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Moving From Colorado To Texas - Expert Tips & Advice

Colorado and Texas are two states that have a lot of similarities. Both states take pride in their historic neighborhoods, pleasant weather, and outdoor activities for their residents. That being said, the Centennial State and Lone Star State have a lot of things that also make them different from each other. For example, the geographical location and other amenities in both states show that their economies are far from similar.

Planning to move from Colorado to Texas? We’re here to help you understand both states better. After all, there are tons of things you need to consider before making your big move. We’ve covered everything you need to know in our guide of moving from Colorado to Texas. Let’s just dive right in!

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Factors To Consider Before Moving From Colorado To Texas

Weather Conditions

When it comes to weather, it’s difficult to have a proper demarcation of the weather in Colorado. That’s because the state has several sub-climatic zones due to the split between the western and eastern parts. As you know, the Western slopes, Eastern plains, and the Front Range Foothills make up the entire state of Colorado. On the other hand, Texas has a diverse climate that is arid and semi-arid in the western parts and humid and subtropical towards the east.

Here’s the difference in temperature that you can expect in peak summers:

  • Colorado in July - Average temperatures range from 78°F to 94°F.
  • Texas in July - Average temperatures range from 92°F to 100°F.

As you can see, both the states don’t have much of a difference in temperatures during summers. So, if you’re familiar with the hot summers in Colorado, adjusting to the high temperatures during the summer months in Texas won’t be difficult for you.

Here’s the difference in temperature that you can expect in peak winters:

  • Colorado in January - Average temperatures range from -8°F to 22°F
  • Texas in January - Average temperatures range from 23°F to 55°F

Living in Colorado means you’ll have to bear the thunderstorms during the winter months. Since the winters here are very cold, warm clothes will be your best friend to battle the cold. Speaking of winters, you won’t have to worry about extreme freezing temperatures in Texas as the winters here aren’t that cold. Overall, Texas has a warmer climate compared to Colorado. So if you don’t like shoveling the snow during winters, the weather in Texas might actually work for you.

Few Things To Bear In Mind About Texas Weather

  • Some parts of Texas experience extreme weather conditions, thunderstorms, droughts, and tornadoes, especially towards the Gulf Coast.
  • The humidity in summer is extreme in East Texas where June and July are considered to be the driest months.
  • Texas has warm temperatures and so the residents here enjoy indulging in outdoor activities like going on hiking trails.

Cost Of Living

If you’re planning to move from Colorado to Texas, you’ll have to take a peek at your bank accounts and wallet to see your savings. Your budget will help you plan a move that’ll give you an idea of your expenses in your new state. In Texas, you won’t have to worry about your individual income tax. Don’t get too excited about that because the state is known to have high property taxes. Colorado on the other hand has an effective property tax rate of 0.49% which is less than the national average of 1.07% as revealed by SmartAsset.

The food, healthcare, and transportation costs can be considered as your basic expenses in the state. Let us give you an insight into your different expenses in Texas as per the data shared by 24/7 WallSt. In Texas, the annual food expenditure on food for a single adult and a family of four people is $2,897 and $8,366 respectively. You can breathe a sigh of relief if you’re planning to live in Texas as both these expenses are lower than the national average of $3,240 for a single adult and $9,354 for a family of four.

Buying A House

Before you get too excited about planning your move to Texas, we want you to remember that another important factor to consider would be the real estate there. After all, nobody would want to spend all their savings and fortune only on real estate right? So, it’s good if you make a budget for your housing costs too.

Let’s take a look at your housing costs in both states:

  • Median value of homes in Colorado - $558,210 (as per Zillow)
  • Median value of homes in Texas - $289,252 (as per Zillow)

Renting A House

Don’t forget that the rent prices in Texas will differ depending on the city and neighborhood you’re residing in. For example, cities like Austin, Cedar Hill, and Allen have high rent prices in Texas. So, if you don’t want a big hole in your wallet, you can choose to live in cheaper cities like Brownsville, Amarillo, and Richland.

Here are house rent prices you can expect in Colorado and Texas:

  • Monthly Median Rent in Colorado - $1,473
  • Monthly Median Rent in Texas - $1,016

Utility Bills

Of course, your utility bills cannot be overlooked when planning a budget for your expenses in the state. Your energy bill on a monthly basis in Colorado will cost you around $83.07, whereas, in Texas, you’ll pay around $134.07 which is comparatively higher. One of your most important utilities would be water for which you’ll pay around $70.93 per month in both states. As you can see, there’s not much difference when it comes to the basic utility bills in both Colorado and Texas.

