Since you mentioned taxes, there are 2 big things to know about taxes in Texas. One, there is no state income tax. Two, property taxes are insanely high to make up for no income tax.
I think Austin checks off everything on your list, though you'll find slightly more culture and diversity the closer to Austin you live. No one looks twice at us in the suburbs for being a white and hispanic couple, and there are certainly Hispanic, Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, and African American families where we live though the majority are white. Anyway, it's probably worth a visit.
I was born and raised in the burbs of NYC, H was born in Jersey City, we both went to college in DC and then lived in NYC after college. H got a job down south and we just picked up and left. Honestly its probably the best thing we ever did. It is such a refreshing change of pace from the tri state area. CLT is such a new city so culture is lacking but its a great place to raise kids, the weather is awesome and its such a quick trip to and from Jersey and NYC.
Texas sounds like it checks a lot of your boxes. Go visit! Thats what sealed the deal for me. Once I started looking at houses in person and checking out the city I got super excited.
California was also on our list of places we would consider relocating too but honestly SF is the only city we could have gone to job wise and while its our favorite city BY FAR we didn't want to move to another HCOL. We already felt the crunch in NY.
I'm from the LA area and moved to TX after living in Philadelphia, New York, Dubai and Ashgabat (I also spent a summer in DC and a semester in Budapest).
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I thought you had lived in Scotland, too?
Anyway, I'd pick Houston, but because I have a few friends there. I like them, would like to hang out with them more and two of them used to live in NY and seem to have adapted well to life in Houston. I trust their opinions and they both tried to do the big sell when I visited them in February. It seems like the schools are good and that there's some diversity. The food was fantastic and I loved the HEB (is that all over Texas?).
I've visited Dallas and Austin before, but don't know enough about them or know enough people in either to give those cities the edge over Houston.
In my industry, the only places I could get a good enjoyable job are Austin and San Antonio. Both I'd be fine with. If I was in San Antonio I'd have a basketball team that wins 55 games a year forever.
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Seattle/SA/Austin. Do you work in Internet technology?
I love Houston. I love the mix of cosmopolitan, international, and Texas roots (rodeo). It has something if everything. I find it significantly more liberal and less stereotypically Texas than Dallas.
There are many international companies here, tons of expats, and I think that really brings something to the city.
The traffic can be bad but it's not as bad as la or Atlanta. Just be careful about where you live. If you work in the woodlands, don't live south. If you work to the galleria, the woodlands would be a ridiculous commute, etc.
In my industry, the only places I could get a good enjoyable job are Austin and San Antonio. Both I'd be fine with. If I was in San Antonio I'd have a basketball team that wins 55 games a year forever.
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Seattle/SA/Austin. Do you work in Internet technology?
Software, but yes. I'm sure there's something I could do at Rackspace
Yes! We were under the tornado warning for about half an hour (I'm central-ish) and I was pretty freaked out. Never even lost power, though.
I have a love/hate relationship with San Antonio. We moved from NOVA 2.5 years ago. Love the winter weather, hate the summer weather. Love the (lack of) traffic, hate the small(ish) airport. Love the cost of living overall, hate the property taxes. I love that I can get anywhere in 20 minutes but I miss living in a major city.
I think you described Houston. Maybe Ft Worth, but unsure of their diversity. Not Dallas (lacks diversity/culture and while there are some things to do with kids there, I don't like the general parenting culture. It's been 3 years since I stopped going up there regularly though.) or SA (boooooring with kids, lacks diversity). Austin almost, but as mentioned, diversity is not our thing. Unless you mean Hispanic, white, and Indian. We've got that covered. Food has definitely improved, and there's tons of stuff to do with kids here. I feel like there are things to do for hipsters, and things to do for families. It's hard to get direct flights to non-hub airports, but that's been improving too.
I don't even know where to post an intro here! I was on TK/TN/TB since 2003, mostly local boards. I was m_and_m.
"I speak without reservation from what I know and who I am. I do so with the understanding that all people should have the right to offer their voice to the chorus whether the result is harmony or dissonance. The worldsong is a colorless dirge without the differences that distinguish us, and it is that difference that should be celebrated not condemned." -Ani Difranco
I'd love to move to Texas. This is something me and my husband have been discussing (amongst other places like Charlotte and Atlanta) over the years. In Texas, I've talked more about Dallas, but this thread has convinced me to look more into Houston. I have family in both places and have visited both for weddings/funeral, so haven't really seen much. My older sister lived in the Dallas area for 2/3 years (Farmers Branch and Flower Mound) before she was transferred to NoVA.
My goals are lower cost of living, warmer climate (we hate winters), diversity and major airport.