Dallas or Houston. Can't decide!
 

I am thinking about relocating to either Dallas or Houston in the not too distant future. I like Texas because of the warmer weather (humid or dry doesn't matter) and the lower cost of real estate. I live in DC area where it is too cold in the winter, very expensive real estate and traffic is a disaster! I know that traffic in Dallas or Houston is just slightly better but I like the fact that TxDot is building freeways, tollways and nice interchanges all the time is wonderful. At least they are doing something about it in Texas all the time. I feel like the government in Texas value the time of their people.

From what I already researched, I think I may like Houston better because it's a more mature/divers city and has more to offer + the proximity to beaches. Dallas has a lot of lakes and seems to have a little more "newer" feel to it. I also prefer Houston more because the climate in Houston supports more verities of palm trees (which I really like).

Still I am having difficult time choosing. I work in the computer IT field and it seems like Dallas have a little more opportunities than Houston.

Any input will be appreciated.

If you're moving from "Foggy Bottom" to Texas, you'll feel right at home in Houston. We've lived north of Dallas for 25+ years. Very little snow and even though winters are short...roughly two months...they can get severe, dipping to 0 degrees and below.

As to city life, I believe Dallas has lost theirs. What was once a vibrant city has become a cemetery with lights. Reminds me of all the old jokes that W. C. Fields made about Phildelphia. Of course, if you come here to get into the IT field, you'd most likely live in the northern suburbs, which are far more vibrant...some of the fastest growing cities in the state. At this rate, it won't be that many years before Dallas County becomes a suburb to Collin County.

As an aside, if you're looking to come to Texas for an IT career, why not look at Austin? That's a fantastic city with an active IT community...more than Houston I would wager.

I haven't spent that much time in Houston in recent years but I wouldn't call it a "mature" city, certainly not when compared to Dallas. The Houston area is certainly more diverse.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Thanks JimM for your reply. I actually live in the DC metro area not in DC itself. I live in a good community about 30 miles west of downtown where there are good schools and newer homes. When I move to either Dallas or Houston, I would also like to live in the suburbs where usually the good schools are.
The property values here are going through the roof. An average single family home with 3400 sq. feet and a postage stamp lot will cost around $700K+ and the prices are going up in the double digits! It's nuts! Salaries here are not that much higher than in Dallas or Houston. I already checked.
I saw comparable homes in Dallas and Houston with similar convenience to job centers in the $200K range. Now that's more like it. This way one can afford to have a decent life and not put all pay check on mortgage payments :)

I have lived in Texas (near Dallas) all of my life, so I am accustomed to humidity. Even so, the humidity near Houston in the summer can be overwhelming. If anyone has any breathing problems, you might take that into consideration. Also, more and bigger bugs (roaches) and bad hair days.

I have lived in both cities and if humidity is not a problem for you, then I say choose Houston. I prefer Houston because the winters are warmer than in Dallas, also Houston is near the Gulf and I like the ocean. Houston has so much to do, including great museums and theatre. The bad news is that besides the humidity, Houston gets a lot more rain than Dallas.

If you haven't seen it yet, there is a person named qzseattle on this board who is moving to Houston and she/he has posted asking for advice on housing, areas to live in, schools, etc. So you will want to check out those posts- type qzseattle in the search box above, hit enter, and the posts will come up.

You might enjoy the more tropical feel of Houston if you are into palms, etc. It does freeze in Dallas regularly. Houston is close to Gaveston, too, which is a wonderful place, IMO.

Dallas is certainly has plenty of suburbs, chain restaurants and malls. Lots of tollways, too... some say too many.

In general, I'd say Houston is more laid back than Dallas.

You should visit and sample both for yourself.

Thanks emd, I read the posts that you mentioned already. My interest however is in comparing the two cities: Dallas vs. Houston. qzseattle's posts were primarily about Houston neighborhoods and schools, etc.

I visited both cities back in 1999. I spent more time in Dallas though. I had good impression about both cities but I want to get a feel of what people who live or lived there think. Dallas seemed to be cleaner and with a ?newer? feel and local roads had nicer pavement. I remember lots of pot holes in Houston ;)

You are correct about pot holes. The soil is very soft in Houston, that's why they have potholes. But as you know, there are many factors to consider. Maybe you should visit again soon.

What about Austin? That's where I live and it's great. Come and visit Austin if you get a chance.

Falafel-
I grew up in Dallas and still have family/friends there. I have a lot of friends from Houston and have spent some time there as well.

I would say in many ways, the two cities are similar. Both are experiencing surburban sprawl where everything is very new but both also have pockets of older areas that to me, are very charming and interesting. Houston does seem more diverse both ethnically speaking and culturally with a good arts scene. Both have great restaurants but I'd have to give the edge to Houston. Another factor for me would be the ability to get out of the cities easily and both cities are hubs for major airlines which is nice.

If I had to pick, I'd pick Dallas. I don't mind heat but the humidity in Houston is absolutely something else. Dallas winters are short and now that I live in Minneapolis and have some perspective on what real winters are like, very painless.

That's about it for my two cents. If you're looking for somewhere that is more laid back than Dallas, Fort Worth is great. Although the two cities are close together, they do have different vibes...
JaneR

Ok Falafel. One more thing, have you seen the website I posted about on "Houston: It's Worth It". It's a website where Houstonians post on why it is worth living in Houston (and what they have to put up with to live there). It's funny, but very insightful too. www.houstonitsworthit.com
I don't know if Dallas has enough of a sense of humor to have a site like that.

If schools are a consideration, I think Dallas has the edge. There are wonderful, nationally renowned public school districts in the area, including Flower Mound, Carrolton, McKinney and Frisco. The community of Southlake (centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth) has top-notch schools -- the distric is called Carroll ISD and your children would thrive there.

