Dallas vs OKC (Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman: mover, job market, tenants)
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Contrary to your "fact" that "it's not a place a lot of outsiders move to", 43% of OKC's 631,000 residents are transplants from outside of Oklahoma (to compare, 46% of Dallas' 1.3 million residents are transplants from outside of Texas). I find making friends in OKC not tough at all, perhaps it's not them.
Again, these guys crack me up. It's like people in Oklahoma are supposed to go to Dallas and marvel at some sort of foreign wonderland. Like we go down there wide eyed and slack jawed at the high falutin' life in Dallas.
It's not that friggin' different. It's just a lot bigger and has all the trappings of a bigger more cosmopolitan place.
OKC is what it is. It's about half DFW and half Wichita with a touch of Amarillo and Fort Smith, AR thrown in.
If you need to have all the stuff that Dallas has one a daily or a weekly basis then obviously you would be better off there as long as you don't mind the headaches that come with it.
But a person could live in OKC and hit Dallas five or six times a year for shopping and entertainment and probably end up not feeling totally devoid of life by day to day living in OKC.
Shopping for groceries or anything else is hands down better in DFW than OKC. Not even close. DFW has a huge selection of top shelf grocery and specialty stores, ethnic grocers and the excellent wholesalers like Winco. Central Market is my favorite grocery store when I need the best. The fish/meat/cheese/deli markets they have are all outstanding (and I do believe there is one in Grapevine). You can't even find a serious electronics store in OKC area any more, much less one that can compete with Frys or MicroCenter.
Restaurants are about even. You can find more that are good in DFW but both have plenty of good places to eat.
While it might be a shade hotter you will rarely deal with winter weather problems in DFW.
No taxes on groceries and no income tax in TX, but property taxes are about double and you are gonna be paying tolls.
The type of property you want will be more affordable in OKC area although this gap isnt as big as it once was imo.
Perhaps the biggest negative is that you will be surrounded by Texans.
I don't think either place enough to sway your job decision one way or the other. All things being equal, I would choose DFW.
I think your wife would have better opportunities in the DFW area.
So it probably comes down to which job you think will provide you with the best opportunity.
On a side note. I dunno if its just me but I am seeing more and more homeless/drifter type people wandering around in OKC. I was in the Western to May area for the first time in a year last month and I was shocked by how many I saw. I haven't noticed the same uptick in the DFW areas I have been in but that might be because of where I am going...or not going.
Shopping for groceries or anything else is hands down better in DFW than OKC. Not even close. DFW has a huge selection of top shelf grocery and specialty stores, ethnic grocers and the excellent wholesalers like Winco. Central Market is my favorite grocery store when I need the best. The fish/meat/cheese/deli markets they have are all outstanding (and I do believe there is one in Grapevine). You can't even find a serious electronics store in OKC area any more, much less one that can compete with Frys or MicroCenter.
I agree with this.
Shopping choices in OKC are far below even Tulsa or other cities its size, let alone DFW. I find it hard to believe that a metro of 1.3 million people really can't support much retail above Wal-Mart and your basic big box chain and mall stores they have everywhere (shopping in Ft. Smith, Arkansas is about on par with OKC). This was a tough adjustment when I first moved to OKC, though you get used to it and since you can order online, it isn't as much of a detriment as it once was. Grocery stores are still a big issue. There isn't one anywhere near downtown and most grocery stores in the metro are Wal-Mart branded. I detest Wal-Mart but have learned to shop there because in OKC you really don't have much choice.
In terms of restaurants, there are good restaurants in both. In Dallas, you will have access to more ethnic cuisine options, including cuisines you can't find in OKC (or are extremely Americanized) like French, Greek, Russian, etc.
Last edited by bawac34618; 11-01-2016 at 09:50 AM..
Again, these guys crack me up. It's like people in Oklahoma are supposed to go to Dallas and marvel at some sort of foreign wonderland. Like we go down there wide eyed and slack jawed at the high falutin' life in Dallas.
It's not that friggin' different. It's just a lot bigger and has all the trappings of a bigger more cosmopolitan place.
Eh, I don't know. Different people prefer different environments. Some prefer small towns and others prefer major metropolitan areas. Many times small town people don't enjoy spending much time in major cities like Dallas.
To me, going to Dallas feels like going to another world and going ahead in time 30 years. It's hard to believe two places so different can be so close. Oklahoma City is still stuck in the 1980s in many ways.
Shopping choices in OKC are far below even Tulsa or other cities its size, let alone DFW. I find it hard to believe that a metro of 1.3 million people really can't support much retail above Wal-Mart and your basic big box chain and mall stores they have everywhere (shopping in Ft. Smith, Arkansas is about on par with OKC). This was a tough adjustment when I first moved to OKC, though you get used to it and since you can order online, it isn't as much of a detriment as it once was. Grocery stores are still a big issue. There isn't one anywhere near downtown and most grocery stores in the metro are Wal-Mart branded. I detest Wal-Mart but have learned to shop there because in OKC you really don't have much choice.
In terms of restaurants, there are good restaurants in both. In Dallas, you will have access to more ethnic cuisine options, including cuisines you can't find in OKC (or are extremely Americanized) like French, Greek, Russian, etc.
