10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Move to Austin Texas

[@cesarbolet2181]

Strict teachers and discipline is just what this country needs, not lack of them.

[@konradterlikowski8788]

I'll also add, that Austin has a great homeschooling communities.

[@SarahForest-v4p]

If these people/snowflakes she talked to weren't raising entitled rude brats the teachers would never have had to say anything to them.

[@suzygate1697]

These teachers should be more strict in other subjects like in math, science, English, history etc and not just in sporst, music drama and band

[@SarahForest-v4p]

@@suzygate1697 Amen. And teach manners since they don't seem to get that at home.

[@Mrdana3438]

I agree. What parent would not want appropriate discipline in the classroom?

[@ernstgoldman3634]

I consider strict teachers to be a positive.

[@PrairieNightMoon]

Yeah one Texas teacher was so strict that she sent a list of certain books for the parents to read to their kids at home. Most parents felt that, at home, they should choose their own books to read to their kids. That same teacher was so strict and sent so much homework that one 5 yr old who lived a distance from school was getting only about 8 hours sleep (5 yr olds should get about 10 or 11 hours) and very little time to eat or spend with family. He had to be on the bus at 6:30 AM and didn't get home till almost 6 PM. The parents met with that teacher and her idea of a remedy was for the child to sleep in his clothes to eliminate dressing time and for the parents to drive him to school every day and he could eat breakfast in the car on the way. Then eat supper in the car on the way home. I was appalled when I heard that!! That is NO way for a 5 yr old child to live. That is unhealthy. They decided to homeschool.

[@genxskeptic5816]

Strict in texas is often a substitute word for abusive.

[@curcumin417]

@@PrairieNightMoon That's an exception to the rule, not the norm. OP's point still stands

[@PrairieNightMoon]

@@curcumin417 It's not that uncommon in the area I'm talking about.

[@textrue9088]

@@genxskeptic5816 They are not abusive. They don't put up with abusive kids. I know. I am a retired Texas middle school teacher. We had clear and concise expectations and there were consequences. The student chose their own consequences by their behavior. Kids can and will behave if there are rewards and undesirable consequences. Grow up.

[@amyduncan7242]

We live an hour North of Austin. The reason ppl in TX are skeptical of new ppl moving in from up North and the coasts is because we see what's happened to those states they're leaving and hope they don't expect to change our state to what they left.

[@JackieBaker]

I get that.

[@kbanghart]

What is happening to those States?

[@Pugs365]

​@kbanghart do you watch any news?

[@MsCNail-fe1sj]

Exactly!!

[@kbanghart]

@@Pugs365 NPR and others

[@rexlex1736]

As a Texan, I am delighted to hear that the Californians who moved to Texas are moving back to California!! GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!

[@993mike]

Yeah, you and your red neck hillbilly buddies can rejoice!

[@brains84]

Cry more.

[@soonerdave01]

@@brains84 At least we're not dodging human 💩 and used 💉

[@fp5495]

You already lost me at, "As a Texan"

[@goombah226]

We need to build a wall! 🤠😅🤣😂

[@Marchant2]

I live in Dallas, and the traffic here is getting worse. But the traffic here is a dream compared to Austin.

[@dougking4377]

Tx drivers; No Law No Rules No Manners

[@jrahn66]

@@dougking4377True dat! I live just outside Austin and I pray everyday when I am getting on the 290. The 35…bahahahaha! That’s a joke too. Another reason Austin sucks lol….is the infrastructure did not keep up with the demand/increase of new residents. So now the city is playing catch up. Oh, and another thing…we are still in drought conditions even with all of the rainy icky weather here at the moment. Yet, the city is still allowing builders to keep building at the expense of our infrastructure and natural resources being scarce. Ding dongs…😒

[@dougking4377]

@@jrahn66 thank GOPutin abBUTT

[@chesterwilberforce9832]

I'm in Arlington, and it can get slow, but never bad here. Used to be Houston was the city we all blamed for having bad traffic. I think Austin has totally taken that honor. My two sons live there and I dread driving down to see them.

[@jmarie28]

I left Austin in 2000 for CA and driving 16 miles to work from north Austin to downtown on Loop 1 was like a parking lot. I can't imagine what the traffic is like now.

[@rkgaustin9043]

The allergies are no joke. The trees that cause cedar fever are actually ashe juniper.

[@Reader0071]

True, and did you notice she showed a picture of a pine tree? 😂

[@charleslueker2597]

April used to kill me anywhere between Austin and Wichita Falls.

[@zentex8877]

@@charleslueker2597 My wife has such bad cedar fever that, now that we are retired, we go to Costa Rica every January and February. She suffered through with her cedar allergy our whole working life. I told her when we retire, we’re getting the hell out of here for the season. Her symptoms clear up immediately when we get to Costa Rica!

[@michaelsix9684]

one key issue you didn't cover is WATER -- central TX is facing a severe water crisis, you only get water from rain and the Colorado river and drilling into the aquifer, too many people are coming in and this stresses the water supply, TX has droughts, in 2010 and 2023 it was severe all over, drought causes foundation issues and can lead to fires, in 2010 over 1,000 homes burned down in Bastrop which is 30 miles from Austin

[@BBslider001]

Yup, like a cancer. Humans move in, take all the resources, and move on. They are parasitic at best with no regard for the residents who live and work here. No regard for anyone. This is key to future dealings.

[@area.man.]

In 8th grade I was in marching band and our music teacher was putting us through a bunch of drills we were not used to. He said "you are about to find out why marching band is considered a Physical Education credit in Texas."

[@genxskeptic5816]

My father was a through and through texas guy. We lived outside Washington DC for 13 years because of my dad’s job. After years of trying, he finally got a job transfer back home to texas. He packed us all up to move. Three long days later, we pull into a gas station in our new city in texas. At the gas pump, an old geezer walks by and sees the Virginia license plate. He says to my father why don’t you go back where you came from. This was in 1981. 😡

[@benified6920]

omg a guy from CA got offended over no reason. shocking.

[@LP-hs6yz]

omg a guy from Texas was offensive for no reason. shocking.

[@6kooter]

Pretty offensive that he was so much of a wimp that he didn't challenge the guy over it.

