Escaping CA...Tx vs Co

[mlgc20]

My job allows me to live anywhere in the country I want. And I choose to live in the DFW suburbs. I love the cost of living and the culture in general. As mentioned above, fishing is great. Most other outdoor activities are lacking. Specifically hunting opportunities. There really isn't much public land. And the high fence stuff just isn't for me. I make 4 trips per year to Colorado/Wyoming/New Mexico for hunting and fishing. The Dallas area has a ton of transplants from all over the country. Very few of my neighbors are actually from Texas. So, while the small Texas towns are much more conservative. The DFW area is more diverse and open.

If you're looking at living in a big city, I would choose Dallas over Denver (and the other Texas cities). However, if you're looking at more rural living, I would pick rural Colorado over rural Texas.

 

[JonC]

Texas is great, except for all the Californians coming here and voting the same way they did in California...

Sounds a lot like Colorado. The Front Range is just California without the ocean.

I have to be in the Northern Denver burbs for work, and I get paid enough to make it worth it (for now). The split second I can get away from the Denver/Boulder area I will move like lightning. I love the rest of Colorado, even Loveland/Fort Collins is like a different planet compared to the in-fill between Denver and Boulder. Unfortunately, the votes are consolidated there so the "progressives" get to tell people everywhere else what to do.

 

[Hooverfb]

Honestly I'd look at what you enjoy more than anything. Cost of living is going up in texas if you live anywhere near a big city. I moved into an older neighborhood where theres no kids for my 4 yr old to play with, but it's nice enough and I got it for a good price. We love being near the saltwater, even if it's not the nicest lol. The "nice" neighborhoods that other young families move into are all 300-400k range. I remember telling my boss my price range and him just kind of mumbling and being confused (220 and under). It can be done but it wont just be a walk in and say oh everything is affordable. Cheaper than LA, but depending where you go, still not "cheap".

 

[cliffyj]

We live in Colorado Springs area and were looking to move back to Texas a few years ago for family reasons. Things to consider are houses are slightly more expensive here but they are generally larger. Probably because basements here and not so common in Texas. Property taxes are much higher in Texas then here but then again we have state income taxes and Texas doesn’t. Gas prices are higher here but other than that I don’t think there is a huge cost of living difference.

 

[txhunter581]

Real estate prices have skyrocketed even in the country due to Covid! I see them coming down a bit when this is over. Hopefully early next year. My real estate agent in Colorado has sold about 2 years worth in the last 3 months.

 

[Ucsdryder]

My clients all live in the South Bay Area and I have a pretty good idea on prices, I am sure if you look for less desirable places you can find less expensive.

Yes you picked one of the top 5 most expensive places in california. There are plenty of places that are less expensive and a lot more desirable to live than a shit hole like the bay. If price was his main issue there are way more desirable states. Colorado wouldn’t be at the top of my list.

 

[brsnow]

Yes you picked one of the top 5 most expensive places in california. There are plenty of places that are less expensive and a lot more desirable to live than a shit hole like the bay. If price was his main issue there are way more desirable states. Colorado wouldn’t be at the top of my list.

bakersfield is like the western slope and poster was discussing north Denver metro area.

 

[CuZnV1nny]

I love TX and CO. but not Denver or Dallas.

 

[EastMT]

I just moved to Texas for work. Not impressed.

If you enjoy staying inside most of summer or traveling somewhere else for summer, it’s not bad.

If you enjoy more social life, it’s pretty big on that. If you enjoy outdoors, not so much. For the price of a decent whitetail “hunt” you can fly to Alaska and do a fly out caribou hunt, it that ridiculous. And that’s a small whitetail, big ones are $5-10000. For a damn farm deer.

 

[LookinforDirt]

The weather in central Texas is fantastic. Unless you are liberal, then it is unbearably hot and muggy. I travel out of state to hunt but the fishing is great. The fish are conservative though and very partisan. San Antonio is close enough to the gulf to go and enjoy that area. If I had a job that allowed me to work anywhere I would chose Other on your survey.

 

[Hooverfb]

I'll also comment, theres more public land than most realize in Texas. Now doesnt mean it's great, but it's there. I've noticed public land here tends to be geared more towards birds/waterfowl, but there is definitely some places for deer n all

 

[gelton]

I just moved to Texas for work. Not impressed.

