Texas tops list of worst places to live and work in America

[Texzilla58 4,792]

You can find good real-deal grub in unexpected places.  One of the best italian restaurants I've ever eaten at -- and I mean, simple, not pretentious, down-home italian -- is Frankie's Pizza and Pasta.  In.....Mexia.  It's in the old DQ, run by an albanian immigrant.  Highly recommend.

I believe that is the DQ Anna Nicole Smith worked at. I have eaten at Frankie’s and would kill to have a neighborhood Italian joint like that near me. Biundo’s is Venus is like a Chicago tavern abducted and dropped there. Great thin crust Chicago tavern style pizza.

[G650 14,437]

32 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

 Still, those who succeed in life deserve it, and those who don’t succeed

I find your post some of your best work, but this sentence actually points to something that genuinely troubles me deeply. Our metrics for success have gotten so insanely warped, I can't wrap my head around it anymore.

 

But yes you are correct, heaven forbid we uplift those members of society who clearly fell behind because they are terrible and not because we made structural decisions about our country that made it nigh on impossible, no sir.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Captainant said:

Your Texas Tech degree is showing. The spirit of this thread has been that it's getting way too fucking hot, the states infrastructure is getting more and more brittle, and it's no longer an affordable state thanks to rising costs of living and shit like property taxes and insurance rates growing out of control. 

And yeah I think you're also off on your calibration. Yeah no shit dude your country club buddies would think someone living in the suburbs is a poor, but just being able to own your home and have some stability makes you better off than most. Inequality and wealth disparity is as bad as it was during the gilded age, and you need to wake up to that fact.

No, those communities aren’t wealthy at all. Yes, I am skewed, but my thinking on the subject isn’t. There is wealth in Frisco, Plano, Lucas, Murphy and Southlake. I live in a wealthier area but certainly recognize those. Fucking Wylie and Little Elm are NOT wealthy. Every suburb around Wylie is considerably wealthier. I would consider it lower middle class. Keller is better, but it’s a lower rent Southlake. 

The comments about the Texas heat in literally the dog days of summer is laughable. It doesn’t make this great state any “less” livable than any other time in its history. Property taxes have been high since I’ve been a homeowner. 

Cost of housing has increased considerably because 1) Californians moving to Austin and New Yorkers moving to Dallas and 2) interest rates rising considerably. 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Porterhouse

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Captainant said:

Considering the national median household income is $70k, I'd say that 250k household income is relatively wealthy. Unless making more than 3x more than half of the country doesn't signify wealth to you?

It’s not wealthy. It’s middle class. Firmly. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

It's insane how divorced some people are from the average American's life situation.

This is a university-themed thread. A lot of people on here have degrees, advanced degrees, and have been in careers over 20 years. This is also the land of capitalism. So no, it’s really not insane at all and is actually quite logical. I mean, we have a fucking thread celebrating goons fighting in NFL stands. These are average Americans. I want to be divorced from them. 

[G650 14,437]

[Captainant 28,539]

18 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

It’s not wealthy. It’s middle class. Firmly. 

Bruh. Texas median household income is $61k. Median means that half of everyone in Texas is making less than that. The $250k household income you're describing as firmly middle class is fuckin 95th percentile earnings my dude lol. 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Captainant

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Bruh. Texas median household income is $61k. Median means that half of everyone in Texas is making less than that. The $250k household income you're describing as firmly middle class is fuckin 95th percentile earnings my dude lol. 

If you’re correct, then upper middle. 

[G650 14,437]

Communist is still basically the worst insult in my mind, but I will say that middle class has become a super close second. People like Porterhouse are painfully middle class.

[Smax 3,800]

3 hours ago, Captainant said:

Your Texas Tech degree is showing. The spirit of this thread has been that it's getting way too fucking hot, the states infrastructure is getting more and more brittle, and it's no longer an affordable state thanks to rising costs of living and shit like property taxes and insurance rates growing out of control. 

