Where Is The Best/Worst Place to Live/Work In Houston?

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Hello Everyone! I currently live in San Diego, CA, & am considering a possible move to Texas or Florida in the near future. The High cost of living is getting out of hand here, and affordable housing is UNHEARD OF. I am considering Houston, where there are many Hospitals and other medical facilities. I have heard that you can purchase a large, Beautiful home in Houston for 65% less than here in san Diego. Also what is the average Rate of Pay in Houston for an RN? I am curious; is the Nursing Shortage as critical in Houston, as it it everywhere else? Also where are the Best/Worst Hospitals & other Medical Facilities to work in Houston? Also, what areas of Houston are the Best/Worst areas to live in? What about the crime rate? All of your Honest Input will be Greatly appreciated. ALL REPLIES WELCOME! THANKS IN ADVANCE;)

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I'm a traveler and was in the LA area prior to coming to Houston. The cost of living is MUCH less. The weather here sucks compared to SoCal though, so you have that to deal with. I work at MD Anderson and I love it. By far the best assignment I've ever had. I'm not sure what type of nursing you do, but everybody I've spoken to has loved MD Anderson. As for pay, as a traveler I'm making a little less then I was in SoCal, but not too bad. I'm not sure about full time staff though. Have you thought about taking a traveling position to get you out here and see if you like it, then signing on full time? Best of luck to you

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Many Houston-area residents live in the suburbs and work in the city.

Some desirable suburban cities adjacent to Houston include Katy, Sugarland, Pearland, Friendswood, The Woodlands, and many others. Some of these suburbs are very affordable, while others are higher priced. In general, the property taxes in the state of Texas are pricey. When I lived in California 2 years ago, I paid $1,800 yearly in property taxes. I now pay $2,700 yearly in property taxes for an 1,800 square foot house in a newer neighborhood that has a tax value of $111,500.

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There are NO state income taxes in Texas. A BIG plus!

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I'm a pre-nursing student, so I'm not going to give advice about what I don't know, but I have lived here almost my whole life and thought I'd mention that yeah a lot of people do live in the suburbs and work in the city, but I wanted to warn you that if you do do that, just be aware of the travel time you'll be spending. I know a lot of people here including me, that that is a big factor. It might be the same in Cali I'm not sure, but Houston is a big city so you spend a lot of time in the car. I'd find a place you want to work and base where you live off of that, or vice versa, some people don't mind sitting in traffic for hours, but I do. Also, because the Northwest part of town, (the suburbs) are growing so rapidly, there are a lot of new medical facilities going up. there's a new big hospital where i am, North Cypress in northwest houston, and a Texas Children's branch going up in a few years out near Katy which is nice. Also there's zillions of clinics, pediatric centers, etc just about everywhere- if its not a retail center its some sort of medical building. My point is, I wouldn't worry about not finding a place to work just because you're not in the city, and I did hear there's a big shortage here too.

You also asked where to live, depends on what you like, if you like the city life we definitly have that to offer, but the suburbs are newer and a little slower paced I guess, if you like that. i probably wouldn't live on the south side of town though, sorry that's just me. Hope that helps :)

And yeah our weather sucks, but when we do have a beautiful day its like the most miraculous thing ever- you definitly don't take it for granted!

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