If you enjoy staying inside most of summer or traveling somewhere else for summer, it’s not bad.

If you enjoy more social life, it’s pretty big on that. If you enjoy outdoors, not so much. For the price of a decent whitetail “hunt” you can fly to Alaska and do a fly out caribou hunt, it that ridiculous. And that’s a small whitetail, big ones are $5-10000. For a damn farm deer.

I guess this depends on what you would consider decent. You can get on a decent lease for ~3500/year for year round hunting.

 

[wytx]

Don't believe every place in Texas to hunt is high fenced, it's not. Look to North Texas for a small town atmosphere and friendly folks. You could find a place with some acreage but you'll pay for it.
I moved from North Texas to Wyoming 33 years ago, not going back. Wyoming is struggling right now economically but no income tax. Our hunting is great.

You could find a reasonable lease in Texas, not high fenced to hunt year round. Spouse's family has a hunt club on their land down there. 15-20 folks get hunting rights year round for deer, turkey and hogs on 3,500 acres along the Red River.
You will enjoy hog hunting in Texas.

 

[Beendare]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the heat in Texas...a big factor for me.

I own an office building in the DFW area and have to travel there a couple times a year. PRO;I love the conservative attitude in TX.
CON; The heat for apps 5 months out of the year is very high....hovers right around 100 deg for an extended period. Some humidity too. Then you get strong storms with hail and such.....nothing like the weather in Los Angeles. Air quality is a bit better though.

Some Areas of Co have a mild climate- look for micro climate spots....though colder in the winter then LA. You have a short run to many hunting spots in the west from Co.


_____

 

[RyanT26]

If you’re a liberal stay in the state you ruined.
If you’re conservative, I mean truly conservative not California conservative, either of your choices will be correct.

 

[EastMT]

I guess this depends on what you would consider decent. You can get on a decent lease for ~3500/year for year round hunting.

Yes, $3500 doesn’t seem bad. But I can hunt 4 western states for deer at that price. Add 2 antelope hunts at +/- $250 for tags. That’s about $2500, $1000 left for gas.

I don’t blame people for doing this so they can hunt local, but when you grow up out west, getting 150-170” deer for $15, it’s a bit of culture shock.

 

[brsnow]

Do people really avoid areas based on political views? Seems crazy, seems liberals do not allow other’s views to restrict where they move and live.

 

[GatorGar247]

As others have stated as long as you know the reason you are leaving CA and know what caused it. Then take your pick.. I live in the very south east corner of Texas . I Hunt public land for whitetail and have killed a couple in the 140s .. I hunt elk in Colorado as well.. its a 20 hour drive but worth it to me because I stay for half the bow season.. I can be on the water in 5 min from my driveway.. I hunt free range Exotics on a couple 20 k acres low fence ranches in the hill country. I wouldn't live in Houston San Antonio Dallas etc if you gave me a house and free money.. look at any large city and their policies to see what's wrong with our country .. high crimes rates free crap to the lazy . Homeless people living under the bridges etc.. and worst of all you can't protect yourself or your family without worrying about being put in jail while the criminals go free.

Seafood is cheap here compared to other parts of the country and there's actually plenty of hunting and fishing if you learn ..

 

[Felix40]

If you like hunting and fishing East TX is going to be way better than West TX. There are lakes with good fishing And duck hunting everywhere and a good amount of public land with not a ton of pressure. Plus timber company leases are cheaper than leases in the rest of the state.


As far as CO goes, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere in the eastern half of the state.

Why move from one giant city to another? Seems like you will end up in the same place you are now down the line.

 

[RafterH]

I live in North Central Texas. About 140 miles from Dallas. This is nothing like Dallas. I lease a ranch to hunt (17th year) for $1000 per year. Have unlimited access year round. These places are hard to find and word of mouth is the best way.

Takes me about 11 hours to get to SW Colorado (35 more days!). Like many have said, the fishing is great but most hunting is private so we lease. Is it as pretty as most of Colorado? Nope. But it does have a different charm when you get off the main highways. Temps where I live have a wide range. Can be 115+ or -0 in the same year. We don't get much in the way of snow. Elevation here is 950.

If I were a young man, I might move to western Colorado. However, I live close to most of my grandchildren so that is out.

Texas has excellent health care in most places.

The absolute, only reason I ever go to the Houston area is I have two grandsons there.