snow sucks, wife said lets move. im fine with that!!!! (Houston: high schools, university)

[virgil tatro]

Where in Texas is a good place to live and raise kids? Need a location that is not to costly.

We live in Montana now and are looking to relocate potentially as soon as next summer. I am an over the road truck driver so work is not an obsticle.

We are pretty flexible with scenery, however the wife prefers green and trees. I have heard the word "beach" more than once... well I hope thats what I am hearing!

We have a high schooler as well as elementary level kids. We prefer class b schools, though mostly we want good academics. Our son is very talented so anything with music would be a preference as well. My wife has spoke of going back to school, so would also be interested in any information on schools not located in the major cities.

We like the shopping availabilities of the city, but do not want to live in the City at all.

We like to hunt, fish, camp, and go off roading. Nothing like a good mud bog. We are a pretty down to earth family.

That is all I can think of for now. Thank you very much. Have a blessed day.

[JamesAbilene]

My wife and I moved from Akron, Ohio to Abilene, Texas several years ago. We were sick of snow. We have loved the Abilene area. It is close to larger cities, and Abilene itself offers most the amenities of larger cities without the traffic and hassles.

Abilene is a good place to raise a family and is not expensive. No beaches, however, but there are several lakes inside the city and around the city. The city has varied topography. South of town are mesas (called mountains by the locals). There are lots of trees in that area. Areas west of town are almost desert. Going east toward Fort Worth and Dallas are rolling, green hills. Seems like the city is sitting on climatic zone change area.

The schools are large in the city but are very good and would be good for your kids. If the Abilene schools are too large for you, Wylie, Tuscola, Buffalo Gap, Clyde, and Merkel are good smaller cities with good schools very close to Abilene. There are several institutions of higher learning in Abilene. There are three private four year colleges--two of which offer graduate degrees--Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene Christian University, McMurry University. Cisco College is a state supported junior college which will begin offering four year degrees in limited fields after January. The upper level courses will be offered by Texas Tech University. Texas Tech also has a graduate/doctoral degree program in a downtown campus and a school of pharmacy near our largest hospital. Embry-Riddle University has a campus at Dyess Air Force Base offering degrees in engineering. There is a state technical college (Texas State Technical College) campus in the city. Look into our city. It might be a perfect fit for you. As I said, my wife and I have found it to be perfect for our family.

[Westerner92]

I was also thinking Abilene would be a great fit, and James pretty much covered it all.

Really, any of the mid-sized cities in Texas (Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, San Angelo, Tyler, Waco) or the small towns near them would be good fits. They all are affordable and offer many of the conveniences of larger cities but still have a friendly and laid-back atmosphere.

I personally can speak for the West Texas cities, and IMO Lubbock and Abilene have very good schools, both for the kids and college. Lubbock has great schools of any size (5A-Lubbock High, which is arguably one of the best high schools academically in the state, 4A-Frenship, 3A-Cooper, 2A-Shallowater and so on), and has a major university (Texas Tech), a small private college (Lubbock Christian), and a good community college nearby (South Plains).

The only drawback is its location. The city itself is green and well landscaped, but it's in the middle of a flat plain full of cotton fields. Just to the east the landscape drops off into mesas and rolling hills, and that's where much of the outdoor activities are.

Good luck with your decision.

[skelaki]

If greenery and/ or a beach is important to you, you might want to check out East Texas especially the Piney Woods areas or Gulf Coast. And in Central Texas basically between San Antonio and Austin you have the Hill Country, which might fit also.

[Willsson]

I picked up on "the wife prefers green and trees. I have heard the word beach more than once" and "going back to school".

I thought of Nacogdoches/Lufkin. Actually, almost anything east of I-45.

Check out the Texas Travel Guide for some guidelines on the various parts of Texas, lakes, prairies, trees, rivers, cities, desert, beaches. And remember, if you're going to take the adventure, it doesn't have to end once you get here.

Also, Houston is a major international port with northbound transport on I-45. Also, there's major transport on I-35 from Mexico, northbound through San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth. The major east/west bound interstates are I-10 and I-20/30.

[Lucidus]

How about Portland across the bay from Corpus Christi? If you are tired of snow, just think how cool it would be to have a yard full of palms and you have the beach.It may not be as green as East Texas but it is fairly "evergreen". You would also have easy access to shopping in CC but you wouldn't be in the city.

If you do make the move, then welcome to Texas!

[GayleTX]

Texas has an excellent community college system....they are very reasonably priced and there's one within commuting distance of nearly every town of any size and they offer vocational programs (1 and 2-yr certifications) as well as the first two years of a 4-yr degree. However, until you've been a resident a full year, you'll have to pay out-of-state tuition, which is expensive.

Hope you find just the right spot for your family.....

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by virgil tatro

Where in Texas is a good place to live and raise kids? Need a location that is not to costly.

We live in Montana now and are looking to relocate potentially as soon as next summer. I am an over the road truck driver so work is not an obsticle.

We are pretty flexible with scenery, however the wife prefers green and trees. I have heard the word "beach" more than once... well I hope thats what I am hearing!

We have a high schooler as well as elementary level kids. We prefer class b schools, though mostly we want good academics. Our son is very talented so anything with music would be a preference as well. My wife has spoke of going back to school, so would also be interested in any information on schools not located in the major cities.

We like the shopping availabilities of the city, but do not want to live in the City at all.

We like to hunt, fish, camp, and go off roading. Nothing like a good mud bog. We are a pretty down to earth family.

That is all I can think of for now. Thank you very much. Have a blessed day.

You might like a place like Angleton, TX (far south of Houston, near the coast and Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge)

[Wonderful Jellal]

I don't understand, snow is so beautiful, mostly in forests

[piyf]

My brother has been trying to get a job in Billings, Mt. I don't understand why. Cost of living there for some reason is like California but with even higher property taxes and the winters are horrible. Yes it has beautiful scenery but like anything that scenery gets old.


And try Corpus Christi. Great beaches for Texas and cleaner than where I live which is by Nasa in Webster and I love being close to the water. But the summers are deadful anywhere in SE Texas.