21 Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Lubbock, TX
Considering a Lone Star State residency but don’t want to live in over-populated cities like Dallas, Houston or San Antonio? Welcome to Lubbock, the Texan city with the 11th highest population, housing approximately 236,065 of the state’s finest. Responsible for unending cotton, one of rock and roll’s greatest and rowdy Red Raiders, this West Texas gem might be what your new-dwelling doctor ordered. There’s only one way to find out.
Contiguous Cotton
Lubbock is located in West Texas, home to the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world. Your allergies have officially, and adequately, been warned.
Rosas Is Royalty
Tex-Mex—the delicious and undeniably addicting blend of Mexican-American cuisine—reigns supreme in Texas, with Rosas Cafe the undeniable leader in Lubbock. Between their mouth-watering queso and freshly-made tortillas, you’ll be a recognized customer in no time.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Royalty
Buddy Holly, aka Charles Hardin Holley, was born in Lubbock, Texas on September, 7th 1936. Ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as the 13th greatest artist of all time in 2004, influencing greats like Bob Dylan, Elvis, and The Rolling Stones, you won’t have to wonder why you’ll feel instantly cooler living where the “single most influential creative force in early rock and roll” was born.
Everyone Hates Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is only 370 miles away from Lubbock, making the Sooner State a heated rival. Walking around, proudly sporting Oklahoma paraphernalia, will result in instant isolation.
High School Honors
Have Bieber-loving, Twitter tweeting offspring? Then you’re in luck. For three consecutive years, Newsweek has ranked Lubbock High School one of the top High Schools in the United States. We’re not saying Lubbock High is capable of curing your child’s Bieber Fever, but at least they’ll be receiving one stellar education.
It’s Cold Year Round
Sure, the average summer temperature is 93 degrees. Outside. Inside ANY building you will be forced to endure sub-zero temperatures continuously circulating by way of air conditioning. Don’t worry, no one will look at you oddly if you pair your daisy-dukes with a winter down coat.
Small Businesses a-Boomin’
In 2009 CNNMoney.com ranked Lubbock the 12th best midsize metro area to start a small business. Thanks to its expanding medical sector, flourishing agriculture industry, and educational system, Lubbock’s “economy is diverse enough to shelter it from the worst of the recession”. Feeling entrepreneurial?
High School Sports Aren’t Just Cool for High Schoolers
It doesn’t matter if you’re still slangin’ textbooks between classes or you’ve graduated twenty years ago, you go to the local high school football game. Learn the school fight song like it was an important final.
Crazy County Judges
YouTube sensation and Lubbock County Judge Tom Head put Lubbock politics on the map in August 2012 when he predicted President Obama’s re-election “might trigger a civil war and a United Nations invasion of Texas”. Um. Well. We all say absolutely asinine things, right?
Home is Where the Hub Is
Lubbock is the economic, education, and health care hub of the multi-country region known as the South Plains, which leaves little to wonder why the city’s nickname is “Hub City”.
Tantalizing Trucks
Who needs a fuel-efficient car when you can have a mountain-climbing, off-roading, toy-touting beast of a truck? No one in Lubbock, Texas, that’s who.
What’s Unemployment?
In 2005 only 3.9% of Lubbock’s population was unemployed. While the city’s unemployment rate has slowly climbed in the last 9 years, now 4.8% in December 2013, it is significantly less than the state of Texas’ unemployment rate, which currently sits at 6.4%. Jobs for everyone!
Red Raider Nation
Learn to A) love the color red, B) what the term “Guns Up” means, C) who the starting quarterback, wide receivers, running backs, and defensive ends are for the Texas Tech Football Team. After all, the saying goes “there’s a Texas Tech student for every tumbleweed you see.” Don’t worry, you’ll fit right in.
Ice Storms
Who needs snow when you can look forward to half an inch of freezing rain? Ice storms are a regular occurrence during the winter in North Texas, sometimes shutting down travel and causing power outages. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to thaw in the summer.
Drive In Movie Theaters Are Still Cool
The Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre offers old-fashioned fun year-round, complete with a 1950s style cafe. Go ahead, hide your friends in the trunk of your car and enjoy an American classic!
Conservative Cathys
In 2005 the Bay Area Center for Voting Research ranked Lubbock the 2nd most conservative city in the United States. No, Lubbock’s conservative rank hasn’t changed since.
Gettin’ Lucky in Lubbock
Unigo ranked Texas Tech University one of the “Top 10 Schools Where Everybody Gets Lucky”. However, students must be doing something right because Texas Tech ranked as the 2nd lowest STD-having University in the Big 12.
Liquor Languish No More!
Until May 9, 2009, the only place one could get their drink on was a fine restaurant or bar establishment, as liquor stores were forbidden to sell packaged alcohol to the general public. In other words, Lubbock was a dry county. However, on May 9, 2009, Proposition 1 let the firewater flow, legalizing the sale of packaged alcohol in Lubbock County. Cheers!
Beautiful Babes
It’s no secret, the women in Texas are beautiful. More so in Lubbock, as Playboy has ranked Texas Tech female students the 2nd hottest in the country. Just be respectful. After all, they’re southern belles gentlemen.
Lubbock Lyrics
Lubbock is cool enough to grace the lyrical pages of a few songs. Check em’ out! (No surprise, they’re country songs).
Small Town Feel
While Lubbock is the 11th largest city in Texas, there’s no denying that good ol’ hometown feel. Everyone still waves to everyone, everyone still looks out for everyone, and everyone seems to smile for no apparent reason at all. The people are friendly the way only hometown people can be. It’s hard to put a price on that.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Estately is a national online real estate search site whose articles have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, NBC News, Philadelphia Magazine, GeekWire, The Denver Post, and more.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
OTHER ARTICLES BY ESTATELY
53 Reasons You Should Live In Texas
34 Things to Know Before Moving to Austin
11 Best U.S. States for Bigfoot to Live