And yeah I think you're also off on your calibration. Yeah no shit dude your country club buddies would think someone living in the suburbs is a poor, but just being able to own your home and have some stability makes you better off than most. Inequality and wealth disparity is as bad as it was during the gilded age, and you need to wake up to that fact.

 

Its a wasted effort engaging slorch on anything that challenges his viewpoints. He is so mindfucked set in his ways that when presented with verifiable statistics and raw data, he blows it off and resorts back to education and opportunity are there so hmmpf! 

 

Waste of time

[gmr548 16,701]

Keller, Little Elm and Wylie aren’t wealthy communities. By any metric. I’m only taking exception to your use of the word wealthy and not any other point you’re trying to make. 

I mean that’s just objectively incorrect.

Median household income for Keller is $150k. That is more than 210% the median income for Tarrant County ($71k) and over 220% of the median income of the state ($67k).

The median income in Wylie and Little Elm is $100k, which is at the low end of the range on the places singled out. These are in line with the medians for Collin and Denton County, which are relatively wealthy in counties in DFW and 150% of the median the state.

So we’re talking, even at the low end, about 150% of the state median income. The median household income for the nation is right at $70k so we’re still talking north of 140% of that.

These are relatively wealthy places on the whole, and that doesn’t change just because they may be middle of the pack locally. The graphic wasn’t safest places in Collin County or safest suburbs, it was for the whole country.

[gmr548 16,701]

Lol at 250k household income and wealthy in same sentence.  

That’s a top 5-10% income nationally. I understand income is not necessarily wealthy but pretending that’s not way on the right of the bell curve is willfully obtuse.

[gmr548 16,701]

It's insane how divorced some people are from the average American's life situation.

Jesus Christ this, and also evidently very bad at math.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, G650 said:

Communist is still basically the worst insult in my mind, but I will say that middle class has become a super close second. People like Porterhouse are painfully middle class.

No clue what you’re saying.

12 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

I mean that’s just objectively incorrect.

Median household income for Keller is $150k. That is more than 210% the median income for Tarrant County ($71k) and over 220% of the median income of the state ($67k).

The median income in Wylie and Little Elm is $100k, which is at the low end of the range on the places singled out. These are in line with the medians for Collin and Denton County, which are relatively wealthy in counties in DFW and 150% of the median the state.

So we’re talking, even at the low end, about 150% of the state median income. The median household income for the nation is right at $70k so we’re still talking north of 140% of that.

These are relatively wealthy places on the whole, and that doesn’t change just because they may be middle of the pack locally. The graphic wasn’t safest places in Collin County or safest suburbs, it was for the whole country.

What you’ve confirmed is that Little Elm and Wylie are poor for Denton and Collin Counties. Which I already know. 

 

9 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Jesus Christ this, and also evidently very bad at math.

First, the divorced from reality of the plight of the average American being shocking would only appear on a UT board. It shouldn’t shock anyone here, and is totally logical. 

Second, I get your math. But amongst college graduates - and perhaps I’m moving the goalposts here but that’s who I and I would assume most on here associate with - $100k household income is subjectively average in Texas and $250k isn’t an indicator of wealth (obviously, but not even indicative of a high earning household). There is such wild disparity above the $250k household level it’s astounding. 

[G650 14,437]

4 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

I would assume most on here associate with

Very weird assumption

[Guest]

1 minute ago, G650 said:

Very weird assumption

Lol. No it’s not. 

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Smax said:

 

Its a wasted effort engaging slorch on anything that challenges his viewpoints. He is so mindfucked set in his ways that when presented with verifiable statistics and raw data, he blows it off and resorts back to education and opportunity are there so hmmpf! 

 

Waste of time

Ignore my experience while embracing stats and excuses?  Then I’d be like you. 

[Guest]

see also: growth & Opportunity are dead in Texas.  Where all of these people come from?   Somebody out there is making it happen. They must all be gotdam lottery winners.  Pure luck. 

