**The Good, The Bad, The Ugly**

**The Best Thing About Houston?**  It’s A Rocket Ship (And a Relatively Cheap Ride)

The economy of Houston is exploding with a diverse set of industries including Aerospace & Aviation, Manufacturing, Energy (oil has softened but still big), Healthcare and Digital Tech. Making a good living here is even more compelling when you realize how much less expensive Houston is compared to crazy cities like San Francisco (179% more expensive), New York (94% more expensive), or the other “hotter” cities in Texas, like Austin (19% more expensive).  


**The Worst Thing About Houston?**  It’s Not A Dry Heat

For many from the Great White North the idea of year round sun sounds awesome. It is critical to know ahead of time though that not only does Houston get HOT, the fact that it is surrounded by water and low-lying flood-lands means it gets HUMID. 


**How You Living?**  However You’d Like

Houston is massive (about 14x bigger than San Francisco), which means that pretty much any kind of housing experience you’d like to have is available. Cool downtown condo buildings with full amenities and walks to the Fortune 500 companies in town? Got ‘em. Hip neighborhoods with cool historic homes and short walks to bars and restaurants? Got ‘em. Fancy neighborhoods with big new homes? Got ‘em. Trust us, you’ll find it here. 


**Why You Should Move Here Now?**  The City With No Limits

We know a lot of people are looking to get away from big cities but Houston seems like a place that might receive some of that escaping traffic from the denser cities of the Northeast and Northwest. If you’re moving south but want the diversity, culture & art experiences, food scene and vibrant population of some of those cities but in a more chill, easier to afford package, then Houston’s the spot. 


Houston

The Big Heart

**The Best Thing About Dallas?** It’s A New-ish City

We think of Dallas as new-ish because it constantly reinvents. Remaking itself from cattle ranch to financial center, or fancy to hipster, or whatever else that the times demand. As a result of this ability to remake itself, Dallas has a constant influx of new, diverse people constantly arriving and calling it home. Fresh starts come naturally here so if you’re looking to do the same thing then this is a good spot. 

**The Worst Thing About Dallas?** It’s An Odd City

People say that the source of Dallas’s oddness is because it is one of only two major cities (Las Vegas the other) not built on a body of water. It’s hard to describe but Dallas can feel transient or shallow for those who’ve lived in cities with longer life spans and more persistent physical roots like Boston or New York. That history of reinvention means everything looks new:  the buildings, the neighborhoods, the shopping centers, it mostly looks new, and while that can be nice it also means they paved over much of the history, and that gives it a city-wide suburban type feeling. 


**How You Living?** With Space

Dallas is ridiculously large. At 343 square miles it is 10x as big as New York City and 100+ square miles bigger than Chicago. Hell, the damn airport is bigger than Manhattan. That means there is tons of suburban style housing in the city limits, super spacious condo complexes,  and even though there is no sales or local income tax, real estate taxes are high, which means the public school system is excellent. For families looking for room and great schools, or younger peeps looking for a downtown lifestyle but without the NYC density, it is hard to beat. 


**Why You Should Move Here Now?** “Working 9 to 5” (sing it in Dolly Parton’s voice)

No large city or metropolitan area has had higher job growth than Dallas. While the oil industry has suffered there are 18 Fortune 500 Companies in Dallas and tremendous employment opportunities in tech, healthcare, financial services, hospitality, food industry and travel. Because of the space to stretch it’s also a great place to have a home with plenty of room to work remotely. 


Dallas

Triple D

**The Best Thing About Fort Worth?** Cowtowns Are Cool!

Unlike its fancier sibling (Big D), Fort Worth stayed true to its roots and preserved much of what makes it a true western town. If you’re into the wild west, both authentic and that available as entertainment, you’re going to dig it here and enjoy the laid back atmosphere, live music, cultural festivals, bars, restaurants and the Fort Worth Stockyards!

**The Worst Thing About Fort Worth?** Suburbia

The tricky thing for Fort Worth right now is it has become a great place to live but not so much to work. Which means that lots or even most people who live here commute to Dallas to work and that makes Fort Worth feel a bit like a suburb of Dallas, at least economically. This lack of tax base has resulted in a poor school system and resulted in a city that is appealing to young people or retirees but not families. 


