Dallas, TX or Atlanta, GA?

I have a opportunity to move and I'm taking it, I have a option to go to either city and live. I've been to Dallas before for about 2 weeks and it was okay but that was way back in 2002.

I wanted to do a little comparison between the two to figure in the pros and cons of both situations.

I live in Ft. Lauderdale and I took an example of a $30,000 salary and compared to to Dallas and it's a $7,000 savings living in Dallas to live equally off the $30,000 a year in Fla.

If you move from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Dallas, TX....
Groceries will cost:
12%
less

Housing will cost:
55%
less

Utilities will cost:
15%
more

Transportation will cost:
8%
less

Healthcare will cost:
3%
more

Atlanta
Never been to Georgia and I know nothing about it but you have alot of Floridians heading north to Georgia to find work so I'll assume Georgia is a little bit better than Florida when employment is concerned.

Comparable salary in
Atlanta, GA
$23,787
If you move from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Atlanta, GA....
Groceries will cost:
8%
less

Housing will cost:
43%
less

Utilities will cost:
12%
less

Transportation will cost:
10%
less

Healthcare will cost:
2%
more

I know both cities are a step up when it comes to employment but I wanted to know from any Texas residents if I need to live in Texas for one year to be considered a resident of Texas.

For example if I work a full-time job in Texas for lets say 4 months and I'm released, am I eligible to get unemployment if I'm not a resident of Texas?

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Comments

tpatt100

I would compare unemployment rates really. In Michigan unemployment is high but I get called a lot. If I had to move I would end up somewhere with a higher cost of living but 50 percent less unemployment. I would make the same after adjusting for more expensive housing but would feel better knowing it would be easier to find work.

someuser23

Thanks for the suggestion, I haven't decided yet but it seems like Dallas so far.

Lizano

I read somewhere that Austin TX is one of the best cities to get a job in tech fields. Only a few hours drive from Dallas.

brad-

I cant speak for Dallas, but I have been in and out of Atlanta - though a good city to visit, I would NEVER want to live there.

Traffic is IN F'n SANE. The whole area - traffic will make you want to move out of the city - which many do...and it just makes the commutes even harder.

Cost of living - much higher than the rest of the south. Housing market took it really hard there.

Knowing nothing of Dallas, and what I do know of Atlanta, I would go to Dallas. It cant be as bad - but you should do your due diligence and make an informed decision.

someuser23

Thanks, I hear Atlanta is rough these days, residents are complaining that's it's not the same as in the old days when Atlanta had jobs galore.

Seems like Dallas so far I guess but both places are a step up from Fort Lauderdale.

eMeS

Scott LaRock wrote: »

I know both cities are a step up when it comes to employment but I wanted to know from any Texas residents if I need to live in Texas for one year to be considered a resident of Texas.

You'll always be a visitor.

Seriously though, it depends on who has the requirement. Usually universities and colleges look for a 1 year period. I think to vote it is 90 days.

Scott LaRock wrote: »

For example if I work a full-time job in Texas for lets say 4 months and I'm released, am I eligible to get unemployment if I'm not a resident of Texas?

You have to have earned a minimum amount during four of the five previous quarters before filing and it must be on record with the TWC.

I live in the DFW area, and I've been to Atlanta many times. I would never choose to live in Atlanta for many of the reasons cited above. Lots of jobs in Texas, no state income tax, affordable housing and the highest concentration of strip clubs on the planet are all reasons why I continue to live here.

MS

grettlerj

I know you are looking at Dallas but I live outside of San Antonio and there was a story a few weeks ago how San Antonio has the lowest unemployment in the country. I don't think the job market in Dallas is much different than San Antonio. I sometimes think of moving back to Virginia but I can live more comfortably in Texas than moving back to Virginia.

seuss_ssues

brad- wrote: »

I cant speak for Dallas, but I have been in and out of Atlanta - though a good city to visit, I would NEVER want to live there.

Traffic is IN F'n SANE. The whole area - traffic will make you want to move out of the city - which many do...and it just makes the commutes even harder.

Cost of living - much higher than the rest of the south. Housing market took it really hard there.

Knowing nothing of Dallas, and what I do know of Atlanta, I would go to Dallas. It cant be as bad - but you should do your due diligence and make an informed decision.

^good post
Plus there are lots of little towns that are basically absorbed into Dallas that you can live or work at.

someuser23

Well basically I'm signed up with Vocational Rehab and there trying to send me back to school, however my friend is coming down from Dallas and tells me I'm advance there and wants me to come up there and live. I've been weighing the pros and cons of leaving and staying.

Dallas seems like a much nicer city to live in.

Phliplip112

As someone who lives near Atlanta, I suggest you go to Texas and avoid ATL for all the reasons Brad listed and then some.

If I had a job lined up in Texas I would move there.

networker050184

I haven't been to Dallas in quite a while, but the traffic isn't any better than ATL really. The cost of living is probably right about the same for the two also.

neuropol

Traffic in Atlanta really depends on where you work/live. The Perimeter holds most of the IT industry in Atlanta, which is why traffic can get so bad around there. But even then it really isn't that bad. There are plenty of surface streets, so once you know them you can get around fairly easily. I've noticed a lot of jobs are heading north into the Roswell/Alpharetta area, which helps a lot with traffic.

If moving to Altanta for IT, I'd recommend finding a place around the Perimeter. Most work would be a short drive, almost anything else you'd want is within a few miles, and the newish MARTA spur makes getting downtown for events easy.

There are cities much worse for traffic than Atlanta. After driving through D.C. I'll never curse Atlanta's traffic again.