The Cons of Living in Fort Worth and Texas
Texas is an amazing place to live, that's why so many people are moving here. That's why we just moved our business and family to Fort Worth from San Diego! This article is not meant to turn you away from Texas, but to help you learn about what to prepare for when considering your move! Awareness goes a long way!
1. Natural Disasters
Texas ranks as the most at risk state in the USA for natural disasters, averaging $40 billion in property damage each year. The most common disasters are floods, wildfires, tornadoes, extreme heat, severe storms, power outages, earthquakes, winter storms, and landslides. An average of 140 tornadoes alone occur in Texas every year, mostly in the Red River Valley of North Texas. It is important to learn how to be prepared for the most common natural disasters when you live in Texas, and always opt for the full coverage insurance on your house and car! The hail damage alone makes Texas a roofers and car mechanics paradise.
2. Crime Rates
Something that many locals don’t discuss much here is the crime rates, specifically in neighbourhoods closer to the downtown cores of both Fort Worth and Dallas. Fort Worth is only safer than 13% of US cities, but many of the surrounding suburbs actually rank as some of the safest cities in both Texas and the USA. According to the latest statistics of the FBI, four of the top twenty safest Texas cities are DFW suburbs, with Trophy Club ranking as the safest town in Texas, Colleyville as No. 4, Highland Village at No. 10, and Keller at No. 15. Fort Worth itself ranks at No. 204, while the other big cities rank even lower, including Austin (222), San Antonio (251), Dallas (252) and Houston (263).
It really depends on where you are planning to live. Some of the neighbourhoods where you will want to take extra precautions are South Side, Stop Six, Ridgelea, North Side, and East Side.
Personal Story:
When we got to Fort Worth, we were lucky to drive through Roanoke, falling in love with the spacious and green long-horn grazing pastures, and the beautiful new buildings and homes. Unfortunately on our first night here, we booked a night in the Motel 6 in North Side (Convention Centre) because they are one of the only motels that allow dogs. I have never felt less safe in my life, and even my husband G, who is from Curitiba, a very dangerous Brazilian city and is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, legitimately feared for our lives within 10 minutes of staying here. It seemed as though there was a drug and prostitution gang that had taken over the hotel, with rooms that had ‘no trespassing’ signs in the windows, and full face tattooed men lounging around the parking lot in every corner staring us down as we entered our room. We left one hour later, shortly after a drugged out woman was viciously banging on the door next to us for 15 minutes straight. We ended up booking a month at an amazing air bnb in Azle before finding a place to rent with First Key Homes. Point of the story, do your research on the neighbourhoods before you visit or buy a house!
3. Weather
When we moved here, everyone we met said something along the lines of ‘you like it here? Just wait till the summer, you may want to go back!” In Texas, summer heat can reach up to the high 90’s consistently from June to August. This means taking extra measures to make sure you always have AC in the car and at home, plan summer activities around the excruciating heat, and making sure your dogs don’t overheat. April, May, and October are the most beautiful months here, and the winter has an average temperature of 39.
4. Bugs & Other Things That Will Kill You
Texas is home to no shortage of animals and insects that can easily kill you. Some bugs that you need to take care to avoid are mosquitos, kissing bugs, ticks, and the ever invasive fire ants. Some of the bigger threats are Brown Recluse Spiders, Western Cottonmouth Snakes, Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Cougars, wild hogs, Coral snakes, and scorpions. One of the best things you can do to avoid these predators is to learn about what they look like and what basic steps you can take to avoid them.
5. Traffic
There is a lot of traffic in Fort Worth, Dallas, and everywhere in between. This is because the metroplex is growing so rapidly, and infrastructure isn’t able to keep up with the pace. There is constant construction on the roads, which contributes to making simple commutes take over 30 minutes. It’s not a deal breaker, just know to expect it! (Luckily we have much cheaper gas than most states!)
6. Property Taxes
We don’t have state tax, but property taxes in Texas are some of the highest in the country. When deciding where to move, make sure to do your research on the property tax rates because they vary by neighbourhood.
MOVING TO TEXAS?
Since you’ll be needing a good sleep after the exciting drive, visit us so we can set you up with an amazing mattress and hear your story. We are giving a free delivery on every mattress order for those who visit us from reading our blog posts, it’s our “Thank God We’re in Fort Worth” promo, and it’s for everyone! Just let us know at check out :) If you're settling in outside of Fort Worth, our online store has everything you need for your new bedroom!
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