[@bigg368]

Over a t shirt! 😅😂

[@Michael-F4ul5kzbuck]

@@LP-hs6yz Lol this is normal from Texans... if you got a thin skin dont come

[@stephenterranova8455]

@@LP-hs6yz If you found that shirt offensive, you're really living up to the stereotype lol

[@PrettyMessLounge]

Oh Nancy, $1400 for a 1 BDR? Where? When I left in 2022, I was paying $1975/mo, to be increased to $2400. Over a $400 bump. When I signed the lease a year before it was $1620. Insane!

[@davethehammer8325]

1400 WHERE IN THE GHETTO. Not is the nice area.....look at 2000

[@texasmade456]

Thank you for this!! Born in the Clarksville area of Austin an I've seen many changes that truly upset the locals. Honestly I feel it's too far gone.😢

[@freddula3159]

Tough teachers should be the norm.

[@PrairieNightMoon]

Yeah one Texas teacher was so tough that she sent a list of certain books for the parents to read to their kids at home. Most parents felt that, at home, they should choose their own books to read to their kids. That same teacher was so tough and sent so much homework that one 5 yr old who lived a distance from school was getting only about 8 hours sleep (5 yr olds should get about 10 or 11 hours) and very little time to eat or spend with family. He had to be on the bus at 6:30 AM and didn't get home till almost 6 PM. The parents met with that teacher and her idea of a remedy was for the child to sleep in his clothes to eliminate dressing time and for the parents to drive him to school every day and he could eat breakfast in the car on the way. Then eat supper in the car on the way home. I was appalled when I heard that!! That is NO way for a 5 yr old child to live. That is unhealthy. They decided to homeschool.

[@capzap9841]

I’ve lived in Austin since 1992. I used to love it. Before Austin, I lived in So California for close to 25 years. I am a native Texan and do NOT align myself to being Californian. In the past 10-12 years, Austin has been becoming more and more like, as I like to call it, far far east San Francisco. It’s becoming more and more what I moved away from California to avoid. I want to go to all the city limit signs and write on the back, “the last one to leave… please flush. DONT MOVE HERE. As far as the transplants go, I tell everyone that moved here from California the same two things. 1) Nobody cares that you’re from California. 2) Nobody cares how they do it in California. You’re in Texas now. Buy a gun… because you can. You are misinformed on the parks situation. There are green belts everywhere. There’s Zilker park. Lake Travis. Town lake. Bike trails everywhere. Nature preserves everywhere. You want to go hang out in nature….. not a problem. Yes you might have to pay something to get onto some places, BUT at least the whole population doesn’t have to pay for it rather they use it or not. You don’t want to take advantage of it… great, you don’t have to pay for it. You wanna play, you pay. YOUR RECREATION isn’t my burden to pay.

[@onward2freedom244]

Moved from Austin a few years ago after living there almost my entire life. I agree with every one of these points.

[@analogguy5548]

I’m formally from North Jersey. I purchased a new home 30 miles north of Dallas two and a half years ago. Zero regrets. Compared to Jersey my comparable property tax is less than half! + This year Texas lowered property tax rates ; I received a $1,400 refund! Note: My native Texan neighbors are super friendly, that is they are super friendly as soon as they are assured you didn’t move to Texas to screw it up like New Jersey or California! I moved to Texas because it is Texas and love it here! 🤠

[@Linda-mv8oz]

I love it here too! Moved here 5 years ago from Jersey. I love the many sunny days and the friendly people.

[@Metalmirq]

For now you do

[@Linda-mv8oz]

@@Metalmirq 5 years and still loving it.

[@MG-js8bn]

@@Linda-mv8oz For now....

[@happyzahn8031]

Welcome. Glad you are having such a great time!

[@sharoncundiff7680]

We lived in Austin from 1992-2022. We moved an hour north. Why????? After 30 years with big blue, the job was under serious threat. Not being retirement age, having a home in a highly desired location that has been kept updated, the property values flew sky high, along with the taxes. We sold at a prime price, and cash purchased a slightly smaller home in a comparatively, less expensive area. (by this time we were empty nesters) and pocketed the remaining cash to invest in a solid retirement plan. I can pretty much attest to all the info here except for the teachers in schools. We home schooled. Austin and the surrounding area is a great place to home school. Ton's of supporting organizations as well as community college dual enrollement for $0. The tax bill did pass to lower the taxes. But by that time we were out. We were able to keep the job, but that news came while we were in the closing process of the Austin home. At this point, we don't trust as there are AGAIN rumblings of lay offs. Like you said, the tech industry is precarious in Austin.

[@sarashann]

Please keep telling people this. I love living here! We don't need more people moving here.

[@Metalmirq]

Did you move here?

[@maxotaurus5140]

Amen!

[@grimaffiliations3671]

You're certainly building like you want people moving there

[@angienichols1248]

Most northern people cannot handle the Texas heat. As a born and raised Texan, it is rough! 😂

[@rachelm2041]

I didn't mind the heat when I lived in Austin. It's better than freezing here in the long, cold months of Ohio.

[@STOCKHOLM07]

Working outdoors in 110 degree heat will make you born again hard.

[@angienichols1248]

@@STOCKHOLM07 Respect to you!! Texas heat is no joke!🔥🔥🔥

[@Gemmarose9012]

Most Texans can’t handle Texas summer heat, who the hell are you kidding?

[@angienichols1248]

@@Gemmarose9012 that is what I said

[@jjminor]

I don’t blame that dude for wearing the shirt. I grew up in Oregon and people from California were coming in and buying all the houses and causing a high cost increase in the housing market. We didn’t want them there either.

[@gregorriusadolphus2729]

I live in Austin from 2007 to 2016....it was great up until around 2013. It got too popular....and the people that moved in were not as friendly as the locals. Austin became "hip and trendy" and so many insufferable people moved in. If you are coming from other major cities like Chicago, LA, NYC, you will also notice a lack of "culture"-no great museums and most everything revolves around drinking....and eating. Houston is where you go in Texas if you really want culture-Austin is where you go if you want great IG shots.

[@thomaslong8448]

What is an IG shot?