**How You Living?** With The Youngsters

A lot of Fort Worth downtown living is in older buildings that have been renovated and converted to apartments/condos. Kind of a hipster paradise. It also includes beautiful suburban style neighborhoods like Arlington Heights, which is right next to the Cultural District, that draws both families and single millennials. While there are posh neighborhoods and plenty of retirees Fort Worth is definitely making it work for younger residents who like the smaller, more casual feel. 


**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Won’t You Take Me To Funkytown?

Fort Worth has a lot of nicknames (including Funkytown), but it remains a hidden gem among the Texas cities targeted for moves from the West Coast, Northeast and Midwest. Austin, Houston and Dallas come up first for transplanters, but we think everything true for the hottest Texas cities: low/no taxes, booming economies, lower cost of living and no snow are true for Fort Worth but in a smaller, more manageable, package. 



Fort Worth

Fort Crunk

**The Best Thing About El Paso?** Tex-Mex

There are a number of things to enjoy about El Paso, especially the majestic Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest state park in an urban setting in the country. Being on the border though, and having a sister city in Juarez Mexico, has had an undeniable impact on the culture, diversity, food and lifestyle of El Paso. Tex-Mex food was invented here but that’s just a single byproduct of a blurred cultural landscape that makes El Paso like no other place. The food scene makes it obvious with the amazing Tex-Mex, classic Mexican, barbeque, and other cross-cultural fine-dining. The fresh ingredients that move back and forth across the border feed this amazing food scene, and the culture and vibe of the city makes it clear how big an influence it is to be on the border. 

**The Worst Thing About El Paso?** The Job Market

The biggest complaint about El Paso is how difficult it can be to find work. If you go there with a job  or you’re going to be working remotely then you’re set. If you lose your job and need to work locally it can be tough. 

**How You Living?** In A Family Friendly Neighborhood

El Paso is most noted for being family friendly. The neighborhoods of Park Foothills, Via Hermosa, Castner Heights and Mountain View all represent the best of El Paso -- reasonable housing prices, good public schools, and low crime rates make it ideal for you and your little ones. 

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Cost Of Living

El Paso has the lowest cost of living of any major city in the country. It also has a first time homebuyer program available through the city. If you’re getting started, particularly with a young family, and would love an inexpensive and supported path to homeownership this is a great city. If you’re empty-nesting or retiring and want to maximize your bucks El Paso also fits the bill. 


El Paso

Borderplex

**The Best Thing About Arlington?** Things Are Bigger Here

There’s plenty to like about Arlington but the most obvious are the giant attractions: the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys play here, it has massive amusement and water parks, a huge university in UT Arlington, and if they run to your taste, very large homes. Things really are bigger in Arlington and that gives the city an energy outsized for its population. While much of Arlington has a suburban feel you won’t like you’re living in a sleepy ‘burb here with all that goes on throughout the year. 

**The Worst Thing About Arlington?** Getting Around

Arlington is the largest city in the U.S. without any public mass transit system. Combined with the constant events happening here it can get pretty snarled. Locals know how to get around the frequent mess but the influx of outsiders that descend on the attractions and events, make it tricky to avoid for a time. 

**How You Living?** Suburbia

In spite of the major attractions and University Arlington is a very large suburb. Which means you’re more than likely going to live in a suburban neighborhood. Dalworthington Gardens, Interlochen Estates, Pantego and the area of Southeast among others are all great choices within the city. Big homes, large yards, and wide family-friendly streets are all available in any of these neighborhoods of Arlington.  

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Quiet Amidst The Storm

While Arlington is a suburb, it sits in between two bigger, more active cities in Dallas and Fort Worth. Which means that if you want to live on a quiet suburban street but be a 20 minute ride to jumping social or business districts then you’re going to like Arlington. Many who wish to escape dense cities these days but not get too far away from the action should put Arlington on their shortlist. 



Arlington

AggTown

**The Best Thing About San Antonio?**

Low cost of living, no state income tax and The Spurs.

San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the U.S, but many who come here say it has a small town feel to it.

