Located in the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo is known for its cowboy culture. Cowboy boots, Stetson hats, cattle ranches, and horses dominate the view outsiders accept of this "old due west" holdout. Land music fans oftentimes hear most the simple way of life in Amarillo, which includes by times like summertime rodeos and quintessential backyard barbecues.

In addition to a slower pace of life, locals enjoy exceptionally low unemployment rates. Major industries include cattle ranching, meat packing, pedagogy, hospitality services, and manufacturing. There are even multiple hospitals in Amarillo, including specialty surgery centers and a heart hospital. No longer merely a cow boondocks, Amarillo has become a place where white neckband professionals and blue-collar workers alike enjoy a cost of living that is 14% below the national average.

Are you looking for weekend fun? Enjoy the famous Cadillac Ranch, a rodeo, or the Amarillo Zoo. If you lot similar horses, the American Quarter Equus caballus Heritage Center and Museum is a must-see. Or, choose the Texas Air & Infinite Museum on a rainy day. No matter your interests, or your lifestyle, you're certain to enjoy life in the Yellow Rose of Texas. With the assist of a licensed professional Amarillo moving company, you'll exist able to movement in seamlessly at an affordable rate.

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Living in Amarillo, TX: What to Know Earlier Moving to Amarillo

Amarillo is an all-American town of approximately 200,000 residents located in the Texas Panhandle. Established in the belatedly 1800s, the boondocks quickly became a hub for cattle ranching and meat packing. Today, the packing houses in the expanse process around a quarter of the US beefiness supply. Equally a result, much of the local economy and civilization centers on old west ranching traditions. However, if you lot're moving to Amarillo without boots and a Stetson, in that location are many other employment opportunities in the surface area.

Pros and Cons of Living in Amarillo

Every urban center has advantages, as well every bit less desirable aspects. As you consider Amarillo, it's important to make up one's mind what you lot consider workable, and which qualities might be deal breakers.

First, the expert news:

  • Amarillo is growing. Current estimates country that the city consistently adds 2,000 new residents per year, or twenty,000 every decade. Growing towns tend to accept improved chore opportunities.
  • It isn't the large city. If you're someone who prefers a fiddling bit more open space, Amarillo is a great place to live. Population density is depression, simply at the same time, there are good services if you lot need them.
  • It's Texas proud. Although this might seem strange to outsiders, Texans are particularly proud of their country. Many natives of the Lone Star State wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
  • It'southward a classic American hometown. In Amarillo, people come together for quaternary of July barbecues and parades. Just had a baby? This town is the type of place where neighbors might bring a casserole to your door.
  • Commutes to work are shorter than boilerplate. Although there isn't much public transportation available, Amarilloians spend an average of 18 minutes each way in the machine. This short commute might plough some city dwellers greenish with envy.
  • Plenty of jobs for anybody. The economy is strong, and a wide variety of employers means a good job is easy to find.

And the not and so proficient news:

  • High crime charge per unit. Unfortunately, Amarillo has a high criminal offence rate compared to other US cities. Your hazard of becoming a victim of property crime is 1 in 23. Be certain to lock your car and your home when you're away and consider installing an alert organisation.
  • Scrub castor everywhere. Ranchers don't landscape, and cows consume the grass. What'due south left is scrub brush, which tin can be unsightly.
  • Texas-sized drive to larger cities. Dallas is 365 miles southeast, while Houston is 599 miles.
  • Nightlife is more often than not Western style. If your preferred evening out includes ii-stepping at the local honky tonk, so this might be the place for you. Amarillo is not a hub for big metropolis nightclubs.
  • Severe conditions. Amarillo is known for cold winter winds and the occasion tornado.