[@JS-jh4cy]

When a city grows over 100,000 there are not as many nice people in proportion to new obnoxious people

[@Jersey1971]

Liberal cesspool

[@texlad04]

Agree on the cultural institution angle. I decided to leave Austin after grad school because of this. People told me some 20 years ago that I was wrong. Last night, in Houston, I saw a stellar Don Giovanni at the Houston Grand Opera. It was conducted by an international opera icon (a Dame), featured a cutting edge production with complex projections in a giant opera theater, and boasted actual world class singers. If I hadn't been so tired after a trying workweek, I could have dined at a restaurant in one of the best restaurant scenes in the nation. I live in a highrise with a giant art collection and I'm a couple of miles from Houston's actual world class museum district. Our parks are really something to see. In Texas, DFW and Houston really do offer the benefits (as well as the drawbacks) of a top tier city. For folks who aren't willing to accept the tradeoffs of major city life, Austin might seem compelling. But it has the most ridiculous real estate prices in the state, has pretty lousy transportation infrastructure, and is overrun with homeless people. It has great cultural options via UT but doesn't have a major sports franchise, a major symphony orchestra or opera company, etc. If your lifestyle is more oriented around outdoor activities and "live music", and you can afford the housing premium over DFW/Houston, then Austin's probably a good choice. But if you're the sort of person who likes big city life, I wouldn't recommend Austin. Not saying there aren't real drawbacks to DFW and Houston, to be clear. It's just a matter of what is important to you, but Dallas and Houston just offer more of everything.

[@steveschultz300]

HOUSTON!?!??!? That gang ridden city!?!?!? Heh, oh wait, yo are tricking people into moving there so that other Texas cities won't get inundated....

[@Grooodeee]

Austin used to be the coolest place in texas.

[@Michael-F4ul5kzbuck]

its full of homeless now...everycorner has 3 or 4 every greenplace has some

[@j.rothchild173]

I live 40 minutes east of Austin and I’ve seen how the homeless has gotten out of control and is not stopping any time soon!!

[@JackieBaker]

That is so disheartening.

[@kbanghart]

But I thought California had the worst homeless?

[@auggiedoggiesmommy1734]

It’s SO sad! This is definitely a problem we need to address.

[@RedheadLondon]

There's a problem with homelessness in London too, and many more using food banks.

[@993mike]

I know Joe Rogan would bag on homelessness in California and it being one reason he moved to Austin, but I’m guessing he’s not so high and mighty about that now. I have two friends that moved there in the last 5 years, and they the weather and homelessness suck.

[@SuperRay0926]

I could see why people leaving a failing state move to another state, trying to enact those failing policies in the new state.

[@gregh7457]

nope, native californian here and after i moved to another state i just worked and saved and minded my own business. What this popular narrative you've adopted doesn't take into account is that some of us were so repulsed at what was going on in calif that we had to get as far away from it as we could and just want to forget about rainbow land

[@grimaffiliations3671]

Most people left cali because they don't build enough housing to match demand, which leads to ridiculous house and rent prices. They're certainly not enacting those failed policies in Austin, which is why people are moving there

[@RbNetEngr]

Californians aren't coming to TX to "Californize" it. Besides, there are too many Christian Nationalists in power to change anything significant in TX. If anything, that's the worst part of TX.

[@MeJonTheDon]

I used to love Austin, but havent been back in years and I dont want to move back to Austin despite its beauty, becuase there are too many people now, the wrong kind of people, and it is way too expensive to justify sitting in hours and seeing over development of such a once pretty area. Some places are meant to be small, and Austin is one of them. When you go outside of a few mile radius, you effectively have the appeal of Houston or Dallas (which are both just livable) while still paying a premium. The nature is overcrowded, the bars are overcrowded, restaurants overcrowded, roads overcrowded, and homeless overcrowding

[@konradterlikowski8788]

Guy got offended by a shirt....and that's proof that some people are not welcoming? If a shirt is the best someone could come up with to say, that they didn't feel welcome there, that means that is BS. This speaks more to people from california being snowflakes, than it is saying anything about people from Austin.

[@ReAl-uu8ku]

You got that right!

[@amercanmade2685]

LOL My Fav shirt says "Straight Conservative Male. How else may I offend you today" Why would a shirt bother anyone. I also have one that says "I am born Male and my preferred pronoun is MASTER"

[@BLSoldier00]

​@@amercanmade2685 Just seeing rainbows on shirts offends conservatives and might even cause one to go violent.

[@amercanmade2685]

@@BLSoldier00 I have a shirt that makes the left lose their minds "Straight Male Conservative How else may I offend you today"

[@amercanmade2685]

@@BLSoldier00 I also have one that says Straight Male my pronouns are SIR and Master"

[@barano9729]

The property taxes alone. Deal breaker.

[@JackieBaker]

Yeah I was surprised about the property taxes there.

[@bonbonvegabon]

The conservative way

[@bonbonvegabon]

@@Cold_Hard_Truth wahhhh cry more whiny conservative

[@scottprine6155]

How much is the state and local income tax where you live, though? Texas has no state or local income taxes. It’s like 10% in California.

[@michaelrexrode3759]

Property taxes are high everywhere in Texas.

[@JackieBaker]

I've heard that.

[@kbanghart]

A lot of folks who have moved from California have discovered that their taxes are high for property in Texas.

[@michaelsix9684]

ins. costs are killing me -- auto, home, health add up to 7K per yr. and I'm retired -- it sux

[@kbanghart]

@@michaelsix9684 one thing... Medicare prescriptions got capped at $2k.

[@willmontgomery6221]

Nothing compared to California.

[@auggiedoggiesmommy1734]

That the schools even have music teachers is surprising. So many schools in Utah were dumping their music teachers.

[@AbidethForever]

I live in Austin (from CA) - 17 years now and almost everything you’ve called out has happened to me: OPPRESSIVE HEAT keeps you from enjoying being “outdoorsy,” found a scorpion in my washing machine, replaced roof from hail damage, damaged car from hail, massive long commute, poor quality of health from horrible allergies, many bouts of cedar fever, high property taxes, high utility bills from summer heat, and bad interaction in the downtown area with aggressive homeless people.

[@cdevpayne]

Every state has its ups and downs. with our government we will be getting worse every day. Live in a place long enough you will find ways to cope with either weather or government. Stay safe. ( Here in southern N.M. We have to contane with weather in the 112 to 118 and our Democrat governor.)

[@AbidethForever]

@@cdevpayne Agree! On the flip side of my Austin woes, I’ve loved living here with way more pluses than minuses.

