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6 Great Cities to Move to in Texas

Jon Fesmire | June 14, 2018 @ 8:00 AM

Are you looking for a new place to live, somewhere with a good job market, affordable housing, and plenty to do? One of these spots in Texas may be perfect for you.

Here are some benefits to living in Texas, aside from what we’ll cover with each city. Housing prices are currently going up but are lower than in comparable cities in other states. That means the sooner you buy, the better chance you’ll be making a good investment and have equity later. You’ll save a bit on state income tax, because Texas has none. Do you love beef? The steaks and barbecue are high quality in Texas.

Let’s look at our top cities for the Lone Star State.

Austin

Want one good reason to move to Austin? Think of it as the Silicon Valley of Texas.

Both the unemployment rate and the average salary Austin are slightly better than the national average, with employers like Google, Apple, Dell, IBM, and the University of Texas. In 2018, the unemployment rate in Austin is a surprising, and fantastic 3.2%. The median home price in Austin is about $450,000, and the population is approaching 1 million, with a current population of about 930,000.

While much of Texas holds conservative values, Austin has a more liberal vibe, with a larger number of millennials as both students and working professionals. You’ll find restaurants of all types, and will find plenty of lovely parks. If you like museums, check out the Blanton Museum of Art, museums, and if you enjoy the performing arts, visit The Institution Theater.

Midland

If you’re looking for a place that’s definitely a city—though on the smaller side— consider Midland. The median housing price is also low, at $260,000, making it quite affordable. As of November, 2017, the unemployment rate here was an incredibly low 2.6%, so if you’ve got job skills, you should be set.

The temperatures do get high here at around 80 to 100 degrees from spring to fall, so you’ll want to make sure your car and your home have air conditioning, and if you use self storage here, a climate controlled unit will be a must.

Even though the city is in an isolated desert spot, there’s still plenty to keep you occupied. Besides the usual, like restaurants and movie theaters, you’ll find unique museums like the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Museum of the Southwest, and The George W. Bush Childhood Home. Plus, Midland has a four-acre Dennis the Menace Park where you can have fun with your kids.

Dallas

Another of Texas’s large cities, Dallas has everything: museums and an inventive art scene, the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, gorgeous theater venues, and more. We’re talking about places like the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Winspear Opera House, and the Dos Equis Pavilion.

Let’s look at some numbers. The median housing price in Dallas is about $410,000. Unemployment is at 3.3%, so workers are in demand and finding a job isn’t difficult. Plus, the median income is about $64,000—about $7,000 higher than the rest of the U.S. The city has a growing population of about 1.3 million.

From the spring through the fall, temperatures get hot, upwards of 100 degrees on some summer days, so you might want a home with a pool, good air conditioning, and to put on sunscreen before you go out during the day.

Frisco

If you want the feel of a smaller city but still want to live near Dallas, consider Frisco. It’s 30 miles straight north of Dallas, about a 30 minute drive in good traffic, and has a median housing price at about $500,000. The unemployment rate is lower than Dallas, too, at 2.9%. Oh yeah, and the median household income? A stellar $113,000, so those higher-than-average housing prices are affordable.

Like many Texas cities, this place is growing. The population is around 170,000 currently but don’t be surprised if it’s significantly higher in a few years.

You’ll find plenty of restaurants, theaters, and parks, or course, but if you’re looking for something special to do, learn about the local ecosystem at the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, or learn a bit of local history at the Museum of the American Railroad. If you love computers and video games, you should visit the National Videogame Museum. Every now and then, you can head over to Dallas to enjoy a day in the big city.

Fort Worth

About 30 miles west of Dallas, you’ll find Fort Worth. Want to experience classic Texas culture, complete with the feeling that the Wild West never really ended? You’ll find it in Fort Worth, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. In other words, Dallas and Fort Worth go together like biscuits and gravy.

Fort Worth has a quickly growing population, currently at nearly 800,000. Housing prices are slightly more affordable than in Dallas, with the median housing price around $250,000. The unemployment rate is just 3.3%, and the median household income is about $60,000.

If you want to do something special on any given day or evening, check out the Kimbell Art Museum, the Fort Worth Zoo, the Fort Worth Water Gardens, or the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. For that feeling of the Old West, check out the Stockyards Rodeo.

Denton

Home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University, Denton is an attractive Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex town well worth your consideration.

With its population of just about 135,000, Denton has a less busy feel than most of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so while you may work in one of the major cities, you can rest easy in your hometown. Denton is a true intellectually-oriented college town. About a third, or 45,000, of Denton residents are college and university students.

This city is also a great place for musicians. UNT has a booming jazz program, and you’ll find live music at a variety of venues most nights.

The median housing price in Denton is about $220,000, and the median household income is about $49,000. When not out listening to musical acts, you can enjoy a nice lakeside visit to Lewisville Lake or Ray Roberts Lake State Park. If you’re interested in local history, visit the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square, and, if you want to take your kids to a cool park with a rock wall and a zip-line, visit Eureka 2. So, whether you work in tech or want a great place for you or your kids to go to college, Texas has some excellent options. We hope you find the perfect place for you and your family.

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