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Job Market

To meet all your basic living expenses, it’s important that you understand the economy and job market in the state you’re planning to reside in. In Colorado, aerospace, technology, and mining are a few sectors that contribute greatly to the state’s overall economy. The economy in Texas, however, is dominated by the sectors of energy, mining, banking and insurance, and technology.

Here’s an insight into what the annual income looks like in both the states:

  • Median Household Income in Colorado - $59,448 (as per BestPlaces)
  • Median Household Income in Texas - $52,576 (as per BestPlaces)

The unemployment rate in Colorado and Texas is 6.5% and 7.2% respectively, both being higher than the national average of 6.0% as shared by BestPlaces. Texas surely has a higher unemployment rate compared to Colorado, but don’t let that deter you from moving here. That’s because Texas has several big companies that call the state their home.

Some of the top-notch companies in Texas are:

  • Exxon Mobil
  • Occidental Petroleum
  • ConocoPhillips
  • Tesoro
  • Dell Technologies
  • CenterPoint Energy
  • HollyFrontier

Transportation

When it comes to transportation, highways are the main mode of transportation in both Colorado and Texas. Interstate-25 is one of the most used highways in Colorado that connects to important cities like Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, and many other cities. Texas, on the other hand, has an extensive highway and railway system than most other states in the U.S. In spite of having good transportation systems, getting around in both states will be easy if you have your own private vehicle. Texas in particular is known to have traffic problems throughout the state. The Interstate 35 highway can be considered as the busiest road here as it passes through the state capital.

You can avail of the following transportation services in Texas:

  • Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) - operates in Dallas and Fort Worth area
  • Trinity Railway Express - operates in Fort Worth and Dallas
  • TEXRail - operates in downtown Fort Worth, Northeast Tarrant County, and DFW Airport
  • Capital MetroRail - operates in the city of Austin
  • Texas Eagle (Amtrak)- operates from Chicago to St. Antonio
  • Sunset Limited (Amtrak) - operates from New Orleans to Los Angeles
  • Heartland Flyer (Amtrak) - operates from Fort Worth to Oklahoma city

Texas’s Strong Points

  • Sunny weather almost all year round
  • Zero state income tax
  • Diverse economy
  • Home to several big companies
  • Exquisite barbeque food and music
  • Friendly communities

Top Cities To Live In Texas

Austin

Austin is the capital and one of the most popular cities in Texas. It’s considered to be ‘The Live Music Capital of the World’. So it shouldn’t surprise you that the city has lots of music venues and live music shows. The city also has several parks where most residents hike, especially during the summer months. What makes Austin a diverse city is its different amenities for its residents. In terms of economy, the city is known to be the home of several top-notch companies like Dell, Apple, AMD, and many more. The city also has some of the best colleges and universities like the University of Texas at Austin, St. Edward’s University, The Art Institute of Austin, etc.

Median Value Of Homes: $655,862

Monthly Median Rent: $1,690

Dallas

Dallas is one of the largest and most popular metropolitan cities of Texas. One of the many reasons why Dallas is a growing city is because of its close proximity to important places like Arlington and Fort Worth. The city has a diverse economy that is dominated by defense, finance, technology, transportation, and telecommunications industries. Dallas has some of the state’s biggest employers residing in the city like Tenet Healthcare, ACS Enterprises, Southwest Airlines, and these have also drawn many people into moving here.

Median Value Of Homes: $302,809

Monthly Median Rent: $1,423

Fort Worth

Fort Worth is one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Texas. It has tons of parks and zoos where residents enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and canoeing. The city has attracted several young professionals into moving here. One of the reasons is its top employers like American Airlines, Bell Helicopter, BNSF Railway, and Alcon. Some of the best colleges and universities in the city are Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

Median Value Of Homes: $340,00

Monthly Median Rent: $1,303

Plano

This city resides in the Collin and Denton Counties of Texas. Plano has a suburban vibe to it where a majority of people are known to own their houses. Most of the neighborhoods in this city are in close proximity to the beautiful parks here. To name a few, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve and Oak Point Park are some of the best parks for outdoor activities like zip-lining. The city’s top employers include big companies like Denbury Resources, Frito-Lay, GE Power Electronics, etc.