[@vikm1341]

I moved here from Ca too. I will probably move to Colorado or near ny in a few years. Cant stand the heat.

[@brotherted9212]

I moved from NJ to Austin in 2022 - and you got some things right, but a lot wrong. The homeless problem is immensely smaller than 3 years ago, after the public passed an anti “camping” referendum. Second, your item about lack of public land couldn’t have been less true. There are huge public parks - Google Onion Creek Greenbelt, Red Bud Isle, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Emma Long Park, Zilker Park, Audition Shores - these are all BIG spaces, and there are many more. High property taxes? Not only were my property taxes higher in NJ, but there are zero state income taxes in Texas. Even if the property taxes *were* higher in Austin, which they aren’t, it’d be more than compensated by the lack of state income taxes. Are the summers too hot? Yes. But that must be balanced against the NJ winters that are too cold. To me, the number of days it’s unpleasant to be outside in both places are about the same. Plus, I’d rather be hot than cold. Hot can mean pool parties - cold usually just means misery and shoveling snow.

[@scottowens4162]

I've been visiting Austin lately and I will take that heat over New Orleans any day plus I didn't really have to grow eyes on the back of my head like the NO. Would I live there though? I don't know but I live in Oklahoma city and honestly Austin has more going on but okc is cheaper.

[@bdwon]

For years tourists came to Austin during Spring and Fall musical festivals. The great weather in those seasons fooled tourists into thinking that our weather was ok

[@lindabuck2777]

I’m not a sports fan and since it’s blasphemous I dare say I hate football! Tx IS a football state! Here’s partly the reason: it starts to cool down in the fall, humidity lessens so perfect weather to be outdoors open windows let fresh air in! BUT that’s when football season starts! It majorly interfered in my dating life! 🤨😝🙏🏻

[@MichaelF350]

Don’t worry Texans, I will never move to Texas…you can have it…

[@vart5530]

The legislation you mentioned passed, but it was only a one year cap on property taxes for 2023. To understand why some native Austinites have a negative attitude about transplants you would have had to live here 25 or more years ago when Austin was truly a great place to live. Transplants who have come here from more expensive places who were willing to greatly over pay for housing and property from the get go, and those who build McMansions and wineries in what were previously beautiful natural places are generally seen as being responsible for negatively changing the economic landscape, the natural landscape, the culture and the feel of Austin. They are generally seen as having different and often conflicting sets of values. Many native Austinites and central Texans have been priced out, and can either barely make ends meet or cannot afford to stay here. That includes the creative class of musicians, artists, and unique people who created the Austin of old that is sorely missed today. The very Austin that people came here to experience and be a part of when it was one of the top ten places to live for so many years, was destroyed by those who came. It' s like Austin and central Texas has become California because people who left California to come here just brought 'the California' with them. Note- I said generally. I know that these are stereotypical blames I have just attributed to transplants (and Californians), but I am being honest about how a great number of native central Texans feel. Additional reasons not to move to Austin that you missed in your report: the growing scarcity of water, problems with the power grid (ERCOT) due to unchecked population growth and the lack of foresight to keep up with the growth. I think the estimated number of homeless people that you cited is probably very low- it's almost impossible to get an accurate count of the homeless.

[@Paula-sw4mw]

☝️💯 You nailed it. In Austin, specifically, we dread transplants because of affordability, crowds, and loss of our laid back culture.

[@JoelUldrych-kh2sc]

Anytime a place becomes too known or popular by too many people it's the time to leave. If the cat's out of the bag, the secret is out. I want to live in a good community, but one that's not yet on the national radar.

[@RonaldSaylor]

She’s right… DON’T MOVE TO AUSTIN!!! I moved to Austin in 1971 to attend the University of Texas. The city was a paradise. Imagine this: 250,000 population with 50,000 college students and the main employers in the city were the University of Texas and a state government controlled by Democrats. We were the ‘liberal’ oasis inside of conservative Texas. Rents were cheap. I rented my first apartment for $200 per month. There was lots of live music, restaurants, and other fun things to do. People were easy-going, welcoming, and friendly. Traffic was quite reasonable. Rush hour lasted about 30 minutes. You could be the only car on a major thoroughfare. For me it was the perfect city-small enough to get around and escape but big enough to provide everything you needed. Now just the opposite is the case. The population of Austin is pushing 1,000,000 and the entire metro-population is almost 2,500,000. We are still struggling to get by on the road system that was largely in place when I moved here, and all the modern improvements to the road system turn out to be toll roads. We have a continuous rush hour that never stops. It can take hours to get to and from work and going anywhere between 7 o’clock in the morning until about 8 or 9 o’clock at night can be a very aggravating experience. Don’t think that public transportation will offer relief. Expect public transportation to take twice as long because the buses are stuck in the same traffic as the cars and giant ‘man’ trucks. That’s why drivers in Austin drive very aggressively and are angry all the time. Housing is very expensive and continues to go up. My friends that rent are paying $1700 to $1800 per month for one bedroom apartments. Soon their rents will be above $2000 per month. Live entertainment still exists but expect to be packed in like sardines and driving for hours in heavy traffic to get there and later to escape. Austin’s ‘liberality’ is eroding in a very hateful and draconian state. So, don’t expect to be welcomed if you move here. People trapped in a city that doesn’t work with no relief in sight resent the people that move here and just make things worse.

[@DJ_Yesterday]

Sounds like you need to move too. We are a conservative state.

[@LP-hs6yz]

Sounds like what happened to Phoenix.

[@happyzahn8031]

@@LP-hs6yz Only thing I hear about phoenix, besides their ruler-straight streets, is it's HUGE and HOT. Has a nice name though.

[@perrytornado]

Same dystopian reality in Canadian cities Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver/ In my mind, this is the impetus for the terrorism virus of 2020 which is a politically orchestrated inside job to decimate the human population/ Gov't and the dominations and dominions of this world are fearful of chaos and hate the wildness of the chaotic, apocalyptic cycle of destruction and creation b/c their imminent extinction is inevitable and the process of human evolution is unstoppable/

[@RbNetEngr]

@@DJ_YesterdayNot a very welcoming statement from a conservative Christian. Would Jesus be telling people to GTFO?

