This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jim Ward, a 61-year-old who works in cybersecurity and moved from Dallas, Texas, to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2022. The essay, which also incorporates quotes from emails between Ward and BI, has been edited for length and clarity.
I am not a native Texan, but I have lived there during three different time frames of my life: Houston from 1991 to 1993, Dallas from 1994 to 1995, and then Dallas again from 2002 to 2022.
Texas has never really factored into any of my life plans, but job and family situations just kept pulling me there.
When I relocated to Texas in 2002, I intended to stay for only four to five years so that I could attend a graduate school program in Dallas and then move elsewhere. But my oldest had just started middle school, and had become very active in school and our church. I did not want to uproot my kids, so we stayed.
After 20 years of living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, my wife and I finally escaped to Tennessee two years ago.
Texas has its pros and cons
Over the years, I have developed a love-hate relationship with Texas.
There are definitely a lot of positives about living in the state. For instance, it has many great public schools and restaurants, especially Tex-Mex ones. And from a financial standpoint, its biggest advantage is that there is no state income tax — though that is more than offset by property taxes.
There are problems though, like oppressive heat and humidity, a lack of natural beauty, and enjoyable outdoor activities.
There’s also a lot of distance between key destinations, causing far drives.
It’s way too hot in Texas and there’s not much to do
One of my primary problems with Texas is its climate and weather.
It gets quite hot during the summer, and throughout the year there are also severe ice and hailstorms. Sometimes it can result in periods of extended power outages during both summer and winter months.
As far as geography goes, in the Dallas area, the terrain is predominantly flat with few trees. Consequently, outdoor activities are limited, and there are few opportunities for hiking and camping.
The lack of foliage also means there is minimal shade. Even activities like running are affected by the relentless heat. I always had to go early in the morning or later in the evening.
That said, there are many lakes, and people do like to go boating or water skiing.
Texas has a great tech scene
Just about every major corporation in the US has a presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — all of them with their own internal technology needs.
As a result, there are numerous technology companies, particularly in cities like Las Colinas and Plano. This makes DFW a great place for tech workers because there are many professional networking opportunities, such as associations, events, and conferences.
While living in Texas, I had a job that required a lot of traveling. DFW’s central location was a plus because it was convenient for air travel.
The area has two major commercial passenger airports: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport.
Depending on your destination, numerous air carriers offer direct nonstop flights to almost anywhere, greatly reducing travel time — though it may limit your frequent-flyer miles.
Taxes are higher in Texas but the homes are more affordable
We owned and lived in four different houses across Texas, while also investing in two houses in Irving and Fort Worth, which we rehabilitated and rented out. We sold both of those rental houses shortly before we left Texas.
The last home we owned and lived in was in Highland Village, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, which was our favorite. My wife and I purchased our 3,600-square-foot home in 2015, and it appreciated by 50% over six years.
Our property taxes only went up by about $1,000 since we purchased our home, but were still significantly higher than in the previous states I lived in, Virginia and North Carolina.
The real estate market favored us when selling the Highland Village house, but we weren’t as lucky when purchasing a new house in Tennessee. We ended up buying a home that was 1,000 square feet smaller but 30% more expensive than the house we sold in Texas.
We chose Tennessee because our two daughters moved here. We live in a suburban area fairly close to downtown Knoxville. We’re in an apartment as we wait to move into our new house.
Our quality of life has improved in Tennessee
There are certainly several similarities between Tennessee and Texas, but I also see a lot of differences.
For instance, while the summers can be quite hot here, the weather doesn’t stay that way for long. Tennessee actually experiences all four seasons.
In Knoxville, there are a lot of the same amenities that you might find in a city like Dallas, but there are also a lot more outdoor activities.
My wife and I have really enjoyed hiking and being near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the trailhead is about 50 miles from our home in Knoxville. We visit the national park numerous times throughout the year.
Knoxville is a sizable city, but it’s nowhere near the size of Dallas or Houston, so that’s been a big change. Even still, we’ve enjoyed living here so far.
I never really enjoyed downtown Houston or Dallas. But in Knoxville, we go downtown almost every weekend — there’s a lot you can do without leaving the city.
It is very “walkable” and easily accessible, with numerous dining and entertainment options as well as frequent special events. We have season tickets for Broadway musicals at the Tennessee Theatre.
While there are some things about Texas I miss, like the abundance of air travel options and its restaurant scene, I do wish we had moved to Tennessee a little earlier.
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