and Pastor Nancy Dufresne, at the Church on the Rock. It's a non-denom church. It's rather small, but they are growing. I can't say much for the pastor, because I didn't get to hear him, but I did meet several members who were very friendly.

Answer 5

I used to live in Sulphur Springs. it has about 10000-12000 people, and the people are so friendly. It is about 80 miles outside of Dallas. So if you are looking for a nice city, with the small town feel to it, then thats for you. It is very cheap to live there. We bought a 4 bedroom house 3 bathrooms, cornor property with big front and backyard, circle driveway...just everything a great house would have, for 180,000.

Answer 6

I suggest Ft Worth Area. North, West & South of the "city" are all growing rapidly. I live 30 miles from Downtown. Live in country, short drive to city.
There are many hispanic families in the area & would be good for you children to speak with others besides family.

Answer 7

I was going to vote for Lubbock, where my son lives. It's a nice small town with a couple of universities and cheap housing. The people are really nice there, too. But reading Rillifanes I'm inclined to want to check out Tyler!

(In California and thinking of retiring in a few years)

Answer 8

I grew up in Austin and have lived in Houston and Dallas since. Austin would be a great choice, specifically one of its suburbs like Pflugerville, Round Rock, or Cedar Park. The University of Texas is a great school, so maybe that will fit your needs also.

Answer 9

San Antonio has good schools for the kids. Try to get into the Northside, Northeast, Judson, Cibolo, New Braunfels, Boerne, Helotes areas. Don't go South!!! Don't go east or west!!! Go North. Austin is also very nice. Again, go North!

Answer 10

Marble Falls ?
Kerrville ?
I would look for a small city in the Texas Hill Country..
San Antonio is a big city...
If you must move to a big city,
San Antonio is a good choice..