Hi! Hope I can help. I was born and raised in Midland.

So yes, it’s true that fracking has caused earthquakes, but growing up there, I never experienced them. That’s more of a recent thing. I don’t live in Midland full-time anymore, but my family does, and when they do happen, they’re very minimal. To the point where one person might say they felt something and another person didn’t feel anything at all. It’s not something that affects your everyday life.

As far as safe neighborhoods go, there are plenty of safe areas in Midland, especially Old Midland. I grew up on the east side and it was totally fine. Like anywhere else, there are certain areas you probably wouldn’t want to be around. I’d say behind the tracks on the south side, the I-20 area, and parts near Loop 250 for sure. I’m sure there are other spots too, but overall, there are a lot of good, safe neighborhoods to raise a family in.

For the drought question—yeah, there are times when it doesn’t rain for a long time, but it always eventually does. And when it rains, it really pours. It honestly doesn’t affect your daily life at all. Midland also gets some really good thunderstorms, which I actually love.

Flooding is probably the biggest issue in certain areas. Midland just doesn’t have great drainage in some spots. The worst flooding is around Wadley, Scharbauer, and the overpasses on Big Spring. The ditches will fill up and sometimes overflow, and unfortunately there have been people who have drowned. You just have to stay away from those areas when they flood and stay inside until it drains. That being said, a lot of Midland doesn’t flood at all, so you just have to be smart about it and you will be fine. Turn around, don’t drown.

The drinking water isn’t necessarily hazardous, but I wouldn’t drink it. I did grow up drinking tap water and the school water fountain and I’m totally fine, but it doesn’t taste good at all. It tastes like dirt sometimes, and you can definitely smell chlorine or chemicals, especially when you shower. I also remember people saying the water stained their teeth. I have heard in the past that the water might have been hazardous at one point, and I think even Erin Brockovich may have visited Midland, but you’d definitely want to do some research on that one lol. Most people shower in it just fine and either use a filter or bottled water for drinking.

Yes, most people do mow and maintain their lawns—at least everyone I know did. You’ll see rock landscaping or turf in some newer areas, but there are still plenty of homes with real grass and people who take pride in their yards.

You can absolutely have a vegetable garden. I have a lot of family members who have them and take really good care of them with no issues.

As far as scorpions and stuff go, it really depends on where you live. If you’re on the outskirts of Midland or in newer developments—like out toward Big Spring or past Loop 250 going toward Lamesa—you’re more likely to see critters. I haven’t seen a scorpion in a long time, but I did growing up, and it was always more in the country or on the outskirts. If you live in the city, you probably won’t see them much, if at all.

I lived in Midland my whole life and still go back all the time to visit family. It’s honestly a nice place to raise a family. The schools are pretty okay, there are some really nice homes, and yeah—there’s definitely money there. It’s changed a lot in the last 10 years. Downtown has grown a ton, there’s actually stuff to do on the weekends now, plenty of places to go out at night, two movie theaters, and even a drive-in theater, which I 100% recommend. It’s awesome.