Tell me about Tyler, Texas

[CountZero]

It takes all kinds so can't say what you will or won't like but I will say this. I have experienced heat in lots of places (Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago, Norfolk, Tampa) and none of those experiences compared to the heat I experienced in Texas.

It isn't just that it is hot out it is that the heat penetrates completely. A breeze doesn't help at all since the air feels like you are in a convection oven. Stiflingly hot. I have never experienced that kind of hot blowing air sensation anywhere else. On top of that the temperature swing wasn't all that much so it was still quite hot even late at night. Without experiencing it over an entire summer it is hard to really drive home what it is like. I've done hot but Texas hot was something else entirely, I'd take N.O. heat over it any day.

You might enjoy it but I was in Dallas for a record run of 100+ days and it was awful. Every summer there was awful (IMO) but that was a special kind of awful.

I don't know Kansas so can't speak to how it compares but thought I would drop the word on the heat.

 

[Svnla]

OP, Tyler is a medium size city with about 100K people. Nickname of City of Roses. It is about 1 1/2 hour east of Dallas and 1 1/2 hour west of Shreveport, LA (so you can try your luck at the casinos and get free drinks). I like it because it is not too big but not a lot of things to do (bars, clubs, etc. if you are into that).

I would love to live in Texas. No income tax, great weather, awesome people.

I would be all over it if a job opportunity came up.

Not that rosy in TX.

High property tax, high sale tax, very hot in summer.

 

[smackababy]

Tyler sales tax is 8.25%, which is more than a 1% lower than the national average. Sure, it isn't VA levels (5%), but it isn't huge. And no state income tax is nice. And the highest average temperature was in August and is around 94F. Yeah, that is hot, but not terrible. Also, only two months average above 90F. The lowest temp ever record was also 0F, which is like the average for my area this winter. =(

 

[Wreckem]

Commuting from Tyler to Dallas would be stupid.

It is ~100 miles. About 1.5hrs without traffic. Add in rush hour around Dallas and that could easily turn into a 3+ hr commute each way. You can beat rush hour by leaving by 5am but, well fuck you'd have a shit ton of time to kill before work. Forget about beating evening rush hour. It will never happen. To put rush evening rush hour into perspective if my wife leaves work at 4pm, she doesn't get home until 5pm Mon-Thurs. Fridays all bets are off and it has taken her almost 1.5hrs some Fridays. The kicker is she only has a ~19 mile commute and it is ALL interstate highway.

Even if you worked nights instead of days it would still stupid. I mean it can be done, but that is 1000 miles a week and 15-30hrs of driving a week. I mean for fucks sake if you drove a Prius that would be ~$300 a month in gas.

Obviously the OP isn't going to do that.

 

[Wreckem]

Tyler sales tax is 8.25%, which is more than a 1% lower than the national average. Sure, it isn't VA levels (5%), but it isn't huge. And no state income tax is nice. And the highest average temperature was in August and is around 94F. Yeah, that is hot, but not terrible. Also, only two months average above 90F. The lowest temp ever record was also 0F, which is like the average for my area this winter. =(

Why are you using the "national average". It doesn't show an accurate picture. 32 states have a lower sales tax than Texas and Texas is near the top for property tax rates. While the overall tax is low(not the lowest, several states do better), there is plenty of shock to people from out of state who are not used to paying/seeing $7k-9k+ in property taxes on a $300k house.

 

[smackababy]

Why are you using the "national average". It doesn't show an accurate picture. 32 states have a lower sales tax than Texas and Texas is near the top for property tax rates. While the overall tax is low(not the lowest, several states do better), there is plenty of shock to people from out of state who are not used to paying/seeing $7k-9k+ in property taxes on a $300k house.

The average sales takes (combined) in Kansas is 8.26%. So, the idea of "high sales tax" isn't applicable for the OP. I was merely giving real numbers, rather than just some estimates.

I do agree, the property tax is high, but there is a good chance he won't be buying a $300k house in Tyler. Looking at average and median home sale prices, that is about double.

 

[slag]

The average sales takes (combined) in Kansas is 8.26%. So, the idea of "high sales tax" isn't applicable for the OP. I was merely giving real numbers, rather than just some estimates.

I do agree, the property tax is high, but there is a good chance he won't be buying a $300k house in Tyler. Looking at average and median home sale prices, that is about double.

We'd probably rent at first, but look at homes in the 250ish range. Sales tax in Lawrence is 8.7% with some areas having special tax districts with an additional tax, so it can be 9.2% in places.

 

[UglyCasanova]

My kids just got back from there. Presidents' Day weekend the grandparents took them over there for the indoor waterpark and some other stuff.

 

[smackababy]

We'd probably rent at first, but look at homes in the 250ish range. Sales tax in Lawrence is 8.7% with some areas having special tax districts with an additional tax, so it can be 9.2% in places.

Well, a bit of googling showed that in Tyler, a house listed at like $350k was 8,000 square ft. That is a huge house. The median home price was like $130k. Texas has a fairly low cost of living. The property tax is pretty high though. I can't find the average for Kansas, but TX is 1.81% (3rd worst in 2012). Kansas didn't make the top 10 best or worst, so I've no idea where it is.

 

[Wreckem]

Well, a bit of googling showed that in Tyler, a house listed at like $350k was 8,000 square ft. That is a huge house. The median home price was like $130k. Texas has a fairly low cost of living. The property tax is pretty high though. I can't find the average for Kansas, but TX is 1.81% (3rd worst in 2012). Kansas didn't make the top 10 best or worst, so I've no idea where it is.

