Texas ranks well above the national rankings for net interstate migration, further cementing its status as one of the most desirable states to live in.
According to recent data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 612,000 people will move to the Lone Star State in 2023 and about 479,000 will leave the state, bringing the net number of residents to about 133,000.
“We are proud to share the beauty of our state. It truly is a home away from home,” said Blake Barry, president of the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors, in an emailed press release highlighting the state’s population growth. There is no place I would like to call that.”
Despite the state’s continued housing shortage, population growth appears to continue at a rapid pace. Data shows that 2023 was the second year in a row that about 8.1% of people moving from state to state in the U.S. chose Texas.
An in-depth study by Texas Realtors examined some of the dynamics underlying population change.
The top states with which Texas exchanged residents were California and Florida.
In the case of the Golden State, about 94,000 people immigrated to Texas for greener pastures. Only about 39,000 Texans remained to settle in California, resulting in a net gain for the Lone Star State of about 55,000.
Meanwhile, about 51,000 Floridians moved to Texas. The number of Texans who immigrated to Florida was recorded as approximately 38,000, a net gain of approximately 13,000 residents in Texas’ favor.
Other states also contributed significantly to Texas’ net increase, including New York (10,600 people), Maryland (10,500 people), and Louisiana (10,000 people).
On the flip side, there are two states that benefit at the expense of the Lone Star states. Colorado gained about 6,800 residents from Texas, and North Carolina gained about 6,500 residents.
As for who will move to Texas in 2023, Helen Yu, senior demographer and deputy director of the Texas Demographic Center, told KERA News:
“From our research and other historical data, people moving to Texas tend to be younger working-age people, typically more likely to have children, and looking for better wages and more money. We found that these were people who came looking for opportunities, job opportunities.”
But a recent report on migration trends by the National Association of Realtors suggests there are other motivations behind Americans moving to the Lone Star State. The report assesses migration flows between regions and does not go into figures for individual states. Nevertheless, a survey of real estate agents across the United States in August 2024 yielded some interesting insights.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, The South, comprised of Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, accounted for the largest percentage of respondents. Customers (46%). The second-highest market share was the West (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming), attracting 25% of respondents’ customers. Ta.
Of those who moved to the South, 33% told a real estate agent it was to be closer to friends and family, 20% said it was to secure more housing for their money, and 19% said it was to get a lower tax rate/ He answered that it was because it was advantageous. , 16% said it was because they lived in a safe area with less crime. Only 11% said their motivation for changing jobs was due to improved opportunities in the job market.
Real estate agents were able to list multiple reasons for each customer in the survey.
It’s also worth noting that the Lone Star State’s housing market isn’t just fueled by interstate migration. Additionally, last year saw the highest number of intrastate transfers within a single state, at approximately 3.36 million.
