What is it like to live in Texas?

[lax16]

I am curious what life is like in Texas and if it might be a good fit for our family.

Please clue me in on weather, friendliness towards newcomers, conservative parishes…and anything else you can think of to help us navigate the great state of Texas.

(We currently live in Utah)****.

Thanks!!

 

[1ke]

What’s it like to live in Texas? Awesome.

But you have to realize that the size of Texas makes this impossible to answer. It is as culturally diverse as the US as a whole, in fact Houston was recently dubbed more diverse than NYC. You will find small towns, large cities, medium sized towns, cosmopolitan, provincial, rural, blue collar, white collar, and everything in between.

Dallas is not Houston is not Austin is not Amarillo is not College Station is not Waco.

Utah is very homogeneous. Texas is not.

What are you looking for?

 

[lax16]

What’s it like to live in Texas? Awesome.

But you have to realize that the size of Texas makes this impossible to answer. It is as culturally diverse as the US as a whole, in fact Houston was recently dubbed more diverse than NYC. You will find small towns, large cities, medium sized towns, cosmopolitan, provincial, rural, blue collar, white collar, and everything in between.

Dallas is not Houston is not Austin is not Amarillo is not College Station is not Waco.

Utah is very homogeneous. Texas is not.

What are you looking for?

A breakdown of the different areas of the state would be great.

Good schools, conservative parish, friendly people, good restaurants, etc. would be on my wishlist.

Any info is helpful!

 

[Xantippe]

1ke said:

“Dallas is not Houston is not Austin is not Amarillo is not College Station is not Waco”

Exactly. There’s also the general regional division between Southern-ish Texas (the East), Western-ish Texas, and Hispanic Texas (which gets more pronounced as you go South). There’s some overlap. We live in an area where you can get sweet tea in Mexican restaurants. Oh, that’s another thing–I hope you like Mexican food, because by my count, about 50% of our local restaurants are some kind of Mexican. Also, bear in mind that Texas is so very large that should you wind up in the more geographically extreme locations, you’d have to fly to do much out-of-state travel.

We’ve lived in a medium-sized college community in Texas for nearly 7 years and we love it. It’s affordable (we were previously in the expensive mid-Atlantic), the people are nice, I’ve made a lot of friends (which was really hard in the mid-Atlantic), and the local Catholic culture is small but strong and vibrant. There are fewer parishes than we are used to having at our fingertips, but the quality of pastor is generally very good. It’s very home-y–you keep bumping into the same people. (That would presumably not be true in a really big city.)

For somebody coming from Utah, I have to warn you that the demographics are very different than what you’re used to. I think Texas is probably way more fun than Utah, but there is more poverty and I have to warn you if you are a non-Hispanic white that non-Hispanic whites are only about 45% of the population. If you’re not used to being a minority, it might come as a shock.

There’s also the issue of religious demographics. We live in a deeply Baptist area, but there are a lot of smart Baptists, and I find it keeps us on our toes. However, one could easily find oneself in an area that was less congenial. (Our old pastor was reassigned to a parish in a small town about an hour away where the local cafe’s initials spell out–none too subtly–KKK.)

If the OP PMs me, I will give more exact coordinates.

 

[Xantippe]

There’s a bumper sticker that says, “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I came as soon as I could.”

One thing we were told to get used to before we came is that you have to be prepared for the fact that your kids are going to be Texans. Texas, as you might imagine, is very big on regional patriotism and identity, and it gets drilled into school kids pretty hard. A lot of people don’t care for that, but given the size and diversity of the state, it is very important to have a unifying state identity.

 

[marbleartist]

I agree with the previous answers to your question- Texas is a HUGE state with a lot of variety and diversity. My husband has to travel frequently from Austin to El Paso- and it is over a 2 hour flight and in a different time zone! We have lived in Dallas, Denton, and Houston- and currently are living in Austin. We travel often to San Antonio, as well. The people have always been very friendly and our parishes have been excellent. I love my current parish but also loved the two I attended in Houston (our last place of residence before moving to Austin)! There is no state income tax and the economy is excellent. Houston and Dallas are huge cities- and if you decide to live in one of them, you also have to pick an area! Your schools and parishes will vary depending on the area of the city! So, I guess what I’m saying is that I could help you more once you narrow down your choices in the state. Come visit!! I’ll keep you in my prayers as you discern whether this is the place for you and your family.

