Considering Texas

jules_08 · Apr 29, 2008

Hello Sue, me and my husband are both RN's and native Texans. We live in a midsize town (appx 65,000) residents. I love Texas, the weather is the pitts sometimes, weather changes from sunny to t-storms and back to sunny within the same day, humidity--horrible for your hair, but I would not move anywhere else. We have done lots of traveling, but Texas has so much to offer. Beginning pay for an RN is around 23-27 depending on the facility and of course shift diff. I used to work at UTMB as a new grad, starts at around 22.50 this was 3 years ago, the medical center (Houston) pays around 23-25, new grad but if you have experience and are flexible you can work PRN or agency for around 30-35. I'm sure pay varies, I'm just giving numbers I know of. (I recently went to a job fair with a co-worker.) Cost of living is affordable I'm sure compared to NYC. I live about 1 hr south of Houston and for $155,000 we have a two story 4 bdrm historic home. Rent for a 2 bdrm apt is around 600-785. Gas is around $3.40. Housing is more expensive once you get into the bigger cities such as Austin and Houston, but thats where you'll get the most experience work wise. I personally have not seen a difference in adn vs. bsn pay, there has not been an incentive for higher education unless you are thinking management. Hope I have been helpful, will warn you, it may be a culture shock, we went to NYC last Feb and it was different than laid back Texas. If you do decide on the move, welcome! Ya'll will enjoy it here.

NYSNOWBUNNY007 · Apr 29, 2008

wow thanks for the info...i was told Texas is like Florida...a bit different though..i lived in Florida..it wasn't bad but the pay for RNs is a little low....with the way housing is...not bad in texas...yet the pay in texas is what a LPN gets in NY...it sounds good though...I'll def consider...its nice to hear from someone who's spouse is also an RN!..XoXo

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2008

I live in North Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth), which is an area that somewhat experiences the 4 seasons. This area receives a light smattering of snow during the winter, but it never seems to stick around for more than a few hours. The springs and autumns are beautiful, and the summers are hot, but not as humid as Houston.

I'm an LVN in Fort Worth, which is a city of 650,000 people that is located 30 miles west of Dallas. It is also the fastest-growing city in the US among places with a population greater than 500,000. I have 3 jobs. My full-time job pays $20 hourly, my weekend double job pays $25 hourly, and my PRN job pays $21 hourly. My home is an 1,800 square foot single story house in a newer subdivision, and it cost $100,000.

Br forewarned: The RN pay rates are not extremely competitive in the DFW area.

BrittRN2b · Apr 30, 2008

Just a general observation. It seems like more and more people are relocating to Texas. I guess they are drawn by the relatively stable economy and cheaper housing prices and cost of living. Makes me wonder if eventually Texas will become overpopulated and the price of everything will climb. So, all of you considering relocating... STAY PUT! :-D

Just kiddin. Come on to Texas, y'all. It is great here.:redbeathe:clown:

horus2001 · Apr 30, 2008

Br forewarned: The RN pay rates are not extremely competitive in the DFW area.

houston is more competitive. there are so many hospitals in the medical center area alone with a new one (baylor) opening in a few years. there are also hospitals all over the suburbs (woodlands, kingwood, katy, sugarland, clear lake). the pay is higher in the med center, slightly less in the suburbs but you don't pay as much in gas, time or parking.

new RNs are getting offers around 23-25 an hour. i got an offer of around 25.00 and a bump of 3.00 within six months at county hospital. with experience, you can do really well. the need for nurses is very strong here in houston. it is strong enough that most of the med center hospitals have been importing people from india,phillipines and nigeria at a pretty good clip.

editor2rn · May 1, 2008

I'm in Austin and have lived here for about 20 years. I'm not a nurse now but was told by a nurse recruiter that new RNs at Seton make about $21/hour.

I live about 10 miles SW of downtown Austin, and our 2,700 sq ft home is valued at $300K. Our property tax is about $8K/year. Electricity and water in summer run about $400/month. You can find cheaper homes, but you'll probably trade that benefit for good schools. Since we have a kid, we pay to be where we want her to go to school. My husband works in north Austin, and his commute is about $400/month in gas (pickup truck).

We have two seasons: blistering hot and mild (about two weeks a year we have frost on the grass). Some parts of Texas are flat and brown; others have rolling hills and are green almost all year. But in all my years in Texas (27 in all), I've never had to shovel a driveway. :yeah: There are some serious water issues on the horizon for our area because of the draw on the Colorado River and the aquifer, which supply our drinking water. That's the biggest issue I see with climate in this area of Texas.

