As a parent, you want your children to have the best home possible. But you must not disregard your own happiness either. You will need to carefully balance the two, as that will provide your family with both a great home and a healthy atmosphere. If you are considering a relocation from Texas to Long Island, you might want to consider all the pros and cons of doing so. Before you hire one of the moving companies state to state, you want to ensure that you are making the right decision. And that is what this article is going to be all about, explaining what it’s like living in Long Island as a parent.
Pros and cons of living in Long Island as a parent
Living in Long Island can be great if you’re ready for a big change from living in Texas. For you as a parent but also for your children, it can be a very exciting change. Here are the things you will need to consider:
- Weather
- Transportation options
- Taxes can be overwhelming
- Living costs
- Job opportunities
- Entertainment options
Most of these can be both a pro and a con, depending on how you look at them. Even taxes can be considered a pro because it means that your neighborhood includes well-off residents. Which in turn statistically lowers the crime rate. There is a silver lining in every con and a bit of sourness in every pro, so to speak. You need to weigh them all carefully before you hire long distance movers Long Island for your relocation. We are going to detail some of the most influential things you will encounter in your life in Long Island, so you know what you will be getting yourself into.
The weather in Long Island
Starting with everyone’s favorite small-talk topic, the weather in Long Island is somewhere between humid continental and humid subtropical. Humidity is all-present in the summer, with occasional thunderstorms. Spring and fall are really mild, though, while the winters bring in a mix of rain and snow. The position of Long Island, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, brings in a cool ocean breeze in some areas like South Shore. The winters are also quite milder than in the rest of New York, thanks to the coastline.
But compared to Texas, Long Island winters are much colder and wetter. What’s more, Long Island averages 25.3 inches of snow per year, while Texas averages 0 inches of snow per year. This may be an insurmountable difference for some, while others will happily hire interstate movers Houston TX, and enjoy the white winters despite the cold.
However, the area is vulnerable to tropical cyclones, unfortunately. Then there is also flooding to worry about, which can present quite an issue in many of the coastal areas of Long Island. Thankfully, all these occurrences are quite rare, and you will be able to enjoy great weather and all four seasons.
Transportation options
Being so close to NYC means that there are many transportation options within LI. The commutes will be easy via the Long Island Rail Road, with millions of people going to and from work through it. In fact, the LIRR is the second busiest railroad for commuters in the entire U.S., dwarfed only by the giant that is the Metro-North railroad.
But what all of that means is that you are going to have to deal with crowded trains all the time. During peak hours, the crowds can be overwhelming and the experience using the rail might plummet. That is the price to pay for convenience, after all. There are various bus lines, as well, which will take you throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
And what you should also expect is higher transportation costs in Long Island than in Texas. What’s more, transportation costs are 29% higher in Long Island than in Texas. The good part is that your household movers will have no problems navigating the streets, as traffic is not as bad as in some other places. Unless they choose to use the Long Island Expressway, that is. The place even got a funny moniker “The world’s longest parking lot”. It is not as bad as all that, of course, but the fact remains that you have numerous options aside from using your car.
Taxes are high in Long Island
Before you even consider moving to Long Island, you need to make sure that you can pay the taxes. Property taxes in LI can be really overwhelming, with Nassau County having some of the highest property taxes in the entire country. Of course, you do get the benefits of having access to both the beaches and NYC, as well as an amazing schooling system. But this means that you might want to settle for a smaller home and utilize storage services for the rest of your belongings. Otherwise, the taxes might catch up with you.
The property tax is not the only one that you need to worry about. There is also a steep sales tax, clocking at 4.62%. In case you did not know, this is the highest sales tax in the entire New York State. Of course, it comes as an addition to the 4% state tax in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. All in all, the taxes are really high, but the benefits are too. There are so many amenities that you want to have around, such as amazing parks, great schools, museums, etc. They can easily warrant a higher tax.
