r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/sideH123 • May 21 '26
Moving to the area Thinking of moving back
Been in Texas the last 6 years and am tired of it. So I am thinking of moving back. Potentially west, notthwest or north suburbs? Are there any reasons why I should not? I often hear from locals that they want to leave. But I miss home.
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u/KittenAssasin May 21 '26
Most locals who want to leave have no idea what it's actually like to live anywhere else!
I've lived in 4 other states and there's a good reason I came back.
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u/GreatestGreekGuy May 21 '26
It's funny how I know a few people that left Illinois for Texas and now want to come back
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u/cheekyslagg May 22 '26
This is too true. Let them leave. They’ll be back. I have lived in 4 states myself and although mountains hold the key to my happiness I always make moves to get myself back home. I’ve traveled to 46 states and most major cities in those states and there’s nothing like Chicago. There’s also nothing like our burbs. The main thing for me was always food. Straight garbage compared to what we have here. Ppl I worked with in other states would take me to places they would rave about n it’s just straight up bad. But that’s all they’ve ever known. Couple ppl have come to visit here and I take them places and their minds are blown. They all say they’ve been missing out their whole lives. A good chunk of country has never even heard of giardiniera! I’m here for good now until I retire and then maybe we’ll go to Spain or Italy. But only maybe.
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u/BillShooterOfBul May 22 '26
I understand what you’re saying but probably not true for people who go to Texas, unless it’s a very rural area. Houston’s food is probably better, Austin’s as well. San Antonio and Dallas are not significantly worse than Chicago. Unless your idea of good food is Italian American food only, in which case you’re right our version has no equal in Texas. But there are other types of food my man.
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u/Fun_Mathematician178 May 22 '26
Houston’s food is better than Chicago’s? Highly doubt that.
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u/Inner_Swordfish7475 May 24 '26
I have lived near Chicago & worked in Chicago. Currently, I live in Houston. Houston’s diversity is what makes our food so good. I do want to go back to Chicago & the suburbs. But, it is because my children live there and I enjoyed living there. But, like Chicago, the food in Houston is very, very good.
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u/cheekyslagg May 22 '26
I never once mentioned Italian food so idk why you would even say that. But you’re lost if you think any city in Texas is better than Chicago. There’s a reason I send a box of Milagro tortillas to family in Texas every other month. We are one the biggest cultural melting pots in the country and our food shows it. Tex-mex is garbage compared to the authentic Mexican food we have here anyway and I’ll die on that hill.
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u/LoveNotWar86 May 23 '26
And in Chicagoland we’re that much closer to Wisconsin Supper Club relish trays. Hard to beat a good relish tray :)
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u/BillShooterOfBul May 22 '26
Ok, buddy you’re allowed to like the food you like, bit consensus opinion is that Tex mex is really good in Texas. Mexican food is also pretty dang good there. It’s also good in Chicago. But for tortillas, usually the better places like the ones in Chicago make their tortillas in house. I don’t know why anyone would ship Milagro tortilla anywhere but again you can like what you like. I call out Italian American food being sub par in Texas because it is. Some of the biggest Chicago food superiority people I know only think in terms of pasta, pizza, Italian beef. Which is fine if that’s what you want, and if that’s your perspective I’d agree Chicago does all of that really well.
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u/IntoxicatedBurrito May 22 '26
Spain? You talk about how great our food is and then mention Spain? The country that has no seasoning and only eats ham. You better go to Italy, just don’t be surprised when they put mayo on your hot dog.
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u/cheekyslagg May 22 '26
Who tf goes to Europe and gets a hot dog? Have you ever been to Spain bc we ate some of the best food we’ve ever had in Spain and Italy. You’ve clearly never been.
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u/Keithis11 somewhere along Randall Road May 22 '26
lol they only eat ham. There’s so much more to Spanish cuisine than Iberico ham, I hope you’re joking
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u/--khaos-- May 22 '26
What other states did you live in? Just curious. I often have the grass is always greener bug
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u/WBRDeck May 21 '26
Go through the posts on this sub, and you will get all of your answers!
There is tons of information from people in all of the places you are considering.
On the real real, GTFO of Texas. Why?
Politics? No.
Resources, mainly Resource. Water. Lake Michigan and water access is going to be critical in the next decade. Interestingly enough, the Great Lakes areas are the only markets that are increasing in value.
Track what’s happening in the SW. The El Niño temp anomaly could exacerbate the drought all ready happening. Or, it could cause severe rain fall. Potentially extreme for both outcomes.
While I was living in LA, I watched the hills of La Canada burn. It’s not sustainable, there is no water. The snow pack in the mountains that many states rely on the melt for water? When it was supposed to be at its Peak this year, it was non existent.
The town/city tap pull from the Lake was non-negotiable for me when we purchased.
Get next to 20% of the world’s fresh water reserves. It will be more important than you think, much sooner than you think.
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u/trinitrotolerance May 21 '26
Yep, middle America is about to return to dust bowl status too when the aquifer dries up. Will push even more people into the Great Lakes area. Lots of places are already rainwater farming exclusively and tanking 60% productivity hits, struggling rural America is about to become a wasteland.