Taxation Rates

  • Belongings taxes: Nationally, the average property revenue enhancement rate is only ane.2%. At 1.7%, Amarillo belongings revenue enhancement rates are relatively high. Compared to the remainder of Texas, however, Amarillo property taxes are slightly lower than the boilerplate rate of 1.9%. Fortunately, the median homes cost is only $134,500, meaning the boilerplate family in Potter County will pay just under $2,300 in property taxes per year.
  • Sales taxes: Amarillo's sales tax is 8.25%, which includes a combined rate of the state charge per unit of half dozen.25% added to the Amarillo City special tax of 2%. When compared to the rest of the land, this is a picayune higher than boilerplate, but far from the nation's highest sales tax. Also, almost groceries in Texas are revenue enhancement-gratis.
  • Income taxes: Keep in heed that in that location is no income tax in Texas. What this means is that overall revenue enhancement is depression in Amarillo. Paying a fiddling fleck more for holding taxes is more than made upward for by not having to pay state income taxation.

Amarillo Housing

Whether rented or owned, Amarillo housing is quite affordable. Renting in Amarillo is fairly economical, with an average monthly rent and utility toll of $826. This rate is a fleck lower than the Texas average rent of $987 and much cheaper than the national boilerplate of $1,102. Nigh 35% of Amarillo residents rent their homes compared to the Texas average of 38%.

If you prefer to ain, Amarillo is a great place to purchase a home. According to Zillow, the average home value is $134,500. From 2018 to 2019, dwelling values appreciated iv.3%, simply the overall market is practiced for both buyers and sellers. For this reason, buyers can expect their investment to increase in value, but at the same time, it's unlikely that they'll get into huge behest wars with other buyers.

Cost of Living

It's cheaper to live in Amarillo than in many other cities across the land. Compared to the national cost of living index of 100, Amarillo's cost of living index is 85. While healthcare is slightly more expensive than the national average, you'll pay less for groceries, housing, utilities, and transportation.

Weather and Natural Disasters

Amarillo enjoys a temperate semi-arid climate. Winters in the Texas Panhandle are dry, windy, and common cold. The coldest time of year is from mid-Nov to the finish of February, when daily highs are in the 50s and night temperatures driblet to the mid-20s and low 30s. Snow adds upward to almost 17″ annually and is heaviest from late Dec through February. Annual rainfall is virtually twenty″, with May through September getting the about atmospheric precipitation.

Summers are scorching, but muggy days are quite rare. July is the hottest month – y'all can expect highs in the low 90s and overnight lows in the high 60s. Amarillo'southward relatively long summers mean that the growing season is also long, starting mid-Apr and catastrophe near the end of October.

While at that place is often a lot of wind, tornadoes are much less common in Amarillo than they are in neighboring Oklahoma and other areas with a similar climate. Because information technology's far from the ocean and doesn't sit on or near a seismic fault, at that place aren't many threats from natural disasters. Flooding from a rare heavy rain is the primary concern.

Economy and Job Market place

Amarillo is mainly an agronomical town with a low unemployment rate. As of July 2019, the unemployment rate is 2.seven%, compared to iii.9% nationally. Cattle ranching and meatpacking take dominated the economic system since the belatedly 1800s. The Amarillo metropolitan surface area processes virtually ane-quarter of the nation'south beefiness supply.

Opposite to its cow town image, Amarillo has a surprisingly diverse workforce; but a small percentage of the labor pool works in agriculture. Major industries include manufacturing and energy. Bell Helicopter Textron operates an assembly plant most the Rick Married man International Aerodrome. Simply south of Amarillo, the 200,000-acre Panhandle Field produces an abundance of oil and gas. Tourism besides helps fuel the economy. Located at the junction of e-west Interstate twoscore and n-south Interstate 27, Amarillo is a popular place for travelers to stop on cross-state journeys. On their stays, visitors savor several famous attractions such as Cadillac Ranch, and The American Quarter Equus caballus Association headquarters and AQHA Hall of Fame. To conform weary travelers, hotels and restaurants, use a large chunk of the local workforce. The retail sector besides employs many workers, since people come in from the surrounding rural areas to exercise their shopping.