[Celery Man 21,098]

53 minutes ago, G650 said:

Communist is still basically the worst insult in my mind, but I will say that middle class has become a super close second. People like Porterhouse are painfully middle class.

white trash

[SydneyCarton 49,504]

23 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

But then what would you yell at the neighbor kids to stay off of?

Your wife?

Congrats on making that poster to a widower. 

[Reynolds Woodcock 5,098]

Jesus Christ you guys turned this into an old school Rex Kramer and Slorch thread. Throw in a derka meltdown and a Rocko paystub and we’d have an old shaggy thread.

Ill give it up to Rex though. He’s never grown tired of being a silver spooned cement head.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Reynolds Woodcock

[G650 14,437]

13 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

white trash

I rate white trash much higher

[hayden_horn 11,402]

3 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

Lol at 250k household income and wealthy in same sentence.  

jesus fucking christ dude

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, G650 said:

I rate white trash much higher

Yeah, sounds like you need to make some TikToks with your Wylie buddies blowing up Bud Light cans with ARs and tannerite. User name does NOT check out. 

1 minute ago, hayden_horn said:

jesus fucking christ dude

Well it is pretty funny. 

[G650 14,437]

7 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

Yeah, sounds like you need to make some TikToks with your Wylie buddies blowing up Bud Light cans with ARs and tannerite. User name does NOT check out. 

Very middle class behavior as evidenced that Kid Rock initiated that trend

[hayden_horn 11,402]

we have a weird sense of wealth in this country. 

why do upper class people in america try so fucking hard not to be upper class while at the same time idolizing upper class behaviors?

it's the strangest thing. 

dude, if you are in the top 10% of anything, you're in pretty rare territory. you start approaching 95th percentile or 98th percentile, then you go from rare to elite. 

i'll admit to thinking that the wealthy class are 0.1% of the population or whatever, in terms of distribution. but if you're making a $250k salary, and you want to compare yourself to a work a day lunchpail person, gtfo. bologna costs the same to you as it does to the work a day guy. 

our household makes significantly less than 250k and we are doing fucking great, even though i'm currently partially self-unemployed. 

i'm not afraid to say that i live a very privileged life. i've been in some households with my wife. most people live...very differently than many of us on this board, i would suspect.

[G650 14,437]

1 minute ago, hayden_horn said:

we have a weird sense of wealth in this country. 

why do upper class people in america try so fucking hard not to be upper class while at the same time idolizing upper class behaviors?

it's the strangest thing. 

dude, if you are in the top 10% of anything, you're in pretty rare territory. you start approaching 95th percentile or 98th percentile, then you go from rare to elite. 

i'll admit to thinking that the wealthy class are 0.1% of the population or whatever, in terms of distribution. but if you're making a $250k salary, and you want to compare yourself to a work a day lunchpail person, gtfo. bologna costs the same to you as it does to the work a day guy. 

our household makes significantly less than 250k and we are doing fucking great, even though i'm currently partially self-unemployed. 

i'm not afraid to say that i live a very privileged life. i've been in some households with my wife. most people live...very differently than many of us on this board, i would suspect.

This is what I was saying earlier responding to @Gatorubet

[ztejas 44,227]

250k household is wealthy unless you have like 7 kids.

I think what happens is you make that money so then you rent the 3k apartment, you spend $250 at dinner, you have the $600 car note, you buy the $200 dress shirt etc. and then it feels like you don't have that much discretionary income. 

If you make $250k as an individual and you live like someone making $50k (which doesn't have to be that bad of a lifestyle if you're even somewhat smart with money) there's your $200k a year you can literally put straight in the bank after taxes. That's how math works - I know it's amazing.

A lot of people have a lifestyle/KUWTK mentality in this country and it makes them feel like they're either making less than they are or they aren't making enough. 