Well, this is an interesting thread!

I've lived in far north Dallas (Collin County) for 25 years and feel it is so much nicer than Houston. It's cleaner, has zoning which Houston does not, and doesn't have the oppressive humidity. We're also in the top rated Plano schools. Frisco is now the up and coming suburb just north of Plano but they're gowing so fast the school situation is affected. We also have good theater and all professional sports.

Although it may get cold in winter, (we even had snow that lasted three days last year!) it's not the bone chilling cold and it doesn't last. In Texas they say if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change. The coldest I remember it ever getting was 17 degrees and that was very unusual.

My youngest son, who graduated from U Texas in Austin, lived in Houston for a year and hated it. Austin is great, but the IT business really took a hit there a few years ago and I don't know if they've completely recovered as yet.
Dell is located there and is growing.

You'll find that you'll get much more house for the money here in Texas. If you have kids, I would definitely have a pool since it is so hot in the summer. It gets them out and exercising.

Hope this helps. Have fun!

I've been in Dallas for 9 years and I can tell you the most important thing about living here is knowing who you are and what type of neighborhood you'll be most comfortable in. There is everything from new-money mcmansions to older established arts and crafts homes. Your neighborhood/city/suburb choice will greatly determine your happiness in Big D.

Pepper is absolutely right. Don't move to an area just because the schools have a high rating without first feeling it out to see if you'll fit in.
"Know thyself" is the best advice no matter where you are thinking about living.

Everyone feels rich when they move to Texas because of their low property values. The property taxes are very high, though.
The IT field may be flooded in Dallas with all the EDS layoffs.

Personally, I can't take the humidity and the summer smog in Houston. And the beaches at Galveston are not very pretty! (I'd much rather get on a plane and got to Mexico or South Padre Island than drive to Galveston!)

One BIG thing to consider before moving to Dallas is that you will want to live fairly close to where you work. Admittedly, Dallas traffic is bad, and spending an hour each way fighting traffic makes one miserable quickly!

If you want a more laid-back lifestyle, do consider Fort Worth. The city has wonderful museums, better property values, and a wonderful "hometown" feel. I'm a proud resident of Tarrant County and I love it!

As for schools, Carroll ISD is good, but it is also suffering from affluenza. Kids there drive brand-new cars and keeping up appearances are very important. (When there are so many $1 million homes in the district, this is understandable!) Carroll has hit the maximum state allowable property tax rate, so the district has to find alternative methods to finance the schools. Elementary art and music programs have been cut way back, and secondary students have to pay extra to do any extracurricular activites, such as sports, drama, or band. Hopefully, when Robin Hood (Texas' unconstitutional school finance scheme) is finally revamped, things will improve in Carroll ISD.

Wow. A lot of responses. I saw this thread earlier, but didn't have time to respond then.

I live in Houston, and while I have not lived in Dallas, I have visited frequently (as my firm is based there). I MUCH prefer Houston to Dallas. First, Houston is a very laid back, open city. By that, I mean it completely welcomes newcomers. Most Houstonians grew up somewhere else. You can get as involved as you want -- whether it is in civic associations, the arts, or politics. By contrast, Dallas tends to be more conservative, closed and religious (primarily Southern Baptist).

Yes, Houston is more humid. I grew up in Baltimore (and it's like Baltimore humidity, but for a much longer time). However, the winters are mild and December and February are usually wonderful.

I think some of this depends on what you're like -- if you're younger, I'd definately say Houston. If you have a family and want to join a community with an established church, I'd probably say Dallas.

I think we have better options for quick getaways from Houston -- Galveston (1 hour drive), South Padre Island (a 6 - 7 hour drive), San Antonio (3-1/2 hr drive), Austin (3 hr. drive), Navasota (1 hr. to see the bluebonnets in the spring), Brenham (1-1/2 hr. to visit Blue Bell Creamery), New Orleans (6 - 7 hour drive), etc. Now of course, the distances you have to travel in Texas are much greater than in the mid-Atlantic states!

Is Houston perfect? Of course not. I'd like a few hills now and then and less humidity. But if it had these things, it would be too crowded.

Susan

Falafel, if you are out in the Farifax county area you will be amazed at the home you can buy in Texas!
I vote for Houston. Dallas is actually the older of the two cities. Houston really didn't even start to develop until the first part of the 20th century; there's a local joke that historic in Houston means the paint is dry. (And yes, Houston attitude is much more likely to allow for self deprecating humor than Dallas, which tends more toward the pursed lip reaction to such things.) Houston is larger, with a decidedly more diverse and forward-thinking population and has the edge on restaurants, museums and cultural life in general too. Dallas is not a wasteland, but it is firmly on the Bible belt, and Houston offers more. Both have traffic, but Dallas is a lot worse in my experience. In terms of weather, Houston summer humidity is no worse than what you get in the DC area, maybe even a little better. Dallas does have colder winters, and DFW has one of the highest number of weather (high wind) related delays in the country.
A few folks mentioned Austin. You may like it, too. It is smaller than either of the other two, has more of a hip edge to it, but does not offer the same type of city atmosphere. Real estate tends to be higher in Austin because is seen as a desirable place to live. Traffic has gotten nasty, too.
You mentioned that you would probably end up in the burbs - Dallas is crammed with plots of cookie cutter McMansions , and the much heralded Plano is the archetype of the uber-developed community. They boast about their schools, but they also have a high teen suicide rate and a big drug problem. Houston isn't nirvna, but it is a lot less pretentious.

Plug in Dallas and Houston at bestplaces.net and see which comparisons are most important to you:

http://www.bestplaces.net/city/ccompare.aspx