A lesser known, but the important employer is the Pantex Plant. This plant is a federal facility owned by the Department of Energy that helps to both dismantle and maintain the Usa nuclear weapons arsenal. Over three,300 employees brand Pantex a major Amarillo employer. In improver to manufacturing plant workers, Pantex likewise employs scientists, adding variety to the local workforce.

Transportation and Traffic

Amarillo sits at the junction of northward-due south Interstate 27 and east-west Interstate 40. This crossroads means many people stop for remainder and recovery in Amarillo earlier getting back in the car for cross state trips. The beltway, Loop 335, helps directly traffic effectually the urban center. Because of the loop route, traffic jams are less frequent in the center of the city, though they practice occasionally happen. Overall, TXDOT reports relatively low traffic congestion.

The Rick Married man Amarillo International Aerodrome is located well-nigh x miles east of primal Amarillo, providing user-friendly non-end service to destinations like Austin, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

The small-scale bus system, Amarillo City Transit, mainly serves the fundamental areas of the metropolis. It's cheap, but due to its express service area, almost people still drive to work. For walkers, Amarillo fares poorly. WalkScore indicates that the city mostly is very motorcar dependent and gives information technology an anemic score of 39. For biking, the score isn't much better at 41. For these reasons, most Amarilloians demand a auto, or access to one, to commute to work and consummate errands.

What to Do

1 of the most famous landmarks in Amarillo is Cadillac Ranch. Famously mentioned in country songs as having no cows, the "ranch" is a mod fine art installation of partly cached, Cadillac cars with their dynamic fins pointed skyward. Locals and tourist dear exploring Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which is but 2nd in size to the Thou Canyon. Here, you lot tin enjoy a wide diverseness of outdoor sports and activities, while appreciating the beautiful red stone terrain.

For the kids, the botanical gardens, zoo, and Wonderland Amusement Park are popular choices. If you lot fancy high culture, you'll savor the Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, and Lone Star Ballet held at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. Wandering along Polk Street will permit you lot to explore Amarillo'southward historic buildings and homes, many of which are listed on the National Register of Celebrated Places. Additionally, you and your family tin can play in over 50 municipal parks scattered throughout the urban center.

Of course, this wouldn't be Amarillo without the cowboys. Since 1921, the city has held the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo the tertiary week of September. The World Championship Ranch Rodeo, hosted by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association, is held in the Amarillo Borough Centre every November. The World Championship Chuckwagon Roundup and Amarillo Livestock Auction attract cowboy civilisation aficionados.

Pedagogy and Schools

Amarillo provides several options for children in grades K-12. The local public school district, Amarillo ISD operates 55 schools across the metro area.  According to Great Schools, high school ratings range from poor through in a higher place average. Overall, the commune'southward elementary schools take stronger ratings. Other educational options include the local Catholic schools, a Montessori school, charter schools, and fifty-fifty an Episcopal school with options for homeschooling families.

For college didactics, Amarillo College enrolls over 10,000 students. This community college offers bookish Associates degrees, in improver to certification programs in various trades. If yous desire to go into the health professions, the Texas Tech Academy Health Sciences Center may be for you. Wayland Baptist University and Westward Texas A&M Academy as well take satellite campuses in Amarillo.

Crime

Unfortunately, Amarillo is infamous for its high criminal offense rate. Both violent and property law-breaking rates are almost 2 times higher than the US average. These sky-high rates have prompted the US Government to step in and assistance local law enforcement. One can just hope that local citizens get tired of all the criminal offence, and piece of work with police force enforcement to reduce what has get a constant embarrassment for the city.

Utility Providers

In Amarillo, the local electric visitor is Xcel Energy, and you tin start service here. Water is provided through the city, and you tin can contact them here. If you have gas appliances or heating, Atmos Energy can help you. For cablevision and landline phone services, effort Spectrum Cable.