China Town, Super CAO Ngyen, UpTown, Sprouts, Wholefoods, Crest, a number of small artisan specialty stores from honey to pasta, ......
^ To add: Natural Grocers, Supermercado, Homeland, Native Roots, Buy for Less, GreenAcres Market, and Winco coming soon... Other than the numerous other choices of grocery stores in OKC, there's plenty of shopping outside big box chains and mall stores. OKC is not "far below" Tulsa or other similarly sized cities. Bawac is really reaching for things to b*tch about.
Just remember that DFW is a lot more expensive than OKC, so make sure your job offer in Dallas is at least 10% more than OKC.
I live in the DFW area now and really dislike it. Out of the handful of cities/towns I've lived in over the years, it's probably my least favorite place. It's crazy hot 8mo out of the year, the scenery is boring, a good chunk of the metro is made up of dumpy strip centers, the traffic is awful, it takes at least 30 minutes to drive anywhere during rush hour, you have to drive miles to get anywhere (even Walmart), I drive past accidents almost daily.
For such a large metro, almost comparable in size to Chicago, I expected a lot more. I can't wait to find another job so I can escape this awful place.
Just remember that DFW is a lot more expensive than OKC, so make sure your job offer in Dallas is at least 10% more than OKC.
I live in the DFW area now and really dislike it. Out of the handful of cities/towns I've lived in over the years, it's probably my least favorite place. It's crazy hot 8mo out of the year, the scenery is boring, a good chunk of the metro is made up of dumpy strip centers, the traffic is awful, it takes at least 30 minutes to drive anywhere during rush hour, you have to drive miles to get anywhere (even Walmart), I drive past accidents almost daily.
For such a large metro, almost comparable in size to Chicago, I expected a lot more. I can't wait to find another job so I can escape this awful place.
DFW is still "cheap" though compared to coastal metropolitan areas which is why so many people are flocking there. You are right though, it cannot compare to Chicago in terms of what it offers as a major city. This is mostly because of its sprawl, car culture, and less than adequate public transportation. There is the DART if you are lucky enough to live near a station. I think Dallas compared to Chicago is a similar comparison as Oklahoma City compared to Louisville or New Orleans. The more sprawling, car-centric city will almost always punch below the denser one, even if they are similar in population and income demographics.
Good grief, can't a person ask questions on this site without it turning into “all the reasons I hate (insert any random city)”.
Nolimits, I would say that DWinTX is right about where you should look. I would add in Copper Canyon. When I did a quick Realtor.com search it looks like there are a limited number of 1+ acres with house for under 500k. As far as shooting, once you find property you will want to check with the local police force as to what is allowed.
The variety of opportunities for you wife will of course be greater in DFW but it may be a healthy commute. I she goes during off hours it shouldn’t be a problem.
As that other person pointed out, in some parts of the metro you will have to drive a bit to get to restaurants and other services. Of course, this is not universal no matter what anyone else says.
You should be fine in either location so pick the job that is best for you.
A lot of the feedback you received here is just noise, so if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.
To the OP, my first advice is to not listen to one word ATLGuy says. If you wish to learn more about why I feel that way, PM me and I can explain everything.
Now living in Los Angeles, I am very happy here. I am only 22 so take my opinion for whatever you feel a 22 year old's opinion is worth.
I love OKC and think it has a lot to offer. Of course, if you're looking for some world class experience Dallas has more to offer, but not as much as you'd think.
Shopping is essentially the same. All of the stores that you get in Dallas, are pretty much coming to OKC.
Grocery stores are great in OKC>
Traffic and freeway infrastructure is great in OKC. Highways could be beautified, but overall, they're in good condition. It's the streets that suck, but they are being vastly improved upon.
Nightlife is getting better. Any reason to travel to other cities for shows and concerts is gone for the most part.
People are very friendly.
It just comes down to price really. OKC and Dallas are more alike than they are different other than COL. You get much more bang for you dollar in OKC.
The only thing OKC really lacks against Dallas is mass transit system and theatre. Other than that, I can't think of anything really that Dallas makes a huge push over OKC on other than things you'd expect when comparing a metro of 7 million against 1.5.
As an earlier poster said, and forgive me if I missed any reply to it as I skipped over a lot of the posts as it had the usual ******ing about Oklahoma, see what job offers you a better future.
Other than that, if you're strictly looking for large acreage, I'd point you towards OKC unless you don't mind driving. Dallas traffic isn't a breeze, but it isn't a nightmare. For a metro of 7+ million, I've encountered much, much worse traffic in Portland and Seattle. I'd even say Austin has worse traffic sometimes than Dallas overall. The good thing about Dallas traffic is outside of rush hour with a few tiny exceptions, it moves. It might be a bit intimidating coming from Tulsa where you usually don't see heavy traffic consistently.
I was born and raised in OKC and lived in Dallas for 5 years and always visited Dallas. I now bounce back and forth between LA and NYC, so that's why Dallas traffic isn't that bad to me anymore. :P
Good luck on your decision and I wanna know what you picked
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