Relocating

[mommy3xs]

Hi All, I would like to apologize for another Texas move based question however, I have not found the specifics I am looking for in my research so here it goes.....

My family of 5 would like to relocate from Iowa to Texas, I will have 3 kids in high school we are considering San Antonio as the first choice,more specifically North SA I am an RN with 1 year of L&D experience,4 years of Nursery/postpartum experience,6months ICU(never again:no:) 1 year med/surg, 1 year pediatric home health, I have found my passion & want to stay a L&D nurse, does any one know the start pay/ NOC differential as I am primarily a night shift nurse, I understand people have said the "cost of living is cheaper in Texas/no state tax/ higher sales tax etc.." but what does that mean in comparison, I am trying to determine if our lives would be better if we relocate, my base pay is about $21.60/hr with $2.60 shift differential but we live pay check to pay check & the amount of housing for the money around here is NOT ideal, from what I have seen on realtor.com, I would practically be living in a house three times as nice as mine. I have seen they are hiring at Methodist Stone oak area hospital although that area to live sounds expensive as well as Christus Santa Rosa Westover Hills area hospital in L&D. I have researched areas to live in such as, schertz/cibolo, New Braunfels, Helotes,Live oak. In regards to a nice house, I don't want to be "house poor" as in I have a huge fancy house but now can't do anything else because i have to work work work to pay mortgage:nailbiting: also have researched as far out as sugar land near Houston although that looks scary, ,but that maybe because I have never been there,Austin is nice but sounds like cost of living is more expensive there. my husband is originally from San Antonio & we visit once a year but have never researched the area as far as living there have always just been tourist & I know that is totally different when you live some where vs visiting. We think would like to live around North side area as far as I can tell. I do know one thing for sure is my grocery bill would be much lower there as I love HEB & its coupons lol, Sorry this is so long any advice would be helpful. TIA

[mommy3xs]

anybody have any info?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Howdy!

I'm originally from San Antonio, but prefer Houston - been here since '83.

If you have family in SA & want to be close to them, that would seem to be the best choice for you. But SA is only ~ 180 miles from Houston, so you could still visit frequently if you lived in H-town. Austin is very pricey, with lower wages than other Tx metro areas... supply & demand. Since you are already familiar with SA, you probably already know what to expect in terms of geography, population diversity, etc. I wouldn't get too excited about the 'lower cost of living' thing until you have more information. From what I have heard, Iowa is not exactly an expensive place to live either. The money you save on heating bills will probably be used on AC bills during a Texas summer.... LOL. Here is a good site for COL comparisons - Cost of Living Wizard | Salary.com

What type of work does your hubby do? That may be your deciding factor since you have experience in a specialty area, you shouldn't have any difficulty getting a job. Your options will be even better if you are a BSN with specialty certification. Since Iowa is a compact state, you shouldn't have much hassle with licensure.

Be sure to connect with a knowledgeable Realtor - in your destination city. Both SA & Houston have some unique issues so you need someone who really understands those markets. Best wishes on your move.