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Best Neighborhoods in Amarillo, TX

Like any metropolis, Amarillo has some slap-up neighborhoods and some that are less desirable. As you review each of the neighborhoods beneath, detect that the numbers following schoolhouse names are the greatschools.org ratings. Hither are some excellent neighborhood choices for anyone considering a move to Amarillo:

La Paloma Estates

For the well-heeled, La Paloma Estates is a perfect choice. It's bordered by Farm to Market Rd on the eastward, Sweetgum Lane at the due west, and Fairway Drive to the south. Houses are oftentimes palatial, with spacious lawns and gardens. Many of the houses are brand new, and there are fifty-fifty some lots still bachelor. If you prefer a high-cease neighborhood with respectful neighbors who value their privacy, you'll be comfortable hither. The neighborhood's Tascosa Golf Club offers many amenities. There's golf game, of course, merely also tennis and a swimming pool. Other amenities include walking trails and a restaurant.

If you desire to live in this neighborhood, it's going to cost y'all: the median list price is $407,000. Rental information for this neighborhood was unavailable, indicating that it'due south exclusive enough to have rooms or guest cottages bachelor, at the most. No apartments exist.

The local schools are boilerplate to excellent: Woodlands Elementary 9/10, Lorenzo DeLavala Centre eight/ten, and Tascosa High School 5/10.

Tascosa Estates

Similar its next-door neighbour, La Paloma Estates, Tascosa is a golf-centered neighborhood located in northwest Amarillo. Houses are huge, modern McMansions with all the fashionable civilities like gourmet kitchens and high ceilings.

Considering the surface area is exclusive, crime is usually far from residents' minds. Your dwelling will exist steps abroad from Tascosa Golf Club and other guild-related amenities. On the downside, buying groceries will often mean driving to the center of boondocks, equally there are no shopping centers nearby. Slightly lower priced than its neighbors, these huge homes in this neighborhood command a median list price of $354,000. As this is a subdivision, there are no apartment buildings.

Amarillo ISD serves students in Tascosa Estates. The local schools are boilerplate to excellent: Woodlands Simple ix/10, Lorenzo DeLavala Eye 8/x, and Tascosa High School v/10.

Lake Tanglewood

Lake Tanglewood is a newer, gated evolution with addresses on Shore Drive. Located just outside southeast Amarillo city limits, information technology has a population of around 800 people. Named for its location on the shores of Lake Tanglewood, the neighborhood boasts a suburban vibe. Wildlife abounds in the surrounding area, which includes nearby Palo Duro Canyon.

Although information technology'due south a small customs, Lake Tanglewood boasts a full-sized golf club to which all Home Owners Association (HOA) members belong. Due to the HOA, this neighborhood does not have rentals. With a median home toll of over $500,000 and some homes priced well over a million, this cute community is truly exclusive.

Canyon School Commune serves Lake Tanglewood, including Crestview Simple Schoolhouse ix/ten, Canyon Intermediate Schoolhouse 8/ten, and Canyon High School seven/10.

Wolflin Village

Nestled between the interstates, historic Wolflin is close to the center of boondocks. Featuring 1920s homes sitting along tree-lined streets, Wolflin is up-and-coming as many of the vintage homes are undergoing restoration.

In this neighborhood, yous tin walk to do your grocery shopping and run errands. Locals bask the upscale boutiques and restaurants at Wolflin Village and the Shops at Wolflin Square. Residents similar to agree block parties, and at Christmas, they savor showing off their best holiday lights. Wolflin has a huge range of dwelling house prices. For example, yous can buy a 3-bedroom, two-bathroom 1300-square-foot home for $85,000 or five-bedroom, six-bath vii,000-square-foot dwelling for $1.8 million. If yous plan on renting, expect to pay as trivial equally $550 a month for a studio and $1250 for a three-bedchamber unit of measurement.

Local students attend Amarillo ISD schools: Wolflin Elementary Schoolhouse 6/10, Austin Eye School 4/ten, and Tascosa Loftier School 5/10.