Some folks come here and are living high on the hog, finance-wise. Others say that their way of living is comparable to where they came from. Much will depend on how much equity you're bringing with you. Seems like most people I talk to say the cost of living works out the same, except that you get more house for your money here.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

loricatus · May 1, 2008

Having moved from NYC to Dallas I can tell you that you will be in for a culture shock on more than one level. You will not have the 4 seasons you are used to and unless you are willing to constantly expose yourself to pesticides, you cannot enjoy the outdoors on days that it is breathable outside (mosquitos, fireants, strange biting flying and crawling things...). Also, forget public about transportation and the foods that you may have taken for granted. As a new grad, the pay (without differentials) would be around $21.00 per hour; but, there are no patient ratios and not much respect for giving workers breaks. Nursing seems to be treated like a blue collar or manual labor profession in the DFW area (can't speak for other areas) & you will have limited rights as an employee (employment at will State-meaning you can be fired without cause, unless the reason given violates federal protected reason like age, disability...).

With that said, the cost of living for out of pocket expenses, factoring in the salary difference is a BIT lower. You can buy a decent home for $150,000.00 but it will not be insulated like you are used to, will not have a basement, and will need have constant attention to the foundation to prevent cracking. Also, a 10 year old home is considered old because the construction standards aren't as rigorous as the Northeast. A hot month in the summer (high 90s to low 100s) will need 24/7 air conditioning going and I was lucky to get the house down to 80 degrees while paying over $350.00 for the electric that month. So, I consider that I got what I paid for when it comes to the less expensive price for a home. Although gas prices are lower, you will have a lot more driving to do-so, that about evens out. Groceries and dining are slightly cheaper, as is the cost of general services.

If your sole intent is to leave NY for TX to beat the high cost of living, you may not find it to be the big difference you are hoping for. The only ones I know that have been successful at it are those that move to TX after receiving a NY pension & take on some part time work-since their pension was based upon the higher salary.

If your intent is to find an easier & more relaxing lifestyle, then try it.

RnBound0510 · May 1, 2008

As far as housing compared to NY... it is a HUGE difference. You can get a decent home out in Katy for about $150k. Katy schools are also great. Apartments anywhere from $550+. $1500 mortgage is pretty good, isnt that what renters pay for an ok apartment in NY? I think you can get more for your money here.

NYSNOWBUNNY007 · May 1, 2008

Wow so many great responses!...lol...also i agree with a few here that say it evens out no matter where you go(as far as job salary and cost of living)...I live in Westchester county NY ...right know for a two br apt your looking at anywhere from 1200-1800/mo...some with utilities included some not...I have a four year old...and my husband and i are looking for "quality of life" so to speak, good schools...here in NY things are getting pretty bad as far as housing goes...although they claim "its a buyers market"..not here...in new york a three bedroom ranch style home in a decent neighborhood close to the metropolitan area its running anywhere between $490,000-$699,000...plus property tax thats like 10K-20k/yr....tooo much..gas is 4.09 for regular!!...lol...everything is up except raises right?..we would love to live somewhere where we wouldn't feel like we have to work two or three jobs to "get by"...and there ARE homes that are "decent"..further up in the suburbs...but even those are going up...and like 1.5 to 2.0 hours away from where the money is to be made!....lol...crazy....but thank you all for your responses...got some good ones and lil bad ones!!>..lol...overall thank you all...if there is any more info..by all means...Keep on writing!!!!....lol...XoXo

editor2rn · May 1, 2008

.in new york a three bedroom ranch style home in a decent neighborhood close to the metropolitan area its running anywhere between $490,000-$699,000...plus property tax thats like 10K-20k/yr....tooo much..gas is 4.09 for regular!!...lol...everything is up except raises right?..we would love to live somewhere where we wouldn't feel like we have to work two or three jobs to "get by"...

You can find homes cheaper than this for sure in Austin. For example, a three-bedroom home in a decent area with good schools in the burbs might cost $250K (I'm in SW Austin, so I'm quoting prices from around here). In the wealthier areas of town, you can spend NY prices on a home. We also have high property taxes, but no state income tax. Some people in our neighborhood are paying $13K/year for a $450K home. Gas here is a bit cheaper--right now about $3.50/gallon.

But there are folks here working two and three jobs to get by. For those coming to Texas with a load of cash from the sale of a home or some other source, the roads here are paved with gold. For others, we're just pluggin' away, as usual.

editor2rn · May 1, 2008

As far as housing compared to NY... it is a HUGE difference. You can get a decent home out in Katy for about $150k. Katy schools are also great. Apartments anywhere from $550+. $1500 mortgage is pretty good, isnt that what renters pay for an ok apartment in NY? I think you can get more for your money here.

Houston and Dallas, in fact I think all of the major cities in Texas, have a cheaper cost of living than Austin. I stopped comparing long ago because it was too depressing. :mad:

We rented an apartment not long ago here. It was 800 sq ft, 2 br, 2 bath. We paid $1100/month, no utilities included. It wasn't luxury by any means, but it was in a nice, safe area and didn't attract a lot of students.