Also - some of the lower-paying jobs suck way less, make people happier and give you more work-life balance. If you actually enjoy going in to work the # on the paycheck won't bother you as much.

Edited August 5, 2023 by ztejas

[Armybrat 41,408]

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

[RDCanecutter 26,893]

53 minutes ago, G650 said:

I rate white trash much higher

Got a song n everthang.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by RDCanecutter
better version.

[ztejas 44,227]

Just now, Armybrat said:

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

What the fuck did you say about me you cunt fac-

Oh - sorry. I thought you were calling me names. 

[RDCanecutter 26,893]

3 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

Shut up you bespectacled cat-strangler.

[LCHorn 2,751]

3 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

I like to think it's carryover depression from the Colin Simmons recruitment.  We're all afraid to check the recruiting thread for updates. 

[Hermanator 7,674]

37 minutes ago, hayden_horn said:

we have a weird sense of wealth in this country. 

why do upper class people in america try so fucking hard not to be upper class while at the same time idolizing upper class behaviors?

it's the strangest thing. 

dude, if you are in the top 10% of anything, you're in pretty rare territory. you start approaching 95th percentile or 98th percentile, then you go from rare to elite. 

i'll admit to thinking that the wealthy class are 0.1% of the population or whatever, in terms of distribution. but if you're making a $250k salary, and you want to compare yourself to a work a day lunchpail person, gtfo. bologna costs the same to you as it does to the work a day guy. 

our household makes significantly less than 250k and we are doing fucking great, even though i'm currently partially self-unemployed. 

i'm not afraid to say that i live a very privileged life. i've been in some households with my wife. most people live...very differently than many of us on this board, i would suspect.

A ton of people need to get out and volunteer their time if for nothing else than to ground their gigantic heads that are up in the clouds. 

The top 30 percent or so of American wealth has gotten so spoiled and so wasteful they have no concept of reality for the other 70 percent unless they force themselves to encounter it. 

[G650 14,437]

16 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

Old bastard

[aggie08 21,800]

37 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

A ton of people need to get out and volunteer their time if for nothing else than to ground their gigantic heads that are up in the clouds. 

The top 30 percent or so of American wealth has gotten so spoiled and so wasteful they have no concept of reality for the other 70 percent unless they force themselves to encounter it. 

fatty...volunteer...holy shit, you guys are a riot.

[Gatorubet 30,720]

44 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

What a freaking hypocrite.  

We’ve read about all the terrible things you said to Andy Jackson about his wife….right to his face!

[Armybrat 41,408]

[DalTxHornFan 3,130]

1 hour ago, Armybrat said:

Well, this thread is so typical of Surly when disagreements or opposing views turn into personal name-calling.

 

[gmr548 16,701]

2 hours ago, Porterhouse said:

But amongst college graduates - and perhaps I’m moving the goalposts here but that’s who I and I would assume most on here associate with - $100k household income is subjectively average in Texas and $250k isn’t an indicator of wealth (obviously, but not even indicative of a high earning household). There is such wild disparity above the $250k household level it’s astounding. 

LOL. "Sure, there's the math, but if you just eliminate the two thirds of adults in the state that earn much less on average, that's average!" 

No shit you're moving the goalposts. That's the whole point. I'm getting dumber engaging here so I'm going to stop.

[Gatorubet 30,720]

10 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

LOL. "Sure, there's the math, but if you just eliminate the two thirds of adults in the state that earn much less on average, that's average!" 

No shit you're moving the goalposts. That's the whole point. I'm getting dumber engaging here so I'm going to stop.

You, me, Elon….and divide by three?

[Gatorubet 30,720]

1 hour ago, RDCanecutter said:

Shut up you bespectacled cat-strangler.

In his defense, cat strangling is a close-up thing.  He does not need them to drive.

[ztejas 44,227]

22 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

LOL. "Sure, there's the math, but if you just eliminate the two thirds of adults in the state that earn much less on average, that's average!" 

