What to Know Before Moving to Texas

by Garrett Faden

In this blog, we highlight important aspects of living in Texas for those considering a move to the Lone Star State.

Texas is known for a lot of things like barbecue, rodeos, and hot summers. But there’s a lot more to the Lone Star State – and it’s those reasons why people are moving to Texas from all over the country. So, if you’re still debating whether Texas is the place for you, here’s everything you need to know before making the big move down south.

Download "Moving to Texas" Checklist

Best Modes of Transportation in Texas

If you’re coming from major cities in the northeast or walkable areas of California, you may be surprised how many people drive in Texas. Comparing Dallas vs San Antonio or Houston vs Austin, you’ll find most Texas cities are designed for cars (and prioritize that mode of transportation). Whether it’s the hot weather, ample space for parking lots or an all-around appreciation for Texas-sized trucks, you can expect to drive to and from most places.

Texas Public Transportation: No Car? No Problem!

If you were hoping to leave your car behind when making the move to Texas, you’re in luck. Most Texas cities offer other public alternatives. There are metropolitan transit authorities (MTAs) in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and El Paso—and rural transit systems for 36 districts all over the state. So, if you prefer taking the bus, that option is often available.

Public Transit in Austin

Of all the big cities in Texas, Austin is definitely the most pedestrian-friendly. With bike trails, public scooters and a walkable downtown—commuting is easy with these options:

Bus: MetroRail will get you where you need to go.
Bike: If you need to rent one, Austin B-Cycle has your back.
Scooter: These scooters are taking the city by storm—just remember to obey traffic laws!
Pedicab: It's a fun way to see the city from a new perspective.

Public Transit in Houston

By bus: Houston is big and the METRO can get you all around the city

By railway: This specific line of the METRO system only runs within the heart of the action

By taxi: Hail a cab from any of these locations and pay just $6 for your city fare

Public Transit in Dallas

By rail: Get familiar with the Dallas Area Rapid Transportation (DART) system because this will be your best alternative to a car
By trolley: The M-Line trolley is a quaint way to visit some of Dallas’ best attractions
By rideshare: The city is really made for cars so trying Lyft or Uber may be your best bet in some scenarios

Public Transit in San Antonio

By bus: VIA, the metro system, also has a new line, VIVA, that connects all the popular landmarks in the city
By riverboat: Sure, this won’t help with daily commutes, but these river barges are a fun way to see the city
By rideshare: Try out Leep, a San Antonio-specific ride-sharing app

As the population rapidly grows in Texas, conversation concerning transportation mostly centers on roads and highways. However, with the state’s vast public transportation system and ride share options like Vonlane and RedCoach, getting around the country’s largest state is easier than you think.

Safety & Crime Rates in Texas

Are you wondering “is Texas a good place to live?” Safety and crime rates are among the top things to know before moving to Texas. The state ranks pretty average when it comes to overall crime. According to crimegrade.org, Texas is in the 33rd percentile for safety, meaning the crime rate is slightly higher than the average state. As expected, crime rates are higher in more populated areas (major cities and metropolises), and the same proves true with Texas. Though you will see higher crime rates in the

southeast as opposed to the northwest, it could be a result of more retail establishments in the south. There’s obviously a lot to consider when making the move to Texas, but online resources make it easier than ever to check community crime maps, get to know potential neighbors and get a vibe for your new (possible!) neighborhood. And remember, there’s a reason people say “don’t mess with Texas” — everyone tries to have each other’s backs.

Fastest Growing Cities in Texas

Frisco, Texas

Suburb north of Dallas
Population: 218,735

McKinney, Texas

Next to Frisco
Population: 206,654

New Braunfels, Texas

Right between San Antonio and Austin
Population: 107,351

Conroe, Texas

40 miles north of Houston
Population: 101,582

Cedar Park, Texas

Suburb of Austin
Population: 87,139

Electricity Factors in a Texas Home From Energy Ogre’s CEO

“Hi, my name is Jesson Bradshaw, and I'm the CEO here at Energy Ogre. I want to talk to you a little bit about electricity cost for homes and types of things to consider when someone's either moving to Texas or moving within Texas, what types of things are going to affect the overall electricity profile of that home, and I think I'd like to break that down into two categories.

One is consumption. What types of factors are going to increase consumption? And then secondarily, in certain cases, there's a question about costs and how you can affect the costs. But when we start talking about consumption, one of the first things to think about is how large is the home? You know, larger homes are, generally speaking, going to consume more electricity than a smaller home that is of the same vintage.

Along those lines, the age of the home has a very large point to play in how much consumption that house is going to end up having. Newer homes tend to have much lower overall consumption profiles due to their energy efficiency in their building materials, as well as their construction techniques. Older homes may not be quite as well insulated and have potentially much higher electricity usage for their square footage.

Other factors like the age of the HVAC equipment, those pieces of equipment, they do degrade over time and they do become less efficient over time, as well as other options. Is there a pool in place? May there be a guest house? The window units - things of that nature. All those factors play into what the electricity consumption side will look like for any individual home within certain areas of Texas.

If we start thinking about the costs, some areas of Texas are available to choose their electricity provider, existing within the competitive marketplace. Well, there's a myriad of options that they might be able to choose from that can be specifically tailored to the lifestyle of the homeowner. Whereas, other parts of the state are behind municipal utilities or perhaps some other entity that's not open to competition. In that case, there are not a whole lot of options other than specifically trying to focus yourself on trying to reduce overall consumption.”