Living costs
Moving on, let’s take a look at the living costs in LI. When you are moving from Texas to Long Island you expect the cost of living to change. You may think that since you’re not in Manhattan proper, things are going to be cheaper. On the contrary, Long Island even beats New York City when it comes to living costs, and not in a good way. For example, a family of four will need around $150,000 a year to live comfortably. As you can see, you will need a lot more money to live as a parent in Long Island than in Texas. Most of the money goes on taxes, of course. But health care, transportation, and housing costs are not to be underestimated either. If you are on a minimum wage, it is in your best interest to forget living here, harsh as that may sound.
Before you decide on living in Long Island as a parent learn about the housing costs
Here’s a rundown of some of the big differences in the cost of living between Texas and Long Island. The first and biggest difference is certainly the cost of housing, which on Long Island is about 105.8% higher than in Texas. While Texas has a slightly lower housing index than the US average, Long Island has more than double that. Median Home Cost in Dallas, Texas is $259,800, while in Long Island it is $560,300, which is about 115% more expensive. So, depending on your family size and income, you may need to consider a smaller home after moving to Long Island with the state to state movers Texas. And other costs of living are also higher in Long Island than in Texas, but it’s still a smaller difference than housing costs.
Job opportunities can influence living in Long Island as a parent
If we are going to talk about jobs on Long Island, we should compare them with business opportunities in Texas. Job growth in Long Island is positive, and in the last 10 years, job growth increased by 3.4%, which is quite big. On the other hand, unemployment in Long Island is 4.8% lower than in Texas and it is only 3.2%. This environment is actively working to raise awareness about unemployment and create new business opportunities. That is why, according to some research, job growth is expected to be over 40% in the future. So, living in Long Island as a parent, you will have higher salaries and more opportunities to find the perfect job.
The lifeblood of Long Island lies in its small businesses, which account for a huge percentage of LI companies. They are constantly looking for new employees. However, for higher-paying jobs, you will, unfortunately, need to commute to NYC where there are better prospects available. All in all, the job market is growing steadily but you still might want to seek employment opportunities elsewhere.
Entertainment options
Lastly, Long Island offers a host of entertainment options for all ages. If you enjoy arts, you will be happy to hear that there are numerous art centers, museums, and galleries, scattered throughout the island. Nature is extremely beautiful, as well. There are several amazing hiking trails all along the coast or through a forest. Living in Long Island as a parent also means that you will have numerous dining options. From cheap street vendor food to fine dining, you can find it all. The food in LI is amazing, with all the world’s cuisines being represented.
Outdoor activities
Due to the beautiful nature and proximity to the beaches, outdoor activities on Long Island are numerous. Regardless of what type of person you are and what you are interested in, you will surely find some entertainment for you in Long Island. Here are some places that you should never miss visiting.
- Jones Beach State Park – If you are looking for a place where you as a parent and your children can have fun, this is the right place. The perfect waves and amazing sandy beaches offer plenty of entertainment options. Some of them are mini golf, live music, animal watching, enjoying water sports, and walking by the water…
- Old Westbury Gardens – This garden is a great place for an afternoon picnic with the kids. You will be able to take part in a tour of the museum’s 44 rooms. As well as educational activities that are suitable for children.
- Seal & Whale Watching – During the winter and spring, you will have the opportunity to enjoy watching whales and seals resting on the beach of Fire Island. Not infrequently they are approached by dolphins, which is a great experience and incredible fun for all ages.
In addition to this, of course, there are many other places where you will be able to enjoy the outdoors. Such as hiking, walking, and cycling, but also water activities such as boating and sailing, surfing and even harvesting shells.
Activities for kids
One of the most important things for parents, in addition to the education and safety of their children, is to find fun activities to entertain the children. You don’t have to worry about that much when planning your move to Long Island with long distance movers in Houston. Here are some fun activities worth visiting with the kids:
- Long Island AquariumLong
- Island Game Farm
- Splish Splash Water Park
- Long Island Children’s Museum
You will enjoy living in Long Island as a parent!
As you can see moving to Long Island with out of state movers Austin is a very good decision. Besides the high taxes and higher cost of living, there are almost no bad things. The abundance of outdoor activities for both children and parents is one of the main advantages of living in Long Island as a parent, as is the proximity to New York. With little effort, you’ll enjoy the change of scenery after moving to Long Island.
