How well will I fit in in Midland? Is there something I don't know about this area? (Lubbock: cheap apartment, lease)

[ragnarkar]

I've interviewed for a job in person here that pays around $100K/yr and they seem really interested in making an offer though they've expressed genuine concern that I might not like the area. I guess it's legitimate since:

- I'm Asian

- I don't go to church regularly (though I never mentioned it in the interview)

- I've mostly lived in big cities my entire life

- My wife would need to find a job here (though she's not that happy with her current job in San Francisco)

But what really amazes me about the area is the low cost of living. A 1 bedroom apartment goes for something like $600 - 900 a month here, compared to 4+ times that in San Francisco.

The relative lack of traffic and the the proximity of the airport are also pretty convenient, and it seems flights to most major cities in the US are all around $500 round trip (I checked SF, LA, Portland, and NYC.)

I don't really care for a lot of the things in big cities like nightlife, museums, networking events, etc. The *only* amenities I really need to stay happy are high speed Internet, reliable 4G mobile internet, and relative proximity to the airport (if I get the job, I plan to just rent a dirt cheap apartment and spend the money I save on rent to fly back to SF on the weekends or to fly my wife in to Midland)

Also, no kids.

Is this too good to be true, and am I missing something about Midland?

[eastontracks]

sounds legit but I'm no expert. I know jobs pay well in the oil industry out there. All I can share from personal experience is that it's isolated and not diverse. Majority are white/Hispanic, casual conservatives. Or... Big rig truck driver/ welding country types. That was my experience and vibe when I visited a few times.

I also would need a big pay increase to live out there. So your 100k doesn't sound too good to be true.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by eastontracks

sounds legit but I'm no expert. I know jobs pay well in the oil industry out there. All I can share from personal experience is that it's isolated and not diverse. Majority are white/Hispanic, casual conservatives. Or... Big rig truck driver/ welding country types. That was my experience and vibe when I visited a few times.

I also would need a big pay increase to live out there. So your 100k doesn't sound too good to be true.

Well, I'm a moderate so I guess I'll probably be just out of place politically as I currently am in San Francisco, except with the opposite end of the spectrum.

[C24L]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

I've interviewed for a job in person here that pays around $100K/yr and they seem really interested in making an offer though they've expressed genuine concern that I might not like the area. I guess it's legitimate since:

- I'm Asian

- I don't go to church regularly (though I never mentioned it in the interview)

- I've mostly lived in big cities my entire life

- My wife would need to find a job here (though she's not that happy with her current job in San Francisco)

But what really amazes me about the area is the low cost of living. A 1 bedroom apartment goes for something like $600 - 900 a month here, compared to 4+ times that in San Francisco.

The relative lack of traffic and the the proximity of the airport are also pretty convenient, and it seems flights to most major cities in the US are all around $500 round trip (I checked SF, LA, Portland, and NYC.)

I don't really care for a lot of the things in big cities like nightlife, museums, networking events, etc. The *only* amenities I really need to stay happy are high speed Internet, reliable 4G mobile internet, and relative proximity to the airport (if I get the job, I plan to just rent a dirt cheap apartment and spend the money I save on rent to fly back to SF on the weekends or to fly my wife in to Midland)

Also, no kids.

Is this too good to be true, and am I missing something about Midland?

Hello OP,

There are Asians in Midland.It seems like they mostly work in the medical field.Midland is very conservative and is very much part of the Bible Belt.I think people may invite you to church possibly but many people in Midland dont go to church so I dont think it will be an issue for you.I would sign a lease for an apartment as soon as you can after you take the job because rent will be sky high when the next boom comes.Midland has a high cost of living by Texas standards but it will still be a lot lower than San Fran.It doesnt take long at all to get across town compared to a big metro.Midland has high speed internet,dont know about 4G, and there is the airport between Midland and Odessa.The main airline is Southwest.Be ready for some major culture shock though.best of luck.

