Texas Migration Patterns: Who’s Moving In and Out?

Between 2000 and 2023, Texas’s total population grew by 46.32%. This might not seem like much, but when you consider that the state added as many as 10 million new residents within the last two decades, you know the Lone Star State must be doing something right.

The influx trend following Texas migration is a testament to its robust economy, appealing diversity, and low living costs. However, while it’s no secret that the state currently sits at #2 of the most populated areas in the nation, it has also lost a fair share of its residents.

To better understand the state’s migration pattern, let’s examine all the data on resident inflow and outflow.

What states are they moving to?

What states are they coming from?

Overview of Texas Migration

Before the Lone Star State became a beacon of cultural diversity, modernity, and a land of business opportunities, it had always had a history of migration.

Dating as far back as its creation in the 19th century, Texas has had a continuously positive population growth with each passing decade.

Being a land full of opportunities for migrants seeking economic prosperity, the state has always had settlers trying to make their way here through several of its sectors.

Moreover, the oil boom in the 20th century improved Texas’s allure, making it a solid powerhouse for businesses. Despite the woes of natural disasters flooding the state, it maintained its economic stance while forging a path ahead for residents.

Current Migration Trend in Texas

Data on Texas population and inbound migration highlights that the state continues to show a dominating growth rate of 4.7% compared to the national 1.1% between 2020 and 2023.

In 2020 alone, many of the moving companies in Texas helped about 596,000 Americans move to Texas. Combining that data with other historic migration figures in Texas, the state experiences an influx of at least 395,000 annually.

Californians and Floridians drive this sprouting growth rate in Texas, with a joint population of about 141,000.

As earlier highlighted, the buzzing economy, low cost of living, and increased job availability are some major attractions for many new residents.

Some of the major cities experiencing the highest influx of migrants in 2022 include;

Houston – 92,562
Austin – 50,415
Dallas – 48,452
San Antonio – 45,799
Fort Worth – 26,180

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic slightly contributed to the increased inbound migration rate to Texas. With remote work gaining popularity, many of these workers are beginning to opt for more cost-effective lifestyle changes, like those in Texas.

Who’s Moving In? Demographic Analysis

There are no specific groups moving to the Lone Star State. However, the young professionals and growing family populace might be the leading group in this mass migration into Texas.

Meanwhile, on the commercial aspect of things, the tech, automobile, and communications industries have a larger number of newly established businesses in the state.

Residential movers

There’s no Texas growth without these guys! Based on the number of people moving to Texas, let’s highlight the five states contributing to the population growth in the state.

Using data between 2020 to 2022:

State	Number of Inbound Residents	Number of Inbound Households
California	105,434	52,816
Florida	36,961	20,616
Louisiana	31,207	16,123
New York	23,386	13,753
Colorado	25,021	13,162

Commercial Movers

While the job market in Texas has slowed over the past year, employment rates are still up, outpacing the national average growth rate. Based on positive signs, Texas will add about 284,000 jobs this year, a 2% increase from last year.

The 164 companies that moved to Texas between 2020 and 2023 played a significant role in the robust economy every migrant is trying to enjoy.

Big corporations like Toyota, Tesla, Caterpillar, AECOM, McKesson, and AT&T have all either relocated headquarters to the state or placed a branch of their business here.

Based on Texas immigration statistics, the top cities hosting many of these big companies include:

Austin – 26%
Dallas – 15%
Houston – 10%
Fort Worth – 7%
Irving – 6%

Social and Economic Impact of Inbound Migration

With a continuously rising population, it is only expected for there to be changes in the regular Texas way of life.

How has the high influx of out-of-state troopers affected Texas living?

Cultural diversity

Who is moving to Texas? Having a high volume of migrants trooping into Texas, you can expect to find a diverse race and cultural scene in the state.

The state fosters diversity and multiculturalism in its entertainment and food scene. Whatever dish you can think of, there’s probably a restaurant in the Lone Star State to serve your taste buds.

Economic benefits

A large population can raise the economic scene in any city or state. For instance, inbound migration will result in many companies moving to the area, which in turn fuels the job market.

Moreover, for Texans, this is the reality of their current economy. The top five states contributing to Texas population growth brought about 44% of the state’s total AGI for 2020-2021 at $12.1 billion.

Housing market

Based on basic knowledge of supply and demand, a rising population is good for real estate businesses. However, in some cities like Austin, home value prices tend to hit the roof due to competition.

Who’s Moving Out?

While the rate of people moving out of Texas isn’t comparable to the number of migrants coming in, it’s still a significant number to consider.

According to data from the 2020-2021 census, California is the #1 destination state for fleeing Texans, with Florida following closely behind.

More details about the top five states housing ex-Texans:

State	Number of Outbound Residents	Number of Outbound Households
California	36,092	21,103
Florida	37,999	20,859
Colorado	23,882	13,456
Oklahoma	22,258	11,483
Louisiana	17,743	9,279

Economic and Social Challenges of Outbound Migration

What are some of the challenges that could possibly rock Texas for losing roughly 130,000 of its residents annually?

Economic Consequences

For starters, losing any part of your population is bad for the economy. It might lead to potential labor shortages and even a reduced consumer market. This means businesses would make less than the standard annual income.

Brain Drain

Imagine losing your most talented and highly skilled individuals. Think of losing someone like a young Steve Jobs, who could have created a massive company with plenty of job opportunities in Texas—this is one of the unspoken dangers of consistently having your residents move out.

While Texas pretty much makes back the number of lost residents, it remains a slight problem worth solving. With little to no proper entrepreneur motivation in a state, the economy is prone to collapse—fortunately, this is not the case with Texas.

Future Outlook of Texas Demographics

The future of the Texas population scale is bright! Although population growth might have slowed down a bit, there’s every bit of positivity that the migration rate into the state will not stop.

With the economic infrastructure still glowing and booming, education still being top-notch, and housing more affordable than in other states its size, migration into Texas will continue to be a key driver of population growth.

Summary—Understanding Texas Migration

The Texas migration pattern reflects a dynamic and ever-changing demographic.

More people will move out of the state within the next decade, and even more people will troop intoTexas during similar time frames. Plenty of factors will decide the movement; for most people, their finances will be the benchmark.