[@Linda-mv8oz]

I live in Dallas. I came from Jersey, and I lived there for 35 years! The people in Jersey are not sweet! My entire family moved here. My daughters and their families. We found people are more polite and friendly. The summers are brutal but the rest of the year is wonderful. The sun is out most days and unless you experience it you will never realize how gloomy the Northeast can be. I rarely need a jacket outside. Most Californians pick Austin because it is more hip, maybe that’s the problem. Sports are emphasized but you can play almost all year outside. Much better than sitting by a screen all day. Allergies seem about the same as South Jersey and the pine barrens. Our property taxes are on par with Jersey, very high. But NO state income tax and Seniors get a real break on their property taxes. Gas is cheaper as are utilities. My biggest complaint is food. Nothing can compare to the restaurants and markets in the Northeast. There are no basements and no Jersey shore, those are definitely negatives. Another plus is if you travel for work, airports are easy to get to and flights in the US are never more than 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Homelessness can’t compare to NYC, SanFran, Philly and LA.

[@kbanghart]

I visit San Francisco once a month and the homeless are no problem.

[@Linda-mv8oz]

My daughter was there for work recently (and she lived there 15 years ago). Quite a change and yes more homeless.

[@texlad04]

Visit us in Houston for some legit dining, legit shopping, major museums, etc.

[@Linda-mv8oz]

@@texlad04 I really should. I have watched Lady Mary Beth on all of her thrifting in Houston and it seems amazing.

[@kbanghart]

@@texlad04 someday I need.to see the manned spacecraft center..or whatever the current name of it is

[@willmontgomery6221]

Wrong about public land, there are TONS of amazing State Parks all over Texas…there are a few amazing private areas like Hamilton Pool and some springs but the fees are tiny and it keeps it nice.

[@donsergio2406]

She's never been to Austin. I agree with you.

[@jhmrem]

Agree there are lots of state parks in Texas, but also many public parks in Austin. I go outdoors every day and there are small parks in almost every neighborhood. Now you probably don't want to be in a park in August due to the heat, but that's a different issue.

[@MrCarlGW]

Yes, beautiful state parks with camping, fishing, horseback riding, skiing, swimming, rock climbing and canoeing all over. She's never been here, apparently.

[@pumpupthevolume4775]

Absolutely not. What she says about public land is true about Austin and true about Texas. Austin has very little public land and the parks are low quality. Texas has one of the lowest percentages (45th out of 50) of public land of any state in the country. Get out of Texas and go see the rest of America. Texas is pathetic on that front.

[@willmontgomery6221]

@@pumpupthevolume4775 Low quality? Are you insane? I've lived in Texas for 30 years, spent multiple summers exploring amazing State Parks and incredible natural wonders for weeks on end. I was just visiting McKinney Falls near Austin. There's nothing pathetic about what you can do outdoors in Texas. Hanging your hat on percentage of public land doesn't mean anything. Most Western States have huge empty tracks of desert land that the government owned since States were territories. Nobody wanted them, nobody lives there, nobody but some cows would want to. You can't compare empty Alaska and Nevada with Texas. The 640,000 acres they do own and the 89 State Parks for the public are completely amazing. Great city parks in Dallas too. And yes I've lived all over the country and the world and seen parks in plenty of States. There's no Yosemite in Texas but there's plenty of beautiful parks.

[@topherbec7578]

The closest I get to Austin is when I go to the airport.

[@Carolina480]

I love how yuo are honest about other states yu are very informative thank yuo

[@andreachilton6037]

My husband and I lived and met in Austin. We had been in our apartment for 9.5 years when we were effectively priced out of the market, and we both held full time jobs. The rent increased rapidly, and we knew we'd never be able to afford a home, after people started moving in...

[@ericr6287]

I moved to Austin 9 years ago and find all of the points very accurate. #10 surprised me and is my number one reason for wanting to leave.

[@David-yf5fo]

There are various species of juniper that live in the hill country that are mistakenly called cedar trees that you speak of. However, a big part of the allergy problem is the weeds. Austin was a male dominated town and hard to get dates if you are a straight single man. There was also an abundance of the poorly behaved gay men in Austin when I was there. Locations like Zilker park and the university area where not pleasant places where people could just walk around and not be bothered for that reason. The topic came up regularly at city council meetings. Wages were notoriously low unless you had a good job with IBM, Texas Instruments, or Abbott Labs. Dell did not exist then. A state job was the thing to have if you had a love affair with Austin back in the day, but I doubt those jobs pay near enough to live there comfortably now. Don't think about moving to Austin if you don't have a very good job with one of the current premiere employers! And, the music scene is not what it used to be if that is in the back of somebody's mind. Many of the musicians and artists pulled out of Austin years ago because they could no longer afford it. I was in my early 20s, worked in a trade, and lived next to the Barton Creek green belt in a nice apartment when I was there. It was a place where regular people just lived and I did live there in the late 1970s and 1980s. Then came the effects of the oil bust, then this , then that... I finally had my fill of the place over 35 years ago.

[@maryreynolds8568]

I remember Austin back in the day. It was weird, but in a good way. It was really laid back, and the bars had good music. We'd drive up from San Antonio to party on Sixth Street or go to concerts.

[@auggiedoggiesmommy1734]

Ha! I KNEW it. I told everyone not to move to Texas because the population boom meant a need for schools, police, etc. and now they have to pay for the services.

[@lennomenno]

The irony of people creating the very problems they were trying to escape.

[@tcm6756]

You are SO smart!

[@davipervenom9151]

I live just north of San Antonio. I have a T-shirt that says: Don’t California my Texas. If a Californian sees that and gets offended. That’s the kind of Californian we don’t want in Texas. If you’re from California and understand the message. That’s the kind of Californian that is welcomed.

[@quint6363]

In Texas, there is a standard homestead exemption that is offered by public school districts for primary residences. Before November 2023, this amount was $40,000; however, a constitutional amendment has more than doubled the amount to a generous $100,000.

[@JackieBaker]

Wow! Thanks for sharing!

[@jfan3839]

Yes, if you're over 65 or disabled you get a $100,000 exemption, otherwise is $40,000.

[@happyzahn8031]

Doesn't really matter as the districts raise the VALUE of the house anyway. They also have an imagined year it was built, not the real one, so they can bump up the house value further. For those out of state, there is set percentage tax X the house value to get how much you pay. Higher value = higher taxes.