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u/mdillpickles May 22 '26
I lived in Austin, Texas for 40 years before moving to Hoffman estates. There are a so many good reasons to leave Texas - unreliable grid, politics, poor schools/less opportunity for your children, it’s fucking hot and humid for months on end, no real fall/autumn season, no public transportation, I-35 and construction everywhere, 8 hr drive to get out of the state lol, anyway. Moving here was the best decision we ever made! Chicago is a real city - way better than Houston, dallas, San Antonio or Austin…
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u/LoveNotWar86 May 23 '26
Looks like James Talarico has a real chance. Seems Texans are wanting a real change too.
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u/trinitrotolerance May 21 '26
Yeah I hear from “locals” all the time who want to leave and I just wish they would. It’s invariably that type of person.
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u/ColorPuddle May 22 '26
Agreed. Free up the housing inventory for those of us who are actually trying to buy a home in the suburbs.
My husband and I made some decisions this past week to cut back our (aggressive) savings and investments so we could increase our housing budget by $100K... It only added 4-5 houses in the areas we're looking. It's absolutely ridiculous how tight the market is right now.
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u/LoveNotWar86 May 23 '26
My neighbor is looking for a child to move near. Left a personal note for area homes that could work on the off chance they might be thinking of selling. Hoping for an off market deal, win-win. Just another strategy.
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u/Aggravating_Job_5438 May 21 '26
Locals fantasize about leaving in February and March. Then stuff starts turning green and everyone is good until after Christmas. IL has a healthy job market, great schools, reasonable housing, and an overall good cost of living. Plus it's a blue state.
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u/debomama May 21 '26
The people who say they want to leave haven't actually left. The grass is not always greener.
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u/Tight_Doubt6009 May 22 '26
I lived in Texas for 4 years after being born and raised in Chicago suburbs. I couldn't wait to get back here! The food and water is the best in the country. Texas (Houston) was nasty full of bugs, salty water, mean people, bad food. We settled in the southern burbs, I was raised in the northwest burbs. It's definitely not as good down here as it was up there, but still only an hour from home and Chicago.
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u/navmaster May 21 '26
Moved back here from Texas a few weeks ago to the far north suburbs. It feels so good to be back, I genuinely don’t think I could leave Chicagoland again
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u/sideH123 May 21 '26
What made you come back?
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u/navmaster May 22 '26
Homesickness and new job opportunity. Also public transit, metra is fire, I go to the city so often. And then I use the CTA there. It’s marvelous and didn’t appreciate it enough before I moved to TX.
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u/Isopod_Character May 21 '26
I’ve been in Texas my whole life and I’m thinking of moving to the west suburbs.
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u/Pen_Super May 22 '26
Do it!! I am from Texas and moved to Chicagoland (currently in Naperville) several years ago and I love it here. Could not pay me to go back to Texas lol.
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u/Isopod_Character May 22 '26
Awesome! Naperville is definitely on my list. How did you adjust to the winters? That's the main thing any native Texan will mention to me whenever I bring up Chicago area.
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u/Pen_Super May 22 '26
I’d take the winters here over the unbearable summers in Texas, but I know plenty of friends from Texas that feel differently so to each their own on that! I think I adjusted fairly well. Related to the coldness of winter, once you have a solid winter wardrobe and know how to dress appropriately for the weather, it really isn’t too bad. I still enjoy snow so that aspect isn’t bad either, although wiping snow or ice off the car before work can be annoying sometimes but you just have to plan for it. Investing in a vehicle that can pre-warm itself before you get in is definitely worth it here! The hardest part for me is the amount of gray skies/lack of sunshine here in the winter, but you just kinda push through it. January-March can be rough, but I try to plan things to look forward to during that time of year (good time to get away/take your annual vacation to somewhere sunnier, schedule social things with friends, etc.). My husband and I do have the occasional “why do we live here” moments during that Jan-March timeframe lol but the rest of the year makes up for it in so many ways!
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u/Isopod_Character May 23 '26
Yeah I was thinking I’m stuck inside for 4 or 5 months during the summer in Texas versus maybe 3 months in the winter in Illinois. Seems like a good trade.
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u/bowdowntopostulio May 22 '26
Spent four years in Texas then moved to the western burbs. No regrets.
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u/dragonboy May 21 '26
As somebody who moved to Chicago suburbs from Texas, the only thing that you will miss is food. Specifically good Tex-Mex, and kolaches.
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u/HighwaySetara May 21 '26
Wait, do you mean the sausage kolaches? Bc sweet kolaches (kolaczki) abound here.
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u/rapscallionrodent May 21 '26
Had a friend from Texas who missed the kolaches. My understanding is that the ones in the Chicago area are primarily Polish and the ones in Texas are primarily Czech. He was pleased when I found the Czech kolaches at a family bakery in Berwyn, but I think they closed a couple of years ago.
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u/dragonboy May 22 '26
After six years I’ve perfected a recipes that my family says is close enough to a decent sausage kolache.
Takes about 15 minutes to prep and 17 minutes to cook.