[clarksvillemom]

SF to Midland would be unbearable to me. Midland is just ugly in my opinion. I'm not saying it's not a good place to live for other reasons...

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Survival guide: What you need to know about living in Midland - Midland Reporter-Telegram

Here's a link to an article from the Midland Reporter about what you need to know about Midland.

I think Midland / Odessa would be major culture shock for just about anybody who has never lived in a,desert or has never in a place so isolated from a big city. The nearest "big" city would be Lubbock and its over 100 miles away, as the crow flies, and further than that by highway.

I would think long and hard before moving there permanently. But give Midland/ Odessa a fair chance and rent for at least a year or maybe two and see how well you like it then decide if you wanna stay on permanently or leave.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

Survival guide: What you need to know about living in Midland - Midland Reporter-Telegram

Here's a link to an article from the Midland Reporter about what you need to know about Midland.

I think Midland / Odessa would be major culture shock for just about anybody who has never lived in a,desert or has never in a place so isolated from a big city. The nearest "big" city would be Lubbock and its over 100 miles away, as the crow flies, and further than that by highway.

I would think long and hard before moving there permanently. But give Midland/ Odessa a fair chance and rent for at least a year or maybe two and see how well you like it then decide if you wanna stay on permanently or leave.

I guess the one thing I have going for me in a move to Midland is that I've moved quite a bit in my life and have lived in a variety of different environments.

I've lived in a "small" town that's somewhat isolated from large cities for just half a year in the past: Lausanne, Switzerland. I'd think it's reasonably safe to say the cultural "gap" between San Francisco and Midland is nothing compared to, say, that between San Francisco and Lausanne. At least English is still the main language in use in both SF and Midland.

I've also lived in a semi-desert area for a couple of years on the edge of the Inland Empire in Southern California. It's also a pretty conservative area, at least by CA standards.

I tend to spend most of my free time online when not with friends and family, so I'm thinking it's probably not as bad as what most people would perceive this area to be but I could be wrong.

[C24L]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

Survival guide: What you need to know about living in Midland - Midland Reporter-Telegram

Here's a link to an article from the Midland Reporter about what you need to know about Midland.

I think Midland / Odessa would be major culture shock for just about anybody who has never lived in a,desert or has never in a place so isolated from a big city. The nearest "big" city would be Lubbock and its over 100 miles away, as the crow flies, and further than that by highway.

I would think long and hard before moving there permanently. But give Midland/ Odessa a fair chance and rent for at least a year or maybe two and see how well you like it then decide if you wanna stay on permanently or leave.

Midland/Odessa is not in a desert.

[Milton Miteybad]

Originally Posted by C24L

Midland/Odessa is not in a desert.

It's also not an equatorial rainforest environment, either.

Some maps of the Chihuahuan Desert include the Midland-Odessa area, although it would be on the northeastern fringe thereof. It has a semi-arid climate with long, hot summers and short, moderate winters. There are few native trees taller than your average 10-ft. mesquite, and the place is covered with prickly pear cactus and assorted desert scrub.

If Midland isn't actually a desert, it's dressed up just like one, so much so that you can hardly tell the difference.

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

I guess the one thing I have going for me in a move to Midland is that I've moved quite a bit in my life and have lived in a variety of different environments.

I've lived in a "small" town that's somewhat isolated from large cities for just half a year in the past: Lausanne, Switzerland. I'd think it's reasonably safe to say the cultural "gap" between San Francisco and Midland is nothing compared to, say, that between San Francisco and Lausanne. At least English is still the main language in use in both SF and Midland.

I've also lived in a semi-desert area for a couple of years on the edge of the Inland Empire in Southern California. It's also a pretty conservative area, at least by CA standards.

I tend to spend most of my free time online when not with friends and family, so I'm thinking it's probably not as bad as what most people would perceive this area to be but I could be wrong.

YOU, may be ok, from what you've stated. But for me I think it WOULD be more of a culture "gap" than the "gap" between San Francisco and Lausanne, Switzerland.