Moving taps many aspects of your life. The physical factors, including packing and heavy lifting, are the least of your concerns. You’ll also have to worry about financial matters that will surely affect your most important asset – your mental health. Although it’s exaggerated to say that you can go crazy over a move, it does pump up your stress levels. And once you’re stressed, things could start to collapse one after another.
So if you’re moving to Spring, Texas, having ample knowledge about the place will ensure you don’t regret your decision later on. To give you a hand, below is a detailed breakdown of the area’s pros and cons.
Summing Things Up for Spring TX
Located 24 miles north of Houston, Spring TX is a suburb known for its top-notch education, rich history, and vibrant outdoors. Like anyplace else, it has different strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a little table to give you an idea:
PROS | CONS |
· Affordable housing
· Pleasant outdoor setting
· Proximity to Downtown Houston
· Low violent crime rate
· Warm and friendly community
· High-income opportunities
· Great education |
· Intense summer heat
· Terrible traffic
· High property tax
· Urban sprawl
· High unemployment rate |
Pros of Living in Spring Texas
- Affordable housing. Surprisingly enough, Spring TX is 10% cheaper than Cypress, TX, another Houston suburb that’s only 30 miles away. The median home price there is only $193,000 compared to the U.S average of $231,000. As a result, 70.9% of the housing units are owner-occupied. If you plan to rent, the $1,057 median average is also a good deal.
- Pleasant outdoor setting. The community seems to have inherited a good deal of Texas’s geographical beauty. Living outside the city, Spring gives you access to its vast blankets of green space, thickly shaded forests, winding rivers, and vibrant flora. Enjoy 40 miles of biking and hiking trails at Spring Creek Greenway or discover unique flower species at Mercer Botanic Gardens. Don’t forget to spend a weekend at Pundt Park, with its 380 acres of nature where you can fish, hike, ride a horse, or have a picnic! In short, there are plenty of things to do for those who enjoy the outdoors.
- Proximity to Houston. Since it’s only a 25-minute drive away from Downtown, living in Spring means you get to lead a double life. You can be a humble countryside dweller, and at the same time, a ‘party till you drop’ city goer.
- Low violent crime rate. Safety is one major factor you should consider when relocating. Even if a place offers high-income offers or great amenities, it would quickly become undesirable the moment you hear that crime is prevalent. Thankfully, Spring is among the safest communities in Texas. Its violent crime rate is 7.2% lower than the U.S average, although property crime incidence is higher by 1%.
- Warm and friendly community. New to the neighborhood? You won’t even feel it! People here are so cordial that it’s a good idea to start practicing your smile in the mirror now.
- High-income opportunities. There’s no denying that majority of Spring residents are well off. Some 33% of the population enjoys a median household income of $75,000 – $150,000. The job market’s considerably diversified so you’ll easily find jobs in tech, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, education, and retail trade.
- Great education. Spring features three school districts: Conroe Independent School District, Klein Independent School District, Spring Independent School District. Almost every institution in these districts ranks in the top 1000 among the 8,731 schools all over Texas.
Cons of Living in Spring Texas
- Intense summer heat. If you’re from the north, the heat in Texas will come as a shock. Temps can get as high as the triple digits. Summers are so scorching and humid that you’ll need the AC on most of the time, or you’ll end up sticky all over. Fortunately, winters are mild, so you might want to get rid of that bulky winter clothing and snow gear.
- Terrible traffic. Thanks to the growing population and frequent road renovation projects, commuting to Houston can be hellish. With dozens of other workers headed in the same direction, it’s time to practice stretching your patience. It’s no use trying to avoid I-45, the most direct route to Downtown, because all other roads are used by other suburb commuters as well. The best way you can counter this is by not driving during peak hours and checking live traffic updates before heading out.
- High property tax. Although the no income tax policy is great, your joy will be short-lived because of the taxes imposed by Houston on property values. According to smartasset.com, Harris County, which is home to Spring, collects a 2.03% tax rate, almost double the 1.07% U.S average. However, you can apply for a tax break if you’re a senior citizen, active military personnel, or a person with a disability. There are several homestead exemption options for owners as well.
- Urban sprawl. It’s a tough choice to list this one as a con. Some people will probably argue with this, saying that urban sprawl is necessary for economic development. While they’re not wrong, it does come with a few disadvantages, such as increased pollution, crippled agricultural capacity, and increased car dependency.
- Higher unemployment rate. Spring’s unemployment rate is 4.0% — only 0.3% higher than the U.S average. It might seem insignificant, yet it’s worth mentioning since it contributes to the 13% of the population that lives below the poverty line. A consistently high unemployment rate leads to underemployment, illness, mental stress, and urban unrest.
Moving to Spring TX
All things considered, Spring TX is fantastic if you want a great blend of peaceful countryside living and city amenities. To make your move a stress-free experience, don’t think twice about enlisting professional help. However, don’t just work with any moving company. Make sure you hire reliable and affordable Spring TX movers. Wishing you speed and success on your move!