Texas Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Wichita Falls, Texas

Population: 104,000

Located in Archer County

Wichita Falls, Texas offers residents and visitors alike a unique blend of culture and western heritage with a diverse offering of cultural, sporting and educational activities. Wichita Falls was rated among the top most affordable places to live in the U.S. in last year¹s CNN.com report, and it ranked in the top ten percent in the nation in terms of commuting time, according to Sperling¹s Best Places to Live.

Wichita Falls sits in the northernmost part of Texas, with Oklahoma City and Dallas a two-hour drive away. The city of 104,000 people borders the townships of Burkburnett and Iowa Park that add another 17,000 people to the area. Residents here have a self-levied tax that funds quality of life projects and events for the entire community.

It¹s a good thing the economy still runs strong in Wichita Falls, largely due to the community¹s fiscal conservatism and diversity. Wichita Falls enjoys multicultural influences from around the world and is home to an impressive roster of Fortune 500 companies and foreign manufacturers from Sweden, France and Switzerland. Developers have a shovel-ready business park where new businesses can break ground immediately. A strong economy can be attributed primarily to growth in the three major sectors of government, manufacturing and healthcare. Business here runs as usual with manufacturing, oil, gas, agriculture, education, large corporations, and a thriving military base.

Sheppard Air Force Base, the largest employer in the area with 3,700 permanent personnel, provides training and facilities to nearly 35,000 active duty, retiree and civilian personnel. The estimated impact of this base on local economy is $612 million annually. Sheppard is the headquarters for the European NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, which is the only one of its kind in the world and trains the U.S. allies' most promising fighter pilots. The base also supports several technical training schools for U.S. military service members. In addition, there are three American Legions and four Veterans of Foreign Wars posts within the community. The Municipal Airport is co-located with Sheppard's airfield.

New housing developments are continually springing up all over the city with several new apartment/condominium projects. Wichita Falls also hosts a wide variety of homes, including superior senior citizen complexes. Prices have not plunged in the economic downturn and sales remain strong.

Wichita Falls has 18 pre-school and kindergarten schools, 12 private or parochial schools, and 29 public schools. For continuing education, the city has an American Commercial College, two Vernon Regional Junior College campuses and the 170-acre Midwestern State University offering 75 degree programs. The university was named as the ³best value in higher education in Texas.² It boasts a diverse student population from 46 countries.

If your property is on fire, you can count on Wichita Falls¹ fire department to respond to requests for help in approximately 3.9 minutes. If you¹re seriously hurt, the city is equipped with a new command vehicle and a hospital helicopter for emergencies. Of worthy note is the fact that the hospitals here are regional hubs for heart and cancer treatments. Wichita Falls also sponsors an active gang task force, Crime Stoppers, and an active DARE program. Needless to say, crime prevention and safety are top priorities here.

Recreational opportunities abound in Wichita Falls with 41 parks, five golf courses, three public tennis centers, four football and six soccer fields, and a skateboard park close to Sheppard Air Force Base. The parks are planted with 90,000 flowers, which bloom in the spring and fall. There are also plenty of lakes that are great for water sports and camping for the whole family. Keep Wichita Falls Beautiful is an active organization that helps educate the community on environmental issues. The community recently completed a reverse osmosis water plant to conserve water into the next century, and 300,000 passengers were moved on the city¹s Falls Ride bus system. Wichita Falls also has weekly curb recycling that processes back into 20,000 tons of organics recycled for the community. To increase conservation awareness, the city is home to the River Bend Nature Center, which is 15 acres of trails, wetlands and ponds for nature observation.

The largest bike race in the world "Hotter'nHell" is held in Wichita Falls each year in August, fielding 25,000 visitors. The city also hosts an annual wine festival, an active library, a downtown organization that hosts Christmas celebrations and seasonal parades. Wichita Falls is also home to approximately 600 non-profit organizations with a vigorous volunteer force. In fact, Falls Fest is an annual fundraiser for charities that is held in one of the city¹s oldest and most beautiful city parks.

A few annual summer events include: the Red River Rodeo with 14,000 spectators; the Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournament which is the largest junior golf tournament in the world hosting 1,400 participants; historic Texas ranches compete during the Original Texas Ranch Roundup as 15,000 watch them vie for Texas Working Ranch of the Year honors; and the Super Sectionals tennis tournament. Sports enthusiasts will be delighted with Wichita Falls¹ 14,500 seat astro-turf Memorial Stadium, which is the annual site of the Texas-Oklahoma Oil Bowl and one of the finest in Texas drawing the best high school players to the football field.

On the performing arts scene, Wichita Falls' Museum and Arts Center provides artistic and cultural programs, laser light shows, displays, and a children's discovery center. The Wichita Falls 70 member Symphony, Ballet Theatre (which has won "Honor Company" status since 1991), Texas Gold Shows, and Backdoor Theatre, all provide superb entertainment to the community.