Approximately 612,000 people moved to Texas from 2022 to 2023, according to new census data. Most Americans who moved to Texas came from California and Florida, followed by New York and Illinois. Americans continue to seek affordability and job opportunities in the Lone Star State.
Arielle Francois had no intention of moving to Texas.
In 2022, the 20-something content creator moved from Miami to Dallas for a program with media company PMG, where she now works as a digital marketer.
Earlier this year, she told Business Insider’s Madison Hoff that living in Dallas has given her more visibility as a creator, resulting in “more opportunities” compared to South Florida. She also said she paid less than $2,000 a month in rent for a nice apartment, which she felt was more affordable than her options in Miami.
In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people have moved to Texas in search of a better life.
Nearly 612,000 people moved to the Lone Star State between 2022 and 2023, according to census data released Oct. 17. This data comes from the American Community Survey, which asked respondents whether they had moved in the past year.
In 2022, Ariel Francois moved from Miami to Dallas. Provided by Schuyler/Ariel Francois
California is the state that lost the most residents to Texas. Nearly 94,000 Californians moved to Texas, compared to more than 102,400 the previous year.
Francois’ former home state of Florida is the second largest food supply state after Texas. More than 50,500 residents left Florida for Texas in 2022-2023.
Texas remains a hotspot for moving companies
Texas ranked second in the U.S. for immigration in 2022-2023, trailing only Florida, which gained about 637,000 residents over the same period.
After California and Florida, Oklahoma is the state with the most people moving to Texas, with more than 29,700 people moving to Texas, up from 24,300 last year. New York followed, with just over 29,610 people moving to Texas.
Other states contributing more than 20,000 movers each include Louisiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Washington.
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Texas has something for everyone.
Some transplants are drawn to the state’s affordable reputation, thanks in large part to its relatively low cost of living and lack of state income taxes. Some are attracted to the business-friendly environment and abundant employment opportunities.
Many people also move to Texas for its small towns, looking for a down-to-earth community.
Michelle Clifford and her family moved from California to Texas. Provided by Michelle Clifford
Take Michelle Clifford, a 33-year-old sales manager from California who bought a house in Celina, Texas, with her husband this year.
Located north of Dallas, Celina is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. However, they managed to maintain a close-knit atmosphere. This, combined with the abundance of relatively affordable and spacious housing, has contributed significantly to population growth.
“We were drawn to Serena because we have friends who moved here from California,” Clifford told BI in July. “More importantly, we wanted to do something completely different. We had experienced city life and wanted to embrace country living and own land.”
It’s not just ordinary people who are looking to make a new start in Texas; celebrities are also among those making the move.
Bella Hadid, seen here in Cannes in 2021, is one of the celebrities who moved to Texas. Valerie Ash/AFP via Getty Images
Consider supermodel Bella Hadid. This year, I moved to Fort Worth, Texas to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City and live with my boyfriend, Adan Banuelos, a professional equestrian.
Hollywood actor Emma Stone and comedian Joe Rogan have also fled Los Angeles to Austin in recent years.
The trend reflects a broader shift in the restructuring of wealth in the United States, as even the nation’s wealthiest people choose places where money is more available, the climate is more attractive, and life is more relaxing. It has become.
Where people from Texas move to
Many people leave Texas for greener pastures.
From 2022 to 2023, the number of people leaving the country was approximately 478,600, lower than the 612,000 people moving in. This gap widened from 2021 to 2022, with more than 668,300 people moving to Texas and more than 494,000 leaving Texas.
The most people headed to California.
About 38,700 people moved from Texas to California from 2022 to 2023, down slightly from 42,300 the previous year.
Additionally, about 37,800 people moved from Texas to Florida, about 32,200 Texans moved to Colorado, and 31,500 headed to Oklahoma.
Other popular destinations for former Texans include Georgia, New York, and Louisiana, each of which hosts more than 18,000 residents from Texas.
Home prices and politics forced some Texans out
Texas may have its charms, but it also has some drawbacks.
Over the past year, BI has spoken with many residents who have left the state, citing rising home prices and property taxes, extreme heat, and a divided political climate as reasons for leaving the state.
Texan Flora Butts (right) and her husband (left) bought a house in Pennsylvania this year. Provided by Flora Butts
Flora Butts, a retired Medicaid program coordinator, moved to Pennsylvania this year after living in Austin for more than 60 years.
Butts, 65, told BI in May that she and her husband retired after “big tech” companies like Dell and Tesla transformed the Texas capital over the past few decades, raising the cost of everything from food to housing. Then he spoke.
“Michael Dell kicked the door down and let everyone in,” she said. “Technology money has changed Austin, driving up the cost of living.”
Butts and her husband bought a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on two-thirds of an acre in the small town of Erie, more than an hour and a half northwest of Cleveland.
She said she wouldn’t have been able to afford a similar home in Austin.
Ty Joerger watches the Seattle Mariners game with friends in Seattle. Courtesy of Ty Jorger
Ty Joerger, 25, from Texas, and about a dozen friends moved from Texas to the Pacific Northwest over the past two years.
Although he has a “laundry list” of reasons to leave Texas, he told BI in July that a common concern among him and his friends is the political climate, especially as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. .
“My friends and I shared a pretty similar sentiment: We don’t feel safe in a state that has increasingly aggressive laws targeting us,” he said. . “As a gay man, I didn’t feel like I could be myself.”
Joerger now lives in Seattle, where she said she feels safer and more accepted.
“I’ve lived in Texas all my life, but I’m so glad I moved to Seattle,” he said. Joerger added that despite the criticism, he still loves the Lone Star State, but hopes the state improves “before I recommend anyone move or live there.”