[@timothyhayes2935]

New to your channel.Excellent!!

[@JackieBaker]

Thanks for the sub!

[@theadventuretravelchannel]

She asked what has changed. Just because Austin had an aggressive PR department and made a bunch of "lists" doesn't mean the city has changed. Traffic, allergies, crime, all these things have been bad for a long time.

[@Dee62366]

Austincisco isn't Texas

[@kenbagwell8551]

🤣🤣🤣

[@kbanghart]

Do you mean San Francisco?

[@kbanghart]

@@jcraigshelton oh yeah, heard that one. Given the beliefs of people who love that saying, I think I'd like to visit Austin.

[@kbanghart]

@@Cold_Hard_Truth what do you mean by radical? Like, people who support abortion and color their hair blue and stuff?

[@Jesussaveslifes1]

You are amazing, thanks, great work 👍 thanks 👌

[@rfink222]

I get the homestead exemption and senior citizen exemption here in Austin and my taxes are still $4,800 a year. That is a lot cheaper than what my neighbors are paying.

[@JackieBaker]

That's great!

[@happyzahn8031]

Yep, it's like having 2 house payments. Even after paying of house, you still have a high rent.

[@carolalvarez3925]

Daughter just moved from Austin to Santa Monica. She loves it there.

[@ignaciobarriga9841]

Completely agree living in Texas for life best place in the world most Texans don’t have filters we love Jesus we love guns and we like telling the truth so getting your feelings hurt it’s a big deal don’t move to Texas WE ARE FULL!!!!!!

[@amyduncan7242]

The cities are hotter because of all the concrete and buildings. That's why we prefer to live away from larger cities and the evenings are amazing and breezy. We hardly have any bugs and sit outside comfortably under a tree or covering. Thats why there is so many patio areas in restaurants and bars. My husband is originally from NJ and has grown to love the weather. I think the weather ppl like depends on where you grow up and what you're used to. I love the heat vs freezing and cold.

[@kbanghart]

Those who enjoy heat are better in the south and east I think, I love cool and rain so I'm looking west.

[@Persephone-nr1dl]

You forgot Greg Abbott.

[@bobburnitt5761]

What was good about Texas has been ruined by Urban Sprawl. The first thing to go was Affordable Land. Being brought up in Agriculture I hate the HELL out of that. I cannot even be in Agriculture any more because of it. If I had enough money to be in it, I would NOT NEED IT. But Austin I stopped liking it over 40 years ago. The politics there are WEIRD, no common sense there either. As a 6th Generation Texan I would not live there at gunpoint or anywhere near it. Then the "Good Ole Boy System" is the worse thing of all. Austin is WAY too liberal for me, however people that move in there from California find it too conservative. *The Real ESTATE TAXES HERE ARE VERY HIGH in Texas* The reason for that is Texas has no State Income Tax and the SCHOOL TAX is by far the highest Tax that that real estate owners pay* *Those REAL ESTATE Taxes are what PAY for the higher costs of the Schools and the HIGHER PAY for Football Coaches, the enormous Football Stadiums the build for the Kiddies, the BUSES to haul the Football Teams, the Bands, the Cheerleaders, the the Drill Teams, and everything else to pay for these ridiculous "sporting events"* It is one thing to have to pay for OTHER PEOPLES Children to go to a Public school, but to pay for that CRAP that goes with it is OBSCENE. Texas is turning in to a third rate California and fast too. I am a 100% descendant of Texas Pioneers but Oklahoma is looking better every day. I am sick of all of this Urban Sprawl and all of he TOOL ROADS they are building and the high real estate taxes. The CRIME is getting worse and worse here too. That is another product of Urban Sprawl.

[@UniversalSoundsEnt]

Thank you for sharing this insight and as a true Austinite, I couldn’t agree with the accuracy of everything you mentioned in your video. I remember when ATX was a hidden gem and felt more like a small town as opposed to what is now a major overcrowded city.

[@chickensoupfordinner]

One of my brothers lived in Austin for years and saw eventually left 2018 ish because the people who made Austin Austin were priced out and it lost the character he liked. His rent also became too much. I hope it has changed but it was still legal to hit kids at school for bad behavior in Texas and I only graduated in 2008.

[@JackieBaker]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that!

[@billredding2000]

Yes...Austin DOES do what you said it does (suck). But it's MAINLY because it's just another liberal blue hole (not to be confused with a black hole which has no political associations whatsoever (at least when they're located in space, far far away). I can say that with some authority because I know a few things about astronomy. -- Carl Sagan.

[@angelareid409]

Hi. I’m a music teacher in Texas at the elementary level. This definitely sounds like an Austin thing. I have never heard of militaristic PE or music in the Houston area. We want the kids to enjoy our classes so they will bloom. I hope that this is helpful.

[@erictheblue7256]

I can't speak to living in Austin directly, but I can indirectly as I lived in San Antonio 75 miles to the south for 11 years, prior to moving to Denver 19 years ago. I moved to Denver for a few of the reasons you mentioned. The mountain cedar made me miserable and an aspect of the heat you mentioned didn't an important discomfort factor-the humidity... Denver's not a perfect city by any means but no allergies, wonderful weather or me at least (4 true seasons, over 300 days of sunshine per year, low humidity), good mass transit if that matters to you, many parks per capita in the city combined with the beauty of the high country (Rocky Mountains) 20 minutes away by car. Further, Colorado has relatively low property taxes (though they've been creeping up lately...). I'm from Long Island originally and had family living in NYC, so I have decent knowledge with that city. One more thing I like about Denver is that it's downtown reminds of a miniature version of NYC. Lot's of museums, a wonderful performing arts complex, solid night-life, and any type of restaurant food you can imagine. I mention all of this about Denver because of an unfortunately similarity to Austin: Outrageously high housing prices for different reasons. For Austin, it's due to the massive in-flux of high paying tech companies and jobs over the past two decades. For Denver, it's due to all my aforementioned positive points and in the past, relatively low cost of living. Sadly, given our cities' shared housing expense we both have a serious and expected homeless problem. I can't speak for Austin, but in Denver we now have a major illegal immigrant problem to boot. 19 years ago, I almost moved to Austin instead of San Antonio to purchase a nice 1800 sq ft rancher home built in the 1980's, 10 minutes from downtown Austin for $130K. I don't even want to think about what that house would cost now...