No shit you're moving the goalposts. That's the whole point. I'm getting dumber engaging here so I'm going to stop.

You can make as much waiting tables or bartending in Austin as like 80% of entry level jobs out of college. 

There are probably bartenders clearing 6 figs in this town.

Granted some of those people have college degrees. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, hayden_horn said:

we have a weird sense of wealth in this country. 

why do upper class people in america try so fucking hard not to be upper class while at the same time idolizing upper class behaviors?

it's the strangest thing. 

dude, if you are in the top 10% of anything, you're in pretty rare territory. you start approaching 95th percentile or 98th percentile, then you go from rare to elite. 

i'll admit to thinking that the wealthy class are 0.1% of the population or whatever, in terms of distribution. but if you're making a $250k salary, and you want to compare yourself to a work a day lunchpail person, gtfo. bologna costs the same to you as it does to the work a day guy. 

our household makes significantly less than 250k and we are doing fucking great, even though i'm currently partially self-unemployed. 

i'm not afraid to say that i live a very privileged life. i've been in some households with my wife. most people live...very differently than many of us on this board, i would suspect.

Not that you deliberately or purposefully do or say this; but there is a pervasive attitude or belief on here and in certain circles that just because someone has a lot, they always had a lot; or that they were born on 3rd base and celebrate triples all day.

Some people vow never to go back to prison. I vowed never to live in poverty again, and started making relevant life decisions in doing so very early on.  Poverty sucks and there are no two ways about it.  I don't feel guilty about what I have earned, and in all honesty, most folks would certainly not consider me wealthy- even if I have pretty much everything i ever realistically wished for.  I don't wring my hands over the stability I have built for my family.   I do know I never want to live that life again, and it drives much of my decision making.  That's not to say one lives in fear, but with a certain degree of vigilance.

It's not some miracle or accident.  That concept seems beyond many surlist's  willingness or ability to reconcile in their worldview.  Queue the bootstrap jokes and remarks; yet we cannot share that opportunity absolutely exists. I must discount my own experience, lest I disrupt the dystopian ideals.

It's frustrating AF.

[Reynolds Woodcock 5,098]

17 minutes ago, slorch said:

Not that you deliberately or purposefully do or say this; but there is a pervasive attitude or belief on here and in certain circles that just because someone has a lot, they always had a lot; or that they were born on 3rd base and celebrate triples all day.

Some people vow never to go back to prison. I vowed never to live in poverty again, and started making relevant life decisions in doing so very early on.  Poverty sucks and there are no two ways about it.  I don't feel guilty about what I have earned, and in all honesty, most folks would certainly not consider me wealthy- even if I have pretty much everything i ever realistically wished for.  I don't wring my hands over the stability I have built for my family.   I do know I never want to live that life again, and it drives much of my decision making.  That's not to say one lives in fear, but with a certain degree of vigilance.

It's not some miracle or accident.  That concept seems beyond many surlist's  willingness or ability to reconcile in their worldview.  Queue the bootstrap jokes and remarks; yet we cannot share that opportunity absolutely exists. I must discount my own experience, lest I disrupt the dystopian ideals.

It's frustrating AF.

Oh that’s right. I forgot you were the guy who grew up the beneficiary of government welfare programs and yet claims to have pulled yourself up by your bootstraps. This really is like an old shaggy thread. 

[Captainant 28,539]

17 minutes ago, slorch said:

It's not some miracle or accident.  That concept seems beyond many surlist's  willingness or ability to reconcile in their worldview.  Queue the bootstrap jokes and remarks; yet we cannot share that opportunity absolutely exists. I must discount my own experience, lest I disrupt the dystopian ideals.

Jesus fucking Christ slorch the world is more than just your narrow set of experiences and anecdotes. It's not that your experience doesn't matter, it's that it's one data point out of millions in a trend of general economic contraction for the non-executive/shareholder class.

