Amarillo is a 200k population city, growing fast, and has a good economy, but you can still buy a 3 bedroom 2 bath home for under $150k. If you’ve never been to Texas, or haven’t been in a long time you’ll be shocked to see the growth, but unlike Cali, the state where lots of people are coming from it’s still within reach of most Americans, and plenty of immigrants, to buy a home. 

Also, it has the highest volume of helium in the world. That's kind of weird and cool. 

As a transplant to Amarillo notes: 
*I moved here about 2 years ago. I moved for the same reason you may move, a job opportunity. Worst case you tough it out being slightly bored for a few years getting experience (**or saving up money quick enjoying the relatively low cost of living**) and move somewhere with more stuff to do down the road.*

For more reviews of what living in Amarillo is like from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/amarillo?page=buzz)


Cost Of Living

The Best Thing About Amarillo?

Amarillo is hot, no shock there – over 100 degrees through many days in the summer. What does surprise though is the wind. Amarillo is windier than Chicago and in fact has the highest average wind speed of any city in the U.S. That wind combined with the dust, and a flat topography means you’re going to feel the pain of the conditions here. 

**A local talks about the impact of the conditions of Amarillo:** 
*Depends on how incredible the work opportunity is I suppose. Don't get me wrong... there is nothing especially bad about living in Amarillo, but for me personally it is way too dry and dusty.*

Hot, Windy, Dusty & Flat

The Worst Thing About Amarillo?

Amarillo, like many Texas cities, has great food, including the obvious Mexican/Tex-Mex options but also new highly rated other fare. It also has tons of breweries to wash down those eats. It has a groovy shopping district on 6th street and a great performing arts center. What most people rave about though is hiking through Palo Duro Canyon. Given the flat terrain, a cool hilly climb is the right way to get a break on the weekends. 

Check out the city calendar of events to get a sense of local activities: https://www.visitamarillo.com/events


Lifestyle Of Amarillo

Two of the big industries of Texas include Energy and Food Processing. While oil is still big business in Texas it should be no shock that with that insane wind, Amarillo is also home to massive manufacturing and installation of wind turbines. Amarillo operates one of the largest meat-packing areas in the United States (lots of cattle in Texas). Growth is coming from those two industries but also has some interesting manufacturing with Osprey Helicopters built here and Pantex, the only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility in the country, a major employer. All of these areas are seeing growth so if the mix of jobs and low costs make it a desirable location. 


Workstyle of Amarillo

If you’re raising a family and looking to buy a home at a price you can afford, then Amarillo is a great choice. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another city with an economy doing as well as Amarillo with prices as low. 


It's the Money, Stupid

Why You Should Move Here Now?

As with most small to mid-sized cities Downtown is where the young professionals and some retirees live. Restaurants, microbreweries, music clubs, jazz bars and dance clubs are pretty plentiful here and so if your thing is going out and living a walk from the scene then the apartments and condos downtown will work for you. There are also several outdoor parks and plazas in the area, providing a place for the youngsters (or retirees) to throw a frisbee or just enjoy the outdoors. 

One of the most interesting and perhaps bizarre landmarks in downtown Amarillo is the Cadillac Ranch, an art installation featuring a row of vintage Cadillacs partially buried nose-first in the ground. Other cultural options in the area include the Amarillo Museum of Art, the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, and the Amarillo Civic Center, all of which play host to live music, art shows and theater productions throughout the year. 

 



Young Professionals / Retirees

Downtown

If you’re single or a couple but looking to get a breather from downtown then take a peek at historic Wolflin Village. Filled with 1920’s homes along tree-lined streets, the whole neighborhood is going through a restoration. The walk score here is excellent with boutique shopping and restaurants all within range. It also has a strong community vibe with plenty of block parties and events throughout the year, making it feel like its own little town. 



DINKs/SINKs / Retirees

Wolflin Village

La Paloma Estates is a first choice for those who want to live the high life. The homes are huge with big lawns and the local public schools are excellent. It also has the Tascosa Golf Club, with golf, tennis, swimming pool, walking trails and a restaurant. Many of the families in La Paloma use the club as a community center.
If you’re craving a more city-centric neighborhood with lower prices then check out W 34th Ave/S Washington St. Decidedly middle-class but also with nice homes and low crime, this established,  older neighborhood is near the center of the city for those craving something closer to the action. 
- La Paloma Estates
- Tascosa Estates
- Lake Tanglewood
- W 34th Ave/Washington St. 