Due west 34TH Ave / S Washington St

This heart-class, established neighborhood is near the center of the city. In addition to families, many college students call this customs domicile. Everything from fast nutrient to grocery stores are in this neighborhood, so you lot never have to arrive for any essentials. An older neighborhood, it has a low crime rate by Amarillo standards. Homes tend to be larger, with a median toll of $263,000. For an apartment, the boilerplate rate is a pricy $ane,600 per month.

Amarillo Independent School District educates the students via Wolflin Elementary School 6/10, Austin Middle Schoolhouse 4/10, and Tascosa Loftier School 5/10.

Bishop Hills

Bishop Hills is a suburb of Amarillo that sits in the northwestern part of the metropolis. A tiny area with merely 200 residents, Bishop Hills has a wide variety of large homes and mobile homes available, some older and some quite new. Here, you tin have a lawn charcoal-broil, know your neighbors by name, and not worry about keeping up with the Joneses.

Despite Amarillo's overall reputation for loftier crime, Bishop Hills is an oasis of at-home close to the storm. Information technology'southward a down-to-earth area that'southward keen for raising kids, so long as you lot don't mind driving into the city for your shopping. Homes in Bishop Hills are reasonably priced. You can expect to pay but over $200,000 for a firm, or $1050 to rent.

The other reward to Bishop Hills is the schoolhouse commune. Bushland Independent School District serves this section of the metropolitan area with one schoolhouse at each level. Because of this smaller district size, students can get more individualized attention than in larger schools: Rolling Hills Elementary School 7/x, River Road Heart School 6/10, River Road High School 3/10.

Olsen Park

This neighborhood is besides known as Andrews Ave/S Western St. If you're looking for an affordable, safe neighborhood where homes take a yard, this is information technology. In the Olsen Park area, you may non know your neighbors, but you won't fear them.  An established neighborhood, Olsen Park would remind you of the classic 1960s idyllic town where everyone gets along. Since it's still a part of central Amarillo, Olsen Park has enough of shopping nearby. Crockett Park is mere steps away, providing a place for children to play and adults to stretch their legs.

Different its more than expensive neighbors, housing in Olsen Park is reasonably priced. Await to pay $153,000 for an average firm or $1100 for a rental unit. Overall, this is a pleasant neighborhood with good schools, only at a more affordable price.

Olsen Park Unproblematic School 6/10, Crockett Middle School 8/ten, Amarillo Loftier Schoolhouse 6/10

Sleepy Hollow

Part of the ultra-rubber northwest of the city, Sleepy Hollow is a suburban middle-form paradise with S Soney Rd on the west, SW 45th Ave on the south, Coulter St on the east, and W 34th Ave on the northern purlieus. Homes are a mixture of medium-sized 3- and four-bedchamber single family residences and studio-size to ii-bedroom apartments, giving potential residents a variety of choices to run into their budgets.

Close to the Wonderland Amusement Park and Cadillac Ranch, Sleepy Hollow has something for anybody. Several shopping centers are nearby, which means you lot won't have to go far to go most of what you lot need. Apartments cost between $500 for a studio and $850 for a ii-bedroom, making the area quite affordable for renters. The median home cost is $263,854 – many homes were built between 1970 and 1999, offering homebuyers the opportunity to remodel. If you'd rather purchase a place that's move-in ready, the neighborhood also has more recent builds. Demand for real estate in Sleepy Hollow is to a higher place boilerplate, which ways domicile prices and rents may increase shortly.

Sleepy Hollow is in the top eight.3% of retiree-friendly Texas neighborhoods, co-ordinate to NeighborhoodScout. The area earned this rating due to its safety, peace, quiet, and diverse housing options. Residents' incomes are college than 57% of other neighborhoods in the nation. Approximately 41% of locals work in professional, direction, and executive positions, while some other 33% work in sales and service jobs.

Part of the Amarillo School Commune, Sleepy Hollow students nourish Sleepy Hollow Elementary School 7/10, Bonham Eye School eight/10, and Amarillo High School six/10.

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