This house and its carrying costs show us why Californians are moving to Texas in big numbers. Whether you compare living there to San Carlos, El Cajon, or Chula Vista, the cost difference is stark for essentially the same house.
I just called my cousin in Austin for utility costs for the same sized structure. She paid in the $150s per month for electricity and gas in the summer, and pays in the $60s during the winter. Her water and sewage is in the $60s year round.
California’s utility rates per KWH or Gal. are sky high and about to go higher. Proposition 32 will really goose them very soon, since CA is going to solve the world’s global warming problem.
Much is made of Texas’ property tax, which averages about 2 1/2% of property value, vs. CA’s 1.2% on average. But with their property values half or less than ours for a similar structure, it evens out. BTW, when you move to Texas, you pay NO state income tax.
All of the big Texas cities are gaining residents from the rest of the nation, but Austin in particular is desirable because of its universities, the state capital, and more cultural attractions than Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston. Austin’s unemployment rate is 8.2%, vs. California’s 12% plus, a result of their business-friendly policies.
People and companies are weighing all these factors and voting with their feet.