Families

La Paloma Estates

Amarillo

**What’s the best thing about living in Amarillo, TX?**

Let’s see…. I think first of all, you really have to be born into the panhandle to appreciate the beauty. As I say that, there are people not born here that can see it and appreciate it, and there are people born here that can’t see it or appreciate it, that’s why they leave. Amarillo is a big city with a small town attitude, and it’s constantly growing. I don’t think it will ever be Dallas or Houston.

The people of Amarillo and the panhandle of Texas are unique in the sense that as one of my former bosses described. In Dallas and Houston, businesses hire professionals for a certain job, and when the job is finished they are terminated, both employer and and employee understand that and expect it. The people in the panhandle like to remain employed for long periods of time and usually are multitalented, and can do jobs in many fields, almost out of necessity because you don’t have the population that would support the big city attitude of business.

Now onto the beauty I mentioned as you get out of the city you are surrounded by fields and plains with nary a tree to be found. You can see for miles, horizon to horizon almost.



**What’s the best thing about living in Amarillo, TX?**

For me, it’s comfortably large. I don’t generally feel the need to go elsewhere for shopping (having spent 2002–2014 in towns where I’d need to drive about an hour to somewhere bigger for monthly or twice-monthly shopping trips, that’s a big deal). It’s the center of its own media market, so the local TV news isn’t all about some place an hour or two away. But it’s just below whatever threshold triggers a lot of the downsides in terms of traffic (Lubbock, which is only slightly bigger, has city streets with eight to ten lanes and loads of soaring overpasses and interchanges that I found unpleasant to drive on as a visitor). And you can feasibly visit all the major commercial sections of town in an afternoon if you have a particularly odd shopping list (I lived in Columbus OH for 8 years and almost never entered about a third of the city, it was just too long a drive to be worth it). While Amarillo lacks a four year university of its own (branches of several area schools do exist), Amarillo College is a rather large community college (about 10000 full time students), and fulfills the community needs for culture. (Art museum, small natural science museum, musical programs, etc.)

On the other hand, Texas is a lot more spread out than other places I’ve lived, and if Amarillo weren’t big enough for my needs, it’s an awfully long drive to someplace bigger. Two hours to Lubbock, which as noted is only a little bigger (Texas Tech accounts for pretty much the entire population difference, although Lubbock also has more and bigger nearby towns). Literally nothing big enough for even a Walmart in either direction east or west for over an hour…might as well keep going into New Mexico or Oklahoma. North it’s an hour to Borger, which I’m told used to be worth the drive but has mostly dried up since the oil company moved its HQ to Dallas. And south, there’s Plainview halfway to Lubbock, plus Canyon which is the only “suburb” of note for Amarillo. Canyon is okay, a small college town with a decent museum.

**What’s the best thing about living in Amarillo, TX?**

There's plenty good about living in Amarillo. Its a small large city with the best attributes of both. I've never been there but my mother attended a PTA conference there. She ate at a steakhouse where the steak was free if you could finish the huge thing in an hour. Amarillo appeals to my imagination. I like the idea of not being so crowded. Amarillo seems like a place where the country side is never far away. That's appealing to me. A place too with less traffic problems.Its a place I'd like to visit. And Palo Duro Canyon is not far away. Not sure if I could handle the winters though.

**What do you like and what do you dislike about Amarillo?**

We have a pretty good diversity of food. You'll be able to find any type of food here. There's a lot of outdoor activities, especially at Palo Duro Canyon. There are also a lot of lakes within a 2 hour drive, more if you don't mind a 4 hour drive.

One of the best things about Amarillo is that we have an absolute zero ax murdering crime rate here, so we got that going for us, which is nice!

Schools are good, depending on which school. There are a few private schools that are pretty good as well.

If you're looking for places to live, the general rule of thumb is south of I-40 and west of I-27. The further south and west of that intersection, the better the neighborhoods. You might also consider moving to Canyon. It's a small town about 10 minutes south of Amarillo. They have a really great school system from what I hear and cost of living will be a little cheaper.

Amarillo, Texas