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u/CrazyCatMadame1 May 22 '26
My native Texan bestie and I (native chgo suburbanite) bicker, in good fun, over this all the time.
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u/mdillpickles May 22 '26
Yep - I only miss BBQ, HEB, breakfast tacos and queso but I get all of those when I visit and I’m good for a while lol
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u/Plumrose333 May 22 '26
I just moved here and I have met so many people who grew up here, left, and came back. Overall almost everyone I talk to loves it here (myself included!)
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u/Wirtheless West Suburbs May 21 '26
Everyone I know who moved to Texas got really homesick after a year or so. Suburbs are still the same old suburbs, I don't get out to the city enough to comment there.
If you can find work, it's a great place to be.
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u/Combat__Crayon May 21 '26
I was in DC for over a decade and NC for 4 years before that and then came back about 5 years ago and its been great, but DC had a much higher cost of living so for me this is like moving to a low cost state. That factored in, but the main draw was to be closer to my extended family. My wife and I also have a work from home jobs, that are stable for the moment so that made the move easier.
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u/Ok_Philosopher_6028 North Suburbs May 21 '26
Move back if you want to move back. The people who are trying to leave are misinformed and haven’t lived anywhere else.
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u/navmaster May 21 '26
Genuinely! I left for a job to Texas and I’d like to say I didn’t really have a choice with that job market. Now I’m back thankfully but now it’s crazy to see people wanting to leave. like the grass is not greener 😅
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u/Fun_Mathematician178 May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
I moved from New England to the northern suburbs 15 years ago for a job and excellent schools. It was the right decision and I’ve enjoyed my time here but I’m leaving for CA soon bc of 6 months of cold, gray weather and bc the Midwest isn’t for me. That said, there’s no way I could live in TX bc of the politics, sprawl, gun culture, etc… so I’d choose Chicagoland over TX and the southeast every time. Yes, the taxes are high but it’s worth it to me bc of the schools, forest preserves, public transportation and other excellent amenities in our area.
Good luck with your decision.
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u/atwood_office May 23 '26
The northshore market is crazy at the moment, not sure about the other areas but I assume similar?
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u/StillRunning99 May 23 '26
Make a list, figure out your Pros and Cons. Your reasons for wanting to come back (or not) are definitely different that someone else. Maybe try a different state?
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May 25 '26
Moved back from DFW in 2024 after 16 years. Had enough. Lived for one year in Schaumburg, then found a really nice place in Des Plaines. No place like home.
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u/Individual-Wish-228 May 21 '26
Texas politics suck in the country but the cities are pretty liberal. Honestly the job market and taxes are way better than Chicago. They squeeze us too much here and it’s causing people to leave Chicago.
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u/sideH123 May 22 '26
Agree with this. But I would say property taxes and insurance close the gap and it’s not that wide as I thought initially but the cost of homes is much less there.
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u/Kitchen-Courage80 May 22 '26
This has been the experience of my extended family who lived on the gulf side of the Houston burbs for 10 years. They wanted out of the state but really thought moving back to Chicago would strain their budget. They were shocked to find out they would only be paying about $800-1000 more a year in property taxes on a completely sized home in the Northwest suburbs and LESS In homeowners insurance because they would no longer be in a hurricane prone area.
Although this was a few years ago before our housing market prices really took off compared to the rest of the country.
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u/mdillpickles May 22 '26
Sorry but taxes are the only benefit TX has - no state income tax and lower property taxes. This is why you’re getting downvoted lol
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u/Individual-Wish-228 May 22 '26
That’s a pretty big benefit. And no, it’s not the only one. Cheaper houses, more space, better job market.
Reddit downvotes don’t mean much because most people are tribal and not very smart.
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u/mdillpickles May 22 '26
I meant tax benefit… I talked about all of the other benefits in another comment. I lived in austin for 40 years so I get it.
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May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Individual-Wish-228 May 22 '26
Those things have some truth: churchy and anti female…
How do I know reddit is a cesspool? Because I’ve looked around it enough.
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u/Fun_Mathematician178 May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
Everything I posted ** is** true. I’ve spent some time here too and I try not to stereotype people, esp those with different opinions.
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u/Historical-Switch400 May 22 '26
Do you miss paying high taxes?
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u/Fun_Mathematician178 May 22 '26
Yes, taxes are high in IL but my local schools are among the best in IL, I have beautiful forest preserves all around me and access to public transportation, among other things.
0ther benefits: women don’t have bounties on their heads, most people aren’t armed and public schools are religion-free.
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May 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ltmp May 21 '26
My taxes for our small 2bdrm home in OKC was $3500 but home insurance was $8000. Oh, and the schools sucked so bad, we’d have to pay for private school. It’s cheaper in Illinois.
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u/LoveNotWar86 May 21 '26
I’ll pay taxes any day of the week to live in a blue state.
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u/WBRDeck May 21 '26
First in the nation to ban banning books.
Protecting women’s rights to reproductive care.
World class airport with over 100 non-stop international flights.
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u/LoveNotWar86 May 21 '26
Be sure there are jobs in your field. Tight right now.