 

[chero23]

Let me tell you about Dallas, especially our weather, it can stink. One moment is 80 degrees and 8 hours later its 28 degrees with the roads covered in ice. The summers are hot and humid (yuck) the winters are cool to chilly.

 

[Xantippe]

Bear in mind that while Texas has no income tax, the property tax is brutal. It runs around 2%. So don’t make the rookie mistake of buying a big house in Texas and then discovering it comes with a Texas-sized tax bill.

Another potential tax issue is that if you own your own business, there’s a tax on capital. (Sorry, I’m not sure of the terminology–forgive any inexactness.) So you need to value the stuff you use in your business every year and pay a small percentage (1%?)–I believe WA has something similar. So I would definitely research this if you own your own business and are moving it here. The horrid thing about this particular tax is that it runs counter to federal tax. Under federal taxes, you can write off business expenses. Meanwhile, under Texas tax law, you have to pay taxes on a lot of business expenses. Crazy!

So, research, research, research!

 

[Xantippe]

Chero23 said:

“Let me tell you about Dallas, especially our weather, it can stink. One moment is 80 degrees and 8 hours later its 28 degrees with the roads covered in ice. The summers are hot and humid (yuck) the winters are cool to chilly.”

If you get a little more south, the winters are somewhat milder and I find the summers are hot and dry, rather than hot and humid.

We do have the same exact issues with HUGE temperature swings in the course of a single 24 hour period. This winter has been particularly bad. The good news, though, is even if you should have a blizzard (and we had a real one several years ago), it will all melt away in a few days and you’ll have 70 degree temperatures. That’s nice.

I suggest reading Kinky Friedman’s “Guide to Texas Etiquette: Or How to Get to Heaven or Hell Without Going Through Dallas Fort Worth.”

amazon.com/Kinky-Friedmans-Guide-Texas-Etiquette/dp/0060935359

He somehow manages to skip the religious dimension of life in Texas, but it’s a fun read. Somewhat dated at this point, but fun.

By the way, I have to mention that Texans LOVE Colorado. In our area, it’s quite common for families to head to Colorado for summer vacations to beat the heat (110 degree days being not a rarety). I joke that Colorado is heaven for Texans.

 

[IrishAm]

Regardless of region, my response would be “it is full of Texans.” That is obviously a very good thing, or a very bad thing, depending upon your perspective!

 

[Burt_Macklin]

Salt Lake and Provo are much more scenic and beautiful than anything around Houston. Houston is miles of flat, boring wasteland and Texas sized ghettos. With the love for the automobile, the heat and good food it can also be a real problem trying to stay in shape. Expect your waste line to expand a little if you make the move.

On the plus side, jobs are plentiful and homes are cheap. Houston is probably the only town where a poor schlub like myself could hope to be gainfully employed with a nice home. In other parts of the country I would be struggling to even get by. You have to take the good with the bad I suppose.

 

[marbleartist]

I will slightly disagree with the above comment about property taxes. Bear in mind, however, that before moving to Houston, I lived in San Francisco!! There are homestead exemptions here that significantly lower your property tax. Currently, we have homestead exemption and historic landmark reductions. In Austin, as well, there is a reduction based on one’s age. We aren’t old enough yet, but the lady from whom we purchased our house only paid $4,000 a year property tax on a $900,000 house because she had all three of the tax reductions! I’m wondering about whether the property tax differs from city to city. I know that in Houston, we lived inside the loop, in Bellaire, and with the homestead exemption paid much less than California. Someone suggested that you do your research, and I agree- but we haven’t found the property taxes to be bad at all. Also, Austin seems to encourage small business owners and start-ups. We have lots of food trucks and trailers here- and many small, local boutique stores. I am assuming that it must be easy based on the many new ones we have every year! To me, the only weakness would be schools- but the Catholic schools are plentiful and excellent- so unless you plan on public school, you should be fine there, as well. The weather, as previously mentioned, certainly varies from place to place! Houston is warm and very humid in the summer- and yet Austin, only a 2 hour drive away, tends to be cooler and drier. However, we hit 105- yep that’s right- many days last summer. They also had a severe drought and terrible fires in Bastrop several years ago- so things are pretty unpredictable. Our winters are nice and mild with usually no snow and few freezing days. Again, though, I’m talking Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

 

[iepuras]

I am curious what life is like in Texas and if it might be a good fit for our family.

