What Nobody Tells You About Moving to Texas

The pitch is no state income tax. The fine print is that the money comes from somewhere, and in Texas that somewhere is the house.

Property taxes are the real number

Effective rates commonly land near two percent of assessed value, and the assessment is revisited annually. On a $450,000 house that is a payment line most newcomers underestimate by more than their utilities.

Ask about the district before the kitchen

• MUD districts add a separate levy for water and sewer infrastructure in newer suburbs.
• Homestead exemptions matter and must be filed — nobody does it for you.
• Well and septic are normal outside city limits; get both inspected.
• Summer electricity bills in August can triple a spring bill.

None of this is a warning. It is a budget. People who arrive with the real numbers tend to stay, and staying is how Texas gets you.