Safest Cities in Texas

Trophy Club, Texas

Suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth
2022 violent crime rate: 0.0%

Fulshear, Texas

Western edge of Houston
2022 violent crime rate: 0.2%

Fairview, Texas

Suburb of Dallas
2022 violent crime rate: 0.2%

Memorial Villages, Texas

West of Downtown Houston
2022 violent crime rate: 0.2%

Colleyville, Texas

In between Dallas and Fort Worth
2022 violent crime rate: 0.3%

Most Dangerous Cities in Texas

Bellmead, Texas

East-central Texas, near Waco
Population: 10,849

Humble, Texas

Suburb north of Houston
Population: 15,329

Lubbock, Texas

Northwest part of Texas
Population: 264,315

Bastrop, Texas

30 miles southeast of Austin
Population: 95,107

Palmview, Texas

On the Texas/Mexico southern border
Population: 5,777

Education Opportunities in Texas

Whether you’re looking for the best high school football teams in Texas or schools with the highest test scores, there’s a school district for you. Texas is unique in the sense that there are over 3,000 high schools, nearly 8,000 elementary schools and more than 5.3 million students enrolled. So, if you were looking for options you’ve come to the right place.

Top 5 Elementary Schools in Dallas

Westlake Academy – Charter school
Imagine International Academy of North Texas – Charter school
Jim Spradley Elementary – Prosper ISD
Jenny Preston Elementary – Allen ISD
Liscano Elementary – Frisco ISD

Top 5 High Schools in Dallas

School for the Talented & Gifted – Magnet school in Dallas ISD
School of Science & Engineering – Magnet school in Dallas ISD
Carroll Senior High School – Carroll ISD
Jasper High School – Plano ISD
Highland Park High School – Highland Park ISD

Top 5 Elementary Schools in Austin

Forest Trail Elementary School – Eanes ISD
Barton Creek Elementary School – Eanes ISD
Cedar Creek Elementary School – Eanes ISD
Bridge Point Elementary School – Eanes ISD
Eanes Elementary School – Eanes ISD

Top 5 High Schools in Austin

Liberal Arts & Science Academy – Austin ISD
Westlake High School – Eanes ISD
Westwood High IB World School – Round Rock ISD
Vandergrift High School – Leander ISD
Cedar Park High School – Leander ISD

Top 5 Elementary Schools in Houston

Roosevelt Alexander Elementary School – Katy ISD
Michael L. Griffin Elementary School – Katy ISD
James E. Randolph Elementary School – Katy ISD
Hazel S. Pattinson Elementary School – Katy ISD
Bonnie Holland Elementary School – Katy ISD

Top 5 High Schools in Houston

Carnegie Vanguard High School – Houston ISD
Debakey H.S. for Health Professions – Houston ISD
Kinder High School for the Performing & Visual Arts – Houston ISD
Seven Lakes High School – Katy ISD
Cinco Ranch High School – Katy ISD

Top 5 Elementary Schools in San Antonio

BASIS San Antonio Primary (Medical Center Campus) -- BASIS charter school
BASIS San Antonio Primary (North Central Campus) -- BASIS charter school
Wilderness Oak Elementary School – North East ISD
Hardy Oak Elementary School – North East ISD
Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary School – Boerne ISD

Top 5 High Schools in San Antonio

Health Careers High School – Northside ISD
Reagan High School – North East ISD
BASIS San Antonio (Shavano Campus) -- BASIS charter school
Johnson High School – North East ISD
International School of the Americas – North East ISD

And once your kiddos graduate high school and begin preparing for college, Texas is home to some of the nation’s best universities. Colleges like University of Texas at Austin or Texas A&M University are the top two public options, with Rice University and Southern Methodist University ranking the highest for private schools.

Top 5 Colleges in Texas

Rice University
University of Texas at Austin
Texas A&M University
Southern Methodist University
Trinity University

No matter where you choose, you can expect competitive sports, rigorous academics and good, ol’ southern hospitality at any one of the state’s schools.

Weather in Texas

Best piece of advice for anyone moving to Texas? Your snow boots and heavy parkas won’t be making too many appearances. While areas in north Texas absolutely have some chilly winter nights, what Texas is known for is our hot summers.

Most of the year has a very moderate climate so you can enjoy outdoor activities year-round! If spending more time in nature, swimming in pools or enjoying an open window is on your to-do list, Texas might be worth checking out.

Luckily, most of Texas is in a deregulated electricity market, meaning residents can choose which energy provider they want. That’s where Energy Ogre comes in. We do all the work for you and find the best electricity provider for your needs – so you won’t be shocked by your first Texas electric bill.

Average Weather in Dallas

Winter low: 33 degrees
Summer high: 95 degrees
Average rainfall/year: 39 inches

Average Weather in Houston

Winter low: 41 degrees
Summer high: 94 degrees
Average rainfall/year: 53 inches

Average Weather in Austin

Winter low: 38 degrees
Summer high: 95 degrees
Average rainfall/year: 35 inches

Average Weather in San Antonio

Winter low: 41 degrees
Summer high: 94 degrees
Average rainfall/year: 33 inches

Wondering what’s the coldest place in Texas? Well, on the night of February 12, 1899, Tulia in Swisher County (near the extreme southern Texas panhandle) reached –23 degrees. And the hottest temperature ever recorded was 120 degrees near Odessa on June 28, 1994. Hopefully, you won’t be experiencing either extreme when you decide to make the move.

It’s not hard to sell yourself on moving to Texas—and if you’re ready to come on down, don’t miss our download moving checklist below or our breakdown of some memorable Texas towns, big and small.