Hooray for you that you bucked the trend, but your basic position of "there's nothing wrong because it's ok for me" is the economic equivalent of holding up a snowball to prove there's no global warming

[G650 14,437]

25 minutes ago, slorch said:

Not that you deliberately or purposefully do or say this; but there is a pervasive attitude or belief on here and in certain circles that just because someone has a lot, they always had a lot; or that they were born on 3rd base and celebrate triples all day.

Some people vow never to go back to prison. I vowed never to live in poverty again, and started making relevant life decisions in doing so very early on.  Poverty sucks and there are no two ways about it.  I don't feel guilty about what I have earned, and in all honesty, most folks would certainly not consider me wealthy- even if I have pretty much everything i ever realistically wished for.  I don't wring my hands over the stability I have built for my family.   I do know I never want to live that life again, and it drives much of my decision making.  That's not to say one lives in fear, but with a certain degree of vigilance.

It's not some miracle or accident.  That concept seems beyond many surlist's  willingness or ability to reconcile in their worldview.  Queue the bootstrap jokes and remarks; yet we cannot share that opportunity absolutely exists. I must discount my own experience, lest I disrupt the dystopian ideals.

It's frustrating AF.

Man nobody cares

[Guest]

3 hours ago, hayden_horn said:

why do upper class people in america try so fucking hard not to be upper class while at the same time idolizing upper class behaviors?

it's the strangest thing. 

dude, if you are in the top 10% of anything, you're in pretty rare territory. you start approaching 95th percentile or 98th percentile, then you go from rare to elite. 

i'll admit to thinking that the wealthy class are 0.1% of the population or whatever, in terms of distribution. but if you're making a $250k salary, and you want to compare yourself to a work a day lunchpail person, gtfo. bologna costs the same to you as it does to the work a day guy. 

As to your first paragraph, it’s how you consider yourself and who you run around. I’m not trying to be anything, but I know where I’d fall in these studies, and I don’t feel “rich”. I’m going to start using that word as opposed to wealthy because income isn’t a direct correlator with wealth. 

A quick search showed Top 10% of households in the US make $190k, Top 5% make $290k and Top 1% make $867k. As to your third paragraph, I disagree Top 10% is rare territory. But, I just turned 45, and have 3 kids, and that is context that is crucial. Similarly, Top 5% isn’t rare at all, in any major city in Texas and some smaller cities where you will associate with other college graduates primarily (yes, @gmr548, I did move the goalposts). Moving from top 5% to top 2%, at my age doesn’t make you elite. That is my perspective, at my age, compared to my peers, who are all firmly at that level. Look at this chart of 1%ers:

 

[Guest]

45 minutes ago, slorch said:

Not that you deliberately or purposefully do or say this; but there is a pervasive attitude or belief on here and in certain circles that just because someone has a lot, they always had a lot; or that they were born on 3rd base and celebrate triples all day.

This. I was fortunate to be the son of a longtime Austin banker who put me through school, and quickly cut me off at the age of 21. I was extremely blessed and am grateful to have what I had growing up, but we weren’t rich. Each of my parents’ families was middle class. My dad worked really hard and always was a high earner, but we never had wealth. When he cut me off, I’ve been on my own ever since. They did give us $10k, after we’d bought our first house in 2005. That house was sold to a CEO in 2009, who bought it for his TCU graduate son and put $200k into the house and gifted it to him. Other than that, I’ve worked for every $ I made. Still, I presume I’m much more fortunate than most. But I wasn’t born on 3rd base. Probably born on 1st and my dad legged out a double. 

[Reynolds Woodcock 5,098]

Only in America can a white boy who went to Westlake, had his daddy pay for college and gift him 10 grand as an adult think that he was born on first base. A truly impressive level of obtuseness. 

And anytime you are responding “This” to a Slorch post, probably worth taking a second to ponder.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Reynolds Woodcock