**The Worst Thing About San Antonio?** 

This is a huge city and the definition of urban sprawl. San Antonio is 31.4 miles east to west and 26 miles north to south according to GoogleEarth and is 460.9 sq mi. What does that mean for you? There’s traffic

The summers are humid and generally speaking mid 90s upwards. The rest of the year it’s pretty mild, but can be quite humid, which can make those lower temperature days still feel like Satan's sauna

**How You Living?** 

Texas was Mexico at one point in history so the demographics reflect that. This is illustrated everywhere you go, from food, culture, events, music, life.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** 

The neighborhoods of San Antonio are beautiful, and as we noted about "Best Thing About San Antonio" you're going to save a ton of money on one of these beautiful homes if you're coming from another part of the country or even state (see Dallas/Houston/Austin). 

San Antonio

SHOW ME YOUR SHOES!!!

**The Best Thing About Austin?** Where’d the desert go?

Ditch your perceptions of deserts, oil magnates and cowboys. The capital of the Lone Star State ain’t that. Want some nature? Go kayaking or swimming in one of the many tree- lined lakes and rivers, or go biking or hiking along one of the many trails around them. Want some culture? Austin is home to one of the country’s most popular art scenes, has a great foodie culture, and a music scene that has Austin hailed as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” 

Want a job? You might question whether you’re in Silicon Valley when you see the number of tech companies here. Facebook, Google, Apple and more all have offices in Austin, and the city unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country.

Finally, we have to mention the political climate in Austin. If you’re moving to Texas to escape the progressives in San Francisco or Boulder then take 35 or 290 in virtually any direction to find giant pockets of conservatism. If on the other hand you’re looking for an island of misfit liberals that comprise the Austin populace then you’re going to love it here. 

**The Worst Thing About Austin?** It’s still in Texas

Two Texas staples that Austin still clings onto are, unfortunately, traffic and weather. Austin commutes are some of the most brutal in the country. Austin is rapidly expanding, a reflection of those positives, but the roads are not, and regardless of when you leave the house, you’ll probably be stuck somewhere. The lack of good public transportation does you no favors, so you pretty much have to own a car to live here. 

You need a car with great AC as well. You won’t forget you’re living in Texas in July and August when the highs occasionally get up to a humid 110 fahrenheit. The plus is winter days in the sixties and autumn ones in the seventies, but we’ll let you be the judge as to whether or not the trade off is worth it.

**How You Living?** Somewhere Fairly Priced

Downtown is where the action happens. With a variety of living options and easy access to the best theaters, music venues, museums and more, downtown Austin is also cheaper than your average big city downtown. 

The neighborhoods around UT Austin have everything from college apartments to single family homes, and have the feel of a lively college town. If that isn’t your scene then eighborhoods like Crestview, Brentwood and Allandale are virtual suburbs in the middle of the city, with space and single family homes and easy access to great restaurants, bars and the like. Everywhere you go is pretty much gonna be cheaper than the San Franciscos and New Yorks of the world despite having a lot of the same amenities.

**Why Move Here Now?** Texas Taxes

One of the reasons people and companies flock to Texas, and Austin in particular, is that Texas taxes are way below other states (we see you Cali). Whether you’re working remotely or just looking for a job, Austin is both socially sensible and economically strong. 


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Houston, TX

The Big Heart

look score 86

Dallas, TX

Triple D

look score 90

Fort Worth, TX

Fort Crunk

look score 82

El Paso, TX

Borderplex

look score 74

Arlington, TX

AggTown

look score 84

San Antonio, TX

SHOW ME YOUR SHOES!!!

look score 83

Austin, TX

Bat City

look score 91

Plano, TX

The Reapers

look score 91

Laredo, TX

The City Under Seven Flags

look score 85

Lubbock, TX

Red Raiders

look score 82

Garland, TX

Taste The Flavor

look score 83

Irving, TX

Crooked I

look score 85

Frisco, TX

Sports City USA

look score 92

Amarillo, TX

Helium Hollow

look score 82

Denton, TX

The Home of Happiness

look score 87

McKinney, TX

Home of the Lions

look score 89

Grand Prairie, TX

Dinosaur Roar!

look score 75

Brownsville, TX

Chess Capital

look score 80

College Station, TX

Redass

look score 89