Comprehensive review from a lifetime resident
-
2/1/2021
Aesthetically, a nice town surrounded by lovely countryside.
Some of the big chain stores like target are fairly far away (the closest “big city” is about an hour’s drive) but honestly, I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never suffered from the lack of shops. Anything you need you can get here.
The most common complaint is that there’s a lack of things for young people to do. There is a fair amount of events, but few businesses etc cater to young people. Never bothered me, but I’m a quiet type. If you want a busy nightlife, look somewhere else.
Quite safe overall, we do get some property theft but by and large you can go for a walk by yourself most places in the city in the middle of the night without being in any danger.
Culturally, it is very conservative and Christian. Might be a plus for you, but it does make life harder for lgbt people and poc. There are a few signs of positive change on that horizon, as the local college grows and brings a bit more progressivism with it, but it’s still an extremely republican place overall.
Rate of growth is reasonable, neither overwhelming nor stagnant.
Surprisingly good selection of thrift shops, and a spacious library.
I’ve never had any difficulty getting a job—some of the jobs are definitely a “who you know” thing, but it’s not hard to get to know people.
Excellent air quality, but the allergy season is terrible because of the high local cedar levels.
Very very few natural disasters in the area—the only thing we’re really prone to is flash floods, and those are easy to avoid once you learn how.
Day trip distance from a lot of cute small towns, including the tourist town of Fredericksburg which has a lot of gift shops and boutiques.
Pretty decent medical service—Peterson hospital isn’t great and I’d recommend the Fredericksburg hospital instead, but since we have a lot of retirees in the area we have a fair amount of doctors and specialists.
Many many deer, so invest in a quality grill guard before you come and ideally buy a truck or suv. The deer are friendly, but they’re not very wary of vehicles.
Oh, and a plus of this area—we have a lot of trophy ranches in the surrounding countryside, so you’ll often see zebra and buffalo grazing by the side of the road when you go for a drive! You don’t have to pay to go to a zoo if you live here.
Tl;dr: charming and very livable town with a strong republican bent, if you’re a rich republican retiree you’ll likely adore it, if you’re a young minority college student you’ll probably find it livable while you’re in college but not great long-term, sadly.
Lee | Kerrville, TX