[@erickborling1302]

Lowering the property taxes leads to other problems like sacrificing schools, which have been under attack in Texas forever, seems like. The Texas miracle" evaporated due to poor State fiscal policy. Texas is generally terrible all-around.

[@knottheory79220]

Been in Austin since 2011. I'm a Texan but not an Austinite. The trouble with out of staters is they come in with piles of money people from Texas don't have and drive all the local prices up. It's created a local housing market where anything that goes on sale is bought immediately over asking price for cash. It doesn't help that a lot of people moving here come from places that are failing (SoCal, NYC, Chicago) and are voting in the same policies that made those areas fail. The homeless problem and the crime problem are a direct result of these type of ideas becoming popular. The city has spent a ton of money to combat the homelessness (not the crime, they don't care about that), and it just goes to waste. There's been efforts to investigate it but it never goes anywhere. Punitive, Militaristic Schools and Sports - are you kidding, the schools in Austin are absolutely out of control and getting worse. Also, take it from a West Texan, Austin does not have the football culture at all. I have never heard of anyone from Austin traveling overnight to kidnap a mascot. Agree on the job market. The biggest problem is Austin TX is not well managed as a municipality. It's utter incompetence and very corrupt, and good luck changing it. I wouldn't live here but I have a particular career that makes leaving very hard, so I advise you to not come unless you have a particular reason to. lol @ the weather, you people are so soft if you think Austin has bad weather. People move here for the weather!

[@gustercc]

You can thank austin for attracting that very specific job you have there, Ace Ventura.

[@michaelsix9684]

you covered it, City of Austin has very understaffed 911 system and police, they are also facing huge financial deficit from underfunded city pensions, it's not well run city now, and I see no hope of changing that

[@lisasdfwhightechworld9946]

@@gustercc No. The fully integrated circuit was patented by Texas Instruments in a Dallas suburb back in 1957. Ross Perot started EDS in Dallas in 1962. TI also came up with those TI calculators in 1967. One of the first satellites, Echo #1, was tested for NASA in 1960 by Collins Radio engineers in a Dallas suburb. The ATM was patented in Irving in 1969. Austin can thank Dallas for the technology.

[@rachelm2041]

I lived in Austin 97-2007. I loved the heat. Sometimes, there is torrential rain. As Stevie Ray Vaughan said, it's flooding down in Texas!! So true. I don't miss those darn red ants! But, I miss the people, scenery, music, and the food. 😊

[@michaelsix9684]

@@rachelm2041 where did you go? you were in Austin at a good time, it's so different now

[@bluetroll2082]

Pretty interesting analysis, but incomplete. One big issue, the draconian state government is implementing a Christo-Fascist state and Austin is not immune. The disconnect of power from the US grid also makes the state very vulnerable to power outages in the summer and fall...climate change is impacting the state severely with extremes in both hot and cold weather. High property taxes yes, but you also don't get the services - poor schools and no law enforcement or animal control.

[@rachelm2041]

I lived in North Austin 1997-2007. It was really nice when I first moved from Ohio. I work in the Medical field and jobs were pretty easy to find. After 2005, there were so many people moving into Austin the traffic was becoming unbearable. I lived in a really nice apartment. Rent was $585 month. My job was only 15 minutes away but it would take 45 mins to an hour to get to work. Just stopping for groceries after work would take another 45 mins to get home. I got to the point where I would grocery shop at 6am and return home and back on road to work 7am. I left Austin in 2007. I couldn't take the traffic any longer. Even the toll roads that they built didn't help.

[@stoneagedjp]

To understand the aversion towards "outsiders", just look at what happened to PDX. Incidentally, Japan has a similar problem with cedars outside Tokyo. During a period of unusually intense amounts of pollen, people who had never had hay fever got it and continue to suffer from it to this day. Edited to fix typo.

[@kbanghart]

What happened to PDX?

[@mikehinatx1212]

As a long time Austin resident and lifetime Texan I agree with most of this list except that locals don't like transplants. Sure there are light hearted jokes about transplants but I have never seen or heard anyone be sincerely nasty to a transplant. There are almost 3 million people living here in the metro area and they are from all walks of life. No one really cares where someone is from.

[@metalboarn6174]

Texans are fine with newcomers, as long as they embrace everything about Texas, our culture and politics. It's not that hard. Moving here and thinking you're going to make it better by voting your world view that is already very well represented right where you came from, is not what we want here. You love diversity? Then leave Texas to be an alternative to states like California, NY or Massachusetts. As far as weather, it's not that bad. Dead of summer here is, similar to dead of winter in other locations, you go from indoors, to car, to back to indoors, unless you're swimming.

[@Gemmarose9012]

It makes zero sense to hibernate in summer.

[@jackb348]

I moved away from Austin almost 30 years ago. I was paying 360 a month for an efficiency near Zilker Park. My how times have changed. It was getting bad back then. I cannot imagine what it is like now.

[@mccoyji]

112 degrees??? I'll stay indoorsee....lol

[@BossChronicles]

Same with denver, to many people moved there overexposed and overpopulated cost has gone up $$$

[@mmjackk667]

The scorpions got me.

[@rachelm2041]

Fire ants are terrible there. Don't walk in high grass.

[@happyzahn8031]

Sadly, haven't seen one in years...They are really cute.

[@motokev2727]

I visited Austin last summer, couldn't wait to leave.

[@mattmatthewmatchuu]

traffic here isnt that bad, ive lived in seattle, portland and sf bay area. cedar fever only lasts 2 weeks

[@miketaggart3803]

I had to buy my house outside of Austin. My current house is in Pflugerville and I like my house. I do MISS my basement! And the houses here are not the same quality like we had up north. Bad insulation, thin windows, shifting foundations, and general build quality. This was evident during the 2021 freeze. And the ice storms. We don’t get them every year, but if an ice truck overturned and spilled its ice, the city is paralyzed. Like green grass? Be prepared to pay thru the nose to keep it watered. Also forgot the sales tax. 8.25%. Which makes up for no income tax. Austin stopped being Austin in the late 90’s.