Please clue me in on weather, friendliness towards newcomers, conservative parishes…and anything else you can think of to help us navigate the great state of Texas.

(We currently live in Utah)****.

Thanks!!

Texas is great! I echo what others have said. I grew up in Texas and am raising my family here. I grew up in Fort Worth but now live in Houston. I’ve been pretty much all over the state. It is very diverse. People are friendly. Life is good and affordable. Houses are cheaper than in Utah. Lots of Baptists here, but there are more Catholics the further south you go.

People complain about the weather, but I think people complain about the weather no matter where one lives. Yes, it gets hot in the summer, and summer never seems to end. However, **everything **is air conditioned. I know someone who has an air conditioned dog house. We just get up and do outside things in the morning, have a slow Southern afternoon, and come back out in the evening. Winters are not really too bad. We can have quick weather changes when fronts come through the plains. The wild flowers in the spring are glorious.

Coming from Utah, you will appreciate that no one will look at you weird if you order an iced tea at lunch or a beer at dinner. No one will really care all that much about where you go to church. Texas is a conservative state but we have a strong libertarian streak. Most people are very much “live and let live”.

Being former LDS and having lived in Utah for college, I appreciate where you are coming from, and you will likely find Texas to be quite liberating. Feel free to PM me.

 

[Xantippe]

Burt Macklin said:

“Houston is miles of flat, boring wasteland and Texas sized ghettos.”

Or, to look at it differently, miles of lush, tropical suburbs. I haven’t lived there, so this is just a from-the-window-of-a-car impression. Houston’s humidity is ferocious, right?

“Expect your waste line to expand a little if you make the move.”

My doctor made the same warning. He thought that the combination of fried food and food-centered Baptist socializing are a dangerous combination.

I have to say, just about everything tastes better deep-fried. (Case in point–okra.)

“On the plus side, jobs are plentiful and homes are cheap. Houston is probably the only town where a poor schlub like myself could hope to be gainfully employed with a nice home. In other parts of the country I would be struggling to even get by. You have to take the good with the bad I suppose.”

Yes. Texas is GREAT for people with moderate incomes–inexpensive, but with actual employment. That is a rare combination these days. Cost-of-living was why we left DC–I was discovering that it was close to impossible to find a house in a decent neighborhood for under $400k. You would not believe how many $475-495k houses in slummy neighborhoods that I visited, back in the day.

 

[child_of_God85]

It depends on what partof Texas. I’m in the south by the gulf. Weather here is hot and humid 90% of the year. I hate it. This winter was such a welcome change.
Where I live is pretty welcoming to new comers. Pleanty of parishes to choose from.

 

[Xantippe]

marbleartist said:

“We aren’t old enough yet, but the lady from whom we purchased our house only paid $4,000 a year property tax on a $900,000 house because she had all three of the tax reductions! I’m wondering about whether the property tax differs from city to city.”

It does.

We’re paying $6,000+ for a house we paid around $255k for (so, somewhat north of 2%). I will limit my whining, though, because we knew what the deal was going in, and we could have bought less house or in a less convenient neighborhood. (We chose to live where my husband could walk to work and we only need one car.)

“To me, the only weakness would be schools- but the Catholic schools are plentiful and excellent- so unless you plan on public school, you should be fine there, as well.”

The fancy suburban schools in our area are strong, as elsewhere in the country. We live in the city and do private school–around $550 per kid per month.

“Our winters are nice and mild with usually no snow and few freezing days. Again, though, I’m talking Houston, Austin and San Antonio.”

