Supposedly HR was coming this month with a consulting firm to triple corroborate that yes, inflation is high in the Permian, coupled with challenges such as poor medical services, challenges with public education, capacity of private schools, waitlists for all services, etc. Money obviously helps equalize this with other MCBU employees with the same pay but much lower cost of living in Houston. Anyone has insight on the outcome?
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How would you compare Middle Land to Bako, for example, for singles and older singles??
The singles scene is fairly active in Midland. Lots of young field hands looking fo action. Plenty of bars, dance hall, golf courses and churches to meet singles.
Strange that people keep commenting on how Midland is particularly rough if you have a family. Can you imagine being single and trying to date there??
Check out Tall city Brewing. Will cure all fears about moving to Midland
@2gsb, I believe you are right. All the downvotes to your comment are coming from the the regretful employees who live there and made the terrible mistake of buying a home. They understand Midland is clearly the last stop on their career line.
Midland is a suburban paradise for many. Small town feel. Good schools and churches. Baseball, football, softball. Great family town. Lots of backyard bbq parties. Lots of beer drinking. Short drive to NM or CO mountains.
Don’t let Chevron con you into transferring to Midland, not if you have a family in tow and prefer to buy a house. You will have more downside than get any redeeming value for making that career mistake. It’s a dark ho-e, easy to get absorbed in and hard to get out later. Midland is not a place to end your career. Be careful.
Like any other assignment, there are plenty of people in the company who have already been there - they can give you the pros and cons. There should be no surprises, especially the exaggerated ups and downs in the Midland economy. As they say, the proof is in the pudding - people go to Midland, put up with it for a couple years, then swear never to return again.
The biggest issue in the Bay area has always been housing. Back in the day the housing incentives were amazing under the Very High Cost of Living definitions. We moved there three times and Chevron pitched in about $200k each time for housing - down payment assistance, interest rate buydown, etc. That's all dialed way back under the current programs.
The Bay Area? You can't be serious. hypodermic needle strewn sidewalks, wildfires, rampant crime with no adequate law enforcement, exorbitant costs for everything, can't find that in Midland, Lol!
The difference is that you have people that still would love to work in the Bay area given all it has to offer, from entertainment, education, cultural and medical. Cant find any of that in Midland.
With that reasoning, Bay Area should get a bump vs. Houston
Most people I know so their own yard work, ironing, even haircuts. But if you are paying double I guess a huge adjustment is in order.
@dhw. 100% NOT true. I moved from Houston and still go there often. Just compare any labor intensive service and its double here. Yard work, dry cleaning, haircut, mechanics. It is so easy to give your opiNion based on nothing.
@lra. When I took the position there was an uplift. I assume you have nothing to complain about, as you dont have stay at chevron if there is anything you dont like.
Sorry to hear you’re frustrated about your assignment in sunny West Texas. It’ll be OK, you’re not the first to be plopped down in some dusty oilfield town without a Costco. Thousands have come before you through numerous booms and busts and persevered to check the Midland box and move on, I was one of them. I gained a lot of great experience and managed to buy a house in a peak market with hardly any available inventory, sent my kids to pre-school and then public school, found a doctor, a dentist, orthodontist, even saw specialist.
Midland is and always will be what you make of it. I saw the assignment as an opportunity to leverage my career and I did it without any uplift payment for the majority of the time I was there.
Cost of living is about the same as Houston. Waitlists for services are the norm nationwide.
Midland is by far the worst domestic placement, particularly if you have a family. It always has been.
Why get paid more for living and working in Texas....you didn't have to accept the position.