[@glecrenn]

You are incorrect about the parks and green belts; Zilker Park, Barton Creek Lending Greenbelt, hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake to name a few

[@STB921]

I lived in Austin for 7 years. I was always a part of “The Damned Yankee Club” and the creepy crawlers….snakes, spiders, scorpions, and fire ants. I could not get out of there fast enough

[@mattmatthewmatchuu]

the homeless here arnt dangerous compared to other cities

[@happyzahn8031]

I loved band. Yeah, it gets hot but so what? That's the way it be.

[@cowpunkability]

I live in a single 600 square-foot of Congress near a giant dog park and I can walk across the street or jump on a scooter and I’m right in the middle of everything. I can walk next-door to get food, watch Jimmy Vaughan play every week.I don’t know about buying houses, but just can’t beat living here. It’s very cheerful. Very fun but then again I’m not paying property taxes on a house. I don’t have a family it’s awesome.

[@andreadanburg5649]

Howdy, neighbor! I live just off of Riverside, beside Town Lake. I just moved from my previous apartment which was off of Congress, near The Continental Club. I wasn’t born here, but moved here the minute I graduated high school some 3 decades ago 🥳

[@lonnieclemens8028]

I think the 112 degree temperatures will keep me away from Austin. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@maryreynolds8568]

112 is a record, but people need to realize that day in and day out, 95⁰ for many months on end, is a way of life. Add to that extreme humidity, so it feels like 100+. To keep the AC at 72, you'll have sky high electric bills. Crime is outrageous. Austin is a sanctuary city and shrank their police force way down.

[@driodebeica9225]

you right they should not move if they don't like the things you just mentioned .if you move your state then respect the rule of the state you moved .US is a big country and you have a choice like a menu and you can select

[@kbanghart]

OR, you can work to change the state that you move to. That is our right.

[@gustercc]

OR you can expect that things change. Things always change. If you don’t think so, I start to wonder about your education.

[@jamesagnew6512]

Yes, I understand we need to pay for services thru taxes, but the property taxes are so high, you will never really own your home in Texas. Just think about that for a second. If your parents worked their asses off and left you a house, you might be forced to sell it or rent rooms. This is nonsense. And like the lady is saying many didn’t know but now they do and they are leaving.

[@perrytornado]

The horrific errors of communism have pervaded the global economy and taxes, inflation parasitically extort other people's money b/c conventional economics is a rotting corpse, malignant cancerous tumour/ Real estate industry is def. not capitalist/

[@texadonkey34]

I’m from Texas. I live in Nassau Bay in Clear Lake Texas. It’s located across from NASA. I bought 25 years ago & I’m near the Gulf Coast. The Med Center is in Houston. I recommend it. Texas heat is hot, but we never see snow. I’ve never seen a scorpion in my life😆. Other gems with nice houses are shoreacres in Laporte. Friendswood, Fredericksburg, Kerville & Bourne.

[@waichui2988]

Whether a place is good for a person depends on the person. The "quality" of a place is not a physical attribute that holds true no matter what. Lead is always heavier than iron, no matter what. Using a list of attributes like that, and not asking yourself whether it fits you, is a good way to mismatch.

[@jd-tg1ox]

Thank rogan for ruining austin

[@Paladin1776a]

Democrats... that's why

[@EVEE_Rose-3]

Great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Austin, Texas with us.

[@michaelsix9684]

I made 6 trips up there last spring, most housing I saw was overpriced, in poor condition, and you need about 400K plus,to find a decent single family home -- taxes are high, traffic is bad, and jobs are not great, Oracle is leaving, Tesla is laying off, and I live in Houston, housing mkt. here is rough too, my prop. taxes are now 500.00, I'm 68 and retired, I lived in Austin 84-87, great time, but it's not what it was -- overall weather disasters here are driving up ins. costs, find another state, lived in TX 50 yrs. out of my life, gotta leave

[@carolanderson2773]

same in Dallas!

[@stuckinDetroit65]

I lived in downtown Austin for a while, and I loved it for the music, food, and bike/pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. I could have done without the hippy weirdos running around in tutus, but the dog parks, and beach were clean unlike Detroit, and the people were almost always friendly to "outsiders".

[@Reader0071]

You remember Leslie 😂

[@bigstickful]

You forgot it is a Blue county.

[@kbanghart]

Good. Blue is best

[@blues730]

That`s a plus!

[@knottheory79220]

@@blues730 It's really not, taxes and crime have spiked and the city wastes a lot of money trying to decide how racist it is (seriously the city issued a report its own name was offensive). I live here, I'd rather vote for a yellow dog than a Travis County Democrat.

[@gustercc]

That’s what makes it great!

[@Nicointechnicolor]

Texas people are the nicest in the country, the thing is, this new expression that says “don’t California my Texas” is pretty self-explanatory. Which refers to the higher mortgage and rental costs, the increased traffic jams, and cultural changes to our cities. Not trying to talk bad about anyone, but our cities are changing and are no longer the same anymore.

[@bradleyhammer5615]

Austin is literally a blue state city in a red state. Its quite eerie.

[@happyzahn8031]

It's where all the politicians are. You know how they like that sweet sweet government gravy. They get to vote for their raises too.

[@fstringer1486]

Dont move to Texas if you dont want ti live like a Texan

[@hellygeer]

I would never go to Texas

[@Riconald]

No Texas for me.😂😂😂😂

[@LegionOfWeirdos]

Lack of public spaces? Have you even BEEN TO Austin? State parks, Barton Creek Greenbelt, McKinney Falls, Butler Metro Park, Mueller Park, Lots of Water spaces... Zilker Park is 385 acres!

[@adults_talking]

those were pine trees not cedar trees 🙂

[@happyzahn8031]

saw that too 😁

[@diwilliams2960]

I hope you do a program on Phoenix suburbs, like Gilbert,Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale!

[@JackieBaker]

I will keep that in mind! Thanks!

[@kenbagwell8551]

1)Hot as hades in the summer. The springtime is awesome though. 2)Bad drivers ... the young people there use the freeways like racetracks. 3)Awful traffic, esp. in Phoenix per se. 4)Golf capital of the USA. 5)Expensive homes anywhere remotely nice. 6)Lots of outdoor things to do. 7)Two hours away from Flagstaff and much cooler weather. 8)Beautiful mountains and desert nearby.