Median Value Of Homes: $501,460

Monthly Median Rent: $1,640

San Antonio

San Antonio is in the Bexar County of Texas. The city is known for its small-town vibe and historical attractions like San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, The Alamo, River Walk, etc. Right from old churches, beautiful parks, music theaters to amusement parks, San Antonio has many modern amenities for its residents. The city is home to big employers like H-E-B, USAA, Pioneer Energy Services, Tesoro, and many more.

Median Value Of Homes: $281,301

Monthly Median Rent: $1,192

Also Read: Top 10 Largest Cities in Texas

Things To Take Care Of When You’re Moving From Colorado To Texas

  • The best thing to do before planning your move is to get rid of all the unwanted items in your house. This is a great way to reduce your moving costs. You can either put up a yard or garage sale and sell all your unused items. Otherwise, you can donate your items to an orphanage or women’s center.
  • Before you start packing your items, make sure that you create a home inventory. A home inventory will help you understand the different kinds of items you have and their worth. It will help you get full value protection, especially for items like jewelry, important documents, fragile items, etc.
  • Don’t forget to book your movers well in advance. Also, we recommended that you get moving quotes from at least 3-5 moving companies. Then, depending on your needs and budget, you can choose one that best fits your move.
  • If you decide to move during peak moving season, be ready to pay a few extra bucks to your movers. For those with a tight moving budget, spring, fall, and winter can be the best time to move as moving companies are relatively inexpensive and available during this time of the year.

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Also See: Best Moving Companies In Colorado

Colorado To Texas Moving Costs

Now that we’ve taken you through everything you need to know about moving from Colorado to Texas, let’s take a look at your moving costs. First of all, keep in mind that the distance from Colorado to Texas is almost 859 miles. Your moving costs from Colorado to Texas can fall in the range of $2,500 to $4,000.

Don’t forget that moving costs can differ depending on which moving company you’re choosing, the type of your move, location, and the time or season during which you’re planning to move. Additional services like packing, assembling and disassembling furniture, TV, and other items, etc will also cost you a few extra bucks. So don’t neglect the importance of creating a moving budget when you start planning your move.

When packing your belongings, see to it that all your important items like jewelry and other documents are kept separately from other items. There are chances that these valuables get damaged or lost during your move. We suggest you have a separate bag with you in which you carry all your valuable belongings.

Summing Up

Colorado and Texas both are great places to live in when it comes to job opportunities and other modern amenities. Texas has America’s largest and most thriving cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio which make it stand out from the rest of the states in the U.S. If Texas has earned the spot on your moving checklist, then you can go ahead and plan your move. We’re here to help you find the right movers to carry out a seamless moving experience to the Lone Star State.

FAQs About Moving From Colorado To Texas

How Much Will It Cost To Move From Colorado To Texas?

Your move from Colorado to Texas will be a long distance one. The moving costs can be anywhere in the price range of $2,500 to $4,000. Keep in mind that a move during the peak season will cost you more compared to a move carried out during off-season months. If you want to reduce your moving costs, you can always choose to plan a DIY move or hire brokers and plan a hybrid move.

Also See: Hiring Movers Vs. DIY Move: Which is Best For You?

What Are The Benefits Of Moving To Texas?

First of all, one of the biggest benefits of moving to Texas is that the state doesn’t charge you any income tax. Even other things like the overall cost of living is cheaper in Texas. Apart from that, living in Texas means you’ll get to enjoy warm weather for a majority of the time during the year. Let’s not forget the state’s delicious barbeque and Tex-Mex burgers that the residents enjoy at numerous restaurants here.

What Are The Cons Of Moving To Texas?

The following are some of the cons of moving to Texas:

  • Extremely hot summers.
  • Too many mosquitoes due to the water bodies especially around the wooded parts of the state.
  • Frequent weather fluctuations result in tornadoes, thunderstorms, and hurricanes.
  • The property tax rate in the state is higher than most other states in the U.S.
  • Too much traffic and congestion on the roads cause a lot of traffic collisions in the state.

See Also: Moving From New Mexico To Texas | Top 10 Largest Cities in Texas | Moving from Florida to Texas