1. Texas Pride Is A Big Deal
When it comes to state pride, no one has more than Texans. At times the state can seem like it might as well be its own country, maybe that’s why there’s only one star on the state flag.
Expect Texans to stand up for their state no matter what. The people here are nice, until you talk badly about the place they’re from. “Don’t mess with Texas” is one slogan that rings 100 percent true.
2. Texas Gets Pretty Toasty
While
Texas is one of the largest and most diverse states in the country, the weather is pretty much the same everywhere with lots of sun and average annual high temperatures around 80 and lows ranging from 50-60 thorough the year.
Its super warm here and there’s not much snow, making it easy to stay active outside year-round.
3. Texas Isn’t Just One Big Desert
There’s seems to be a common misconception amongst outsiders that Texas is just a giant desert filled with dusty old towns. This is far from the case. While there’s plenty of dirt in Texas, there’s also tons of green space and a good amount of water in places like Barton Springs.
4. Texas Is Pretty Affordable
As a whole, Texas is a pretty inexpensive state to call home. It ranks 13th when it comes to cost of living compared to other states, with things here costing 8 percent less than the national average.
5. People Can Find Jobs In Texas
Not only is the cost of living lower in Texas, so is unemployment. The Lone Star State ranks 13th in this category as well, with unemployment at 4.3 percent—a full percent lower than the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 5.3 percent nationwide.
6. There Are Tons Of Instate Rivalries
Because there are so many awesome teams in the huge state of Texas, there are tons of cross town rivalries that exist between fans. Even just at the professional sports level, the locals play into the battle between the Mavericks, the Spurs, and the Rockets, as well as the Texans and Cowboys rivalry on a yearly basis.
7. There’s No Better Barbecue In The World
Whether you’re waiting in line for hours outside of Franklin’s in Austin or quickly stopping through one of the many Rudy’s, it’s hard to deny that Texas has the best barbecue in America.
Known for their use of the smoke pit to slow cook meat and a heavy emphasis on beef, if it’s your first year in town, attend as many barbecue contests as possible.
8. Cowboy Boots Are A Wardrobe Necessity
While someone might look at you funny if you’re wearing cowboy boots in Manhattan, in Texas they’re a totally acceptable norm. Everyone here isn’t a cowboy, but most people have at least one pair of boots in their closet for special occasions.
9. Cowboy Hats Aren’t Quite So Crucial… But They’re Totally Acceptable
While more people tend to wear cowboy boots over cowboy hats on Texan streets, you’ll still see tons of cowboy hats anytime you’re out and about. Compared to most other states where that’s a rarity, if you look good in a cowboy hat, the Texas life was practically designed for you.
10. Austin City Limits Might Be The Coolest Festival In The Country
Taking place on an annual basis over two three-day weekends, the Austin City Limits Music Festival attracts some of the biggest acts in the world to its stages. It’s no surprise that roughly 75,000-100,000 people attend the shows here each day.
11. If Austin City Limits Isn’t The Coolest, Then South By Southwest Is
Another huge event in Austin, South by Southwest, also called SXSW, is a festival that consists of music, film, and lecture events spread over a 10 day period. The lineup at this festival is just as impressive as the one at ACL and the multiple genre exhibits offer even more variety.
12. Football Is Basically A Religion Here
Whether it’s high school football, college football, or professional football, Texans don’t care, they love it all. Few other states in the country will have residents say the local high school football game was the highlight of their week on a regular basis.
13. Practice Your Hook’em Horns
When it comes to college sports in Texas, the Longhorns get the most love out of the many great teams spread across the Lone Star State. If you’re new to town, their symbol of support is called the “hook’em horns” and it’s basically the same symbol used worldwide for “rock on!”
14. There’s A Ton Of Traffic In Texas
Driving in Texas can get pretty crazy, mostly because the traffic is so intense. Due to inability to keep roads up-to-date with rapid growth of cities like Austin, commute times tend to swell. Most of the big cities here have commute times that break into the mid-high 20 minute range.
15. Crime Is High, But It’s On The Decline
Texas has a relatively high crime rate, usually ranking in the low teens when it comes to states with the most crime, at around 3,658 crimes per 100,000 residents.
However, due to recent efforts to make the state safer, this number has been on the decline most years since 1988 when it was once at its peak of 8,017 criminal acts per 100,000 residents, more than twice as high as it is today.
16. Hopefully You’re Comfortable Around Six-Shooters
While every Texan doesn’t own guns, some of the ones that do love to flaunt it on their belt. Expect people to be pretty gun-friendly in the Lone Star State.
17. Breakfast Tacos Are A Big Deal
As you might expect, the Mexican food is amazing in Texas thanks to the state’s close proximity to America’s neighbor to the south.
However, at times it can seem like locals are even more obsessed with the breakfast variety of this cuisine. If you want to find the best this state has to offer, Taco Joint and Tacodeli in Austin are two of your best bets.
18. Everything Here Gets Deep Fried
Long ago, Texans discovered a simple cooking trick that instantly makes everything taste 100 times better than it already does…toss it in the deep fryer. You can find almost anything deep-fried in this state and if you want proof, head to the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.
19. Texas Is The Capital Of Live Music
Rock, country, pop… it doesn’t matter what genre you’re talking about, Texas has it all. With music ringing out loud from bars and street corners around the Lone Star State, if you want the best live music this state has to offer, head to Austin.
20. Texans Are Actually Super Friendly
While Texans tend to get a reputation around the country for being a bit, um, intense, they’re actually a really friendly group of people. Don’t feel too awkward when strangers wave to you from behind the road or when random people strike up conversations at the grocery store.
21. Texas Will Steal Your Heart In No Time
Filled with plenty of diversity, awesome food, and consistently sunny days, life in Texas is hard to beat. It can take a little while to adjust to how different this state is, but once you do, you’ll never want to call somewhere else home.
Like This Post? You’ll Definitely Love These:
