I live in Austin and have for over 20 years. Its gained and lost things over the years but its a vibrant city that is just now starting to experience big city problems.

Honestly, you can pick apart any city and imagine what you might not like about it. And, if you’re going by criminal politicians - good luck finding any state without them.

Small towns west of Austin in the Hill Country are beautiful and reasonably priced places to live. The smaller towns are typically more conservative (I’m not) and do great job of having a functioning police department, DA, near zero crime, no homeless people anywhere and also are starting to have great restaurants, coffee shops and even regular free events on the town square. In one of the small towns I’m talking about we went to a free show with a famous singer/songwriter. We parked right on the town square (for free!) sat in the middle of mainstreet in lawnchairs with our drinks and watched the show and kids and families everywhere.

With the ability to work remote, large cities start to make less and less sense. Big cities all have their issues. I wonder if their won’t be another “white-flite” type migration that moves people out to small towns who want low crime and low cost of living.

Anonymous wrote:Would not move there until it’s a blue state. Won’t let my daughter move there either.

I'm pro-choice, but how often does your daughter need later-term abortion access? Unless this is an every other Tuesday thing, most of us on DCUM could afford to travel if by chance it's ever needed.

Anonymous wrote:My friends and family in TX say most transplants are from CA and IL. They left high-cost areas and came for a career move…but they also admit fleeing the liberal politics and crime. They tend to seek out the predominantly white areas.

I don’t think TX will turn purple.

Ever watched the news in TX? TX citizens hate their social media and local listservs flooded with news on immigration and crime. Even liberals who move there eventually get sick of the impact on their state and communities…even when they live in nice areas largely unaffected by immigration or crime…same as other places.

This. Lots of people were Democrats in DC and CA then become Republicans when they move to TX and FL. If they had a problem with being in a red State, then they wouldn't have moved there.

Anyone else remember when Mobil was headquartered in Fairfax at the now Inova Fairfax Pavillon complex? Half my neighborhood left Fairfax for Houston when Mobil and Exxon merged and the new HQ was in Houston. They all bought these beautiful homes with large pools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friends and family in TX say most transplants are from CA and IL. They left high-cost areas and came for a career move…but they also admit fleeing the liberal politics and crime. They tend to seek out the predominantly white areas.

I don’t think TX will turn purple.

Ever watched the news in TX? TX citizens hate their social media and local listservs flooded with news on immigration and crime. Even liberals who move there eventually get sick of the impact on their state and communities…even when they live in nice areas largely unaffected by immigration or crime…same as other places.

Yes. And even the mayors of liberal cities elsewhere are freaked out by immigration now that it's impacting them to a fraction of the degree that it has affected Texas for decades.

I'm pro-immigration. Let's let in everybody who doesn't have a criminal record and help them to settle in cities that are begging for population replenishment.

But do enforce the laws at the border already. In some Texas communities, it's like a sinking boat with more and more people climbing aboard. A strain on every kind of public and social service that my liberal friends in Montgomery County would be screaming about -- while also sanctimoniously disparaging Texas.

"Let's let in everybody who doesn't have a criminal record"

BUT that's not what happened PP.

Anonymous wrote:My BIL and his family moved to TX about 4 years ago from NY. They like it for most part. So much cheaper is what they always say so a big house, ok schools but they go private, lots of job opps (he is engineer). They hate the weather and rolling blackouts and the politics.

yes, it's cheaper than NYC or most of CA. That's why people move there.

We decided to move out of the Bay Area years ago when we got priced out. We are in tech. Our options were:

NYC - too pricey; might as well stay in Bay Area
Austin, TX - DH was adamant that this was a no go; I was ok with Austin, but now I'm glad we didn't.
DC area - we chose this area

There is no perfect place, unfortunately. The places we want to move to are too pricey, and it's that way because so many people want to live there. The places that are cheap and affordable are that way because it's not as desirable.

But, be careful what you wish for. Austin is becoming too expensive for the locals.

My BIL and his family moved to TX about 4 years ago from NY. They like it for most part. So much cheaper is what they always say so a big house, ok schools but they go private, lots of job opps (he is engineer). They hate the weather and rolling blackouts and the politics.

Anonymous wrote:https://apple.news/AmZmGdg--SQyzE0Tjgd0AQA

- The state's recent growth can be largely attributed to communities of color.
​

- People of color who moved to Texas said they were attracted by jobs and more-affordable homes.

- 2023, more of the growth resulted from people moving in.
The population growth has largely been driven by young people and people of color. Millennials comprised 40.5% of people moving to Texas from 2021 to 2022, and Gen Zers made up about 30%. The Texas Demographic Center's analysis of the 2020 census found that 95% of the state's population growth was associated with a rise in people of color.

- Many Black Americans were returning to the South, and particularly to Texas, in what's been called the New Great Migration.
Census data indicates Texas is home to the largest Black population in the US, with over 4 million people, or about 13.4% of the state's total population.

Where is that link showing this (Census data indicates Texas is home to the largest Black population in the US[/b], with over 4 million people, or about 13.4% of the state's total population)? Because every search I do the list looks like this:

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/us-states-with-the-largest-relative-african-american-populations.html

1 District of Columbia 50.7% African American
2 Mississippi 37.3% African American
3 Louisiana 32.4% African American
4 Georgia 31.4% African American
5 Maryland 30.1% African American
6 South Carolina 28.5% African American
7 Alabama 26.4% African American
8 North Carolina 21.6% African American
9 Delaware 21.0% African American
10 Virginia 19.9% African American


And texas isn't even on the list.

Good idea move to a state that has a criminal for an AG

Don't ask for federal funds after that next storm that rolls through.

Please tell your fellow morons that. spelling is important. That your child is not safe in school bec Chaplins do not have to report anything.

Where football regins and brians are missing.

Go on people move to Texas where they don't know the difference between seceede and succeed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of companies are fleeing California for Texas. Think Oracle, Tesla, Ruiz Foods,
Kelly Moore Paints, etc. Whole Foods is HQs is in Austin. Texas is business friendly. People are following the jobs.

Texas has no individual state income taxes and cheaper real estate (or at least it used to be) than California.

Whole Foods was founded in Austin, it didn't move there. I remember visiting a Whole Foods in a liberal state about 30 years ago when the company was still young. The cashier was chatting me up and asked where I was from. When I said Austin, he said "oh wow, so a store like this with healthier options is a big change for you."

People are so prejudiced and ignorant about Texas. It's absolutely a massive state. Don't make generalizations about a place that takes longer to drive across than it does to drive from DC to Chicago.

PP didn't say it moved to Texas. They said the HQ is there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are moving south because it is cheaper and warmer. No surprise.

Its not happening because of warm weather, though its a cherry on the top. Their economic policies bring jobs and keep cost of living manageable and they've land for rather affordable single family housing.

Sure if you don't mind long commute times and no option for public transport. Living in the city is as expensive or more so than anywhere else (opposed to suburbs). Property taxes are among the highest in the country. I pay 40k/yr. Sure no income tax here, but on top of that I have to pay private school. All things public are terrible - infrastructure, schools, roads, parks (except the privately funded ones). Most people belong to private clubs so the economic divide is HUGE - folks are geographically separated and it's difficult for your kids not to grow up in some sort of bubble