And bear in mind that San Antonio is a major tourist draw. You have a very architecturally interesting old town (very European in spots), the Alamo, Riverwalk, Sea World plus even some old missions. We went to Mass at a mission church a few years back, which was pretty amazing.

 

[Cricket2]

I am curious what life is like in Texas and if it might be a good fit for our family.

Please clue me in on weather, friendliness towards newcomers, conservative parishes…and anything else you can think of to help us navigate the great state of Texas.

(We currently live in Utah)****.

Thanks!!

According to my sister, Hot and miserable. According to some recent reading on my part, not a bad place if you want a decent socioeconomic boost, as jobs are easier to find and pay better for the cost of living. But it depends on where you live and what you do.

For myself, I could never even consider it. Too hot.

 

[iepuras]

Burt Macklin said:

“Houston is miles of flat, boring wasteland and Texas sized ghettos.”

Or, to look at it differently, miles of lush, tropical suburbs. I haven’t lived there, so this is just a from-the-window-of-a-car impression. Houston’s humidity is ferocious, right?

“Expect your waste line to expand a little if you make the move.”

My doctor made the same warning. He thought that the combination of fried food and food-centered Baptist socializing are a dangerous combination.

I have to say, just about everything tastes better deep-fried. (Case in point–okra.)

“On the plus side, jobs are plentiful and homes are cheap. Houston is probably the only town where a poor schlub like myself could hope to be gainfully employed with a nice home. In other parts of the country I would be struggling to even get by. You have to take the good with the bad I suppose.”

Yes. Texas is GREAT for people with moderate incomes–inexpensive, but with actual employment. That is a rare combination these days. Cost-of-living was why we left DC–I was discovering that it was close to impossible to find a house in a decent neighborhood for under $400k. You would not believe how many $475-495k houses in slummy neighborhoods that I visited, back in the day.

I love the bayous, the piney woods and the coastal plains. Ain’t nothin’ better than gettin’ out of the city to enjoy the expansive night sky full of stars.

Houston is humid, but it also doesn’t get above 100 all that often (unlike in San Antonio or D/FW where it is not so humid). If it does, the humidity is also way down. The humidity is great for my skin and hair. The desert of Utah caused all kinds of damage to my hair, even when I let it dry naturally. Everything is air conditioned. If I think about my typical day, I rarely venture outside when the heat is unbearable. I go from air conditioned house to garage to air conditioned car to parking garage to air conditioned office building and then back home. Evenings are not so bad and are spent outside. On the weekends, we spend the mornings outside, come back in for lunch, spend the afternoons in the house then venture back outside in the evening.

Agree about everything tasting better deep fried, especially okra. We had deep fried bacon at the Rodeo. What a combo!

You can buy a nice home in a good neighborhood for under $200k. $400+ practically will buy you a mansion.

#1 reason to leave Utah for Texas - no inversions in the winter.

 

[InflatusMaximus]

I am curious what life is like in Texas and if it might be a good fit for our family.

Please clue me in on weather, friendliness towards newcomers, conservative parishes…and anything else you can think of to help us navigate the great state of Texas.

(We currently live in Utah)****.

Thanks!!

sandy. sometimes smells of cow poop especially near amarillo. But overall it seems a very diverse climate with many a friendly folk. I know of very many awesome parishes.

 

[Xantippe]

iepuras said:

“Houston is humid, but it also doesn’t get above 100 all that often (unlike in San Antonio or D/FW where it is not so humid). If it does, the humidity is also way down.”

Exactly–in our area, also, there seems to be an inverse relationship between the heat and the humidity. Our most humid days are often in the high 70s or in the 80s, while the 100+ degree days are very dry and oven-like. So you don’t have to deal with high humidity and super high temperatures at the same time.

Oh, and nobody has mentioned the bugs yet.

“This is one of the largest common cockroaches in Texas, reaching 1-1/2 to 2 inches.”

insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg22.html

That’s not including the antennae, either.

The first time I visited our town in Texas, a future colleague of my husband was walking me around a rental house that had been vacant for a while. I noticed some huge dead bugs.

Me: Are those roaches?

Husband’s future colleague: Everything’s bigger in Texas.