The average for Texas may be 1.81%, the reality is, if you live in any decently sized city, or any county with either a junior college or county hospital, the property tax rate is easily over 2.0%. Tyler is ~ 2.12%.

There are places in Texas that go up to 3.5%. ~3% is fairly common in all of the major metro areas as you get hospital districts, juco districts, and special districts in all of the counties that the major metro areas fall in.

As for Tyler house prices. Older houses that need fixing may be cheap(and plentiful), but anything nice or a house built in the last decade is pushing $250k-$300k for 2500-3000sqft.

 

[alkemyst]

I've experienced 110 degree Michigan heat with 85% humidity. I don't mind heat.

You don't mind teaching a kid to fart in a walmart entrance.

Is the bear going to be mad?

lol

No one called you into this thread.
admin allisolm

 

[rudeguy]

You don't mind teaching a kid to fart in a walmart entrance.

Is the bear going to be mad?

lol

Back off right now bitch boy.

 

[rednas]

I recently moved from the Bay Area to Houston and have been loving it so far. Cost of living is so much lower and my personal quality of life has increased dramatically. I should have moved here earlier.

I cant speak specifically about Tyler, Tx but Texas in general is awesome.

 

[rednas]

The average for Texas may be 1.81%, the reality is, if you live in any decently sized city, or any county with either a junior college or county hospital, the property tax rate is easily over 2.0%. Tyler is ~ 2.12%.

There are places in Texas that go up to 3.5%. ~3% is fairly common in all of the major metro areas as you get hospital districts, juco districts, and special districts in all of the counties that the major metro areas fall in.

As for Tyler house prices. Older houses that need fixing may be cheap(and plentiful), but anything nice or a house built in the last decade is pushing $250k-$300k for 2500-3000sqft.

this is true. but moving from a state with a state income tax to one without it the increased property tax rate ends up being a wash. Texas in general has one of the ten lowest tax liabilities per person in the country.

 

[Leros]

Lived in Texas for 20 years. I know nothing about Tyler. Looks like a relatively small town of 100k people.

Warning: smaller towns in Texas tend to have large numbers of crazy religious people. If you're not Christian, you'll be out of place. If you are Christian, you may still be out of place.

Edit: nevermind about that warning. I see you're from Kansas. Shouldn't be any different than there.

 

[rudeguy]

Apparently Texas will not let me concealed carry for 4 more years.

No Tejas for me!

 

[Gibsons]

Lived in Texas for 20 years. I know nothing about Tyler. Looks like a relatively small town of 100k people.

Warning: smaller towns in Texas tend to have large numbers of crazy religious people. If you're not Christian, you'll be out of place. If you are Christian, you may still be out of place.

Edit: nevermind about that warning. I see you're from Kansas. Shouldn't be any different than there.

iirc Tyler has a lot of baptists. :whiste:

 

[olds]

i take it you have never experienced the 100 degree 99% humidity with zero wind texas summer have you...

I got heat stroke at Fort Hood.

 

[Nebor]

Apparently Texas will not let me concealed carry for 4 more years.

No Tejas for me!

Uh... why's that?

 

[rudeguy]

Uh... why's that?

I used to drink. I collected some DUIs. Apparently I have to wait since I got 2 within 5 years. Here in MI, I just had to wait until 4 years after my last one. Texas doesn't seem as forgiving.

 

[grohl]

shithole

live in DFW

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Dallas, Houston, and Austin are three of the largest IT job markets in the country.

I haven't read the rest of the thread (multi quote broken) but as a Texan I'd like to put in some thoughts.
I would be considered fairly conservative, but not crazy. I live in a town a bit southeast of Dallas that is probably 70% more liberal and 30% more conservative. Dallas is the buisness liberal area, ft worth is the more right-handed of the two. Houston is considered the hick/liberal town and Austin is the druggie liberal no good college area. Tyler is a smallish, conservative town that has nice people, but northerns would consider them a bit odd. A lot of non-southerners take what they consider to be polite to be simple or slow. (You guys talk fast though. And don't hold doors for people. )

EDIT: 1000th post

 

[Joe1987]

iirc Tyler has a lot of baptists. :whiste:

Yeah, I forgot about that, if you're not a Baptist, you're pretty much going to be an outsider for the time you live there.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

iirc Tyler has a lot of baptists. :whiste:

Texas does. Most seem pretty friendly towards others though in the medium-big towns. That's why I like places like most DFW, esp grapevine, mansfield, capel.

 

[kinev]

Tyler has very good jobs in health care; 3 rather large hospitals in one medium sized city.

It has a low cost of living and decent schools. South Tyler is nice; stay out of north Tyler.

There's a church on every corner with a Tex-Mex restaurant next to it. [hyperbole]

Smith county was a dry county when I lived there, but now it's supposedly not. No liquor sales, but I think you can get beer/wine.

Summers last ~5 months and you don't get much of a Fall/Spring, but snow/sleet is rare. The people are friendly, but there are quite a few self-described country folk. Not sophisticated, but they are friendly. Not the greatest city if you're in your 20's and single, but a very nice city for families.

Here's something you might not hear about, the drinking water tastes really good (in south Tyler, at least).

Traffic is slightly annoying, but not big city bad. Avoid Broadway and the Loop in the month of December if possible.

Feel free to ask about anything specific.

edit: You can get A LOT of house in Tyler for $250K.