New information from the United States Census Bureau shows Texas is leading all 50 states in terms of overall domestic migration.
While around 478,000 people left Texas for other states in 2023, around 612,000 people moved in for a net gain of 134,000.
California, New York, and Florida were the top states that individuals moving to Texas came from, according to the bureau’s data. Other states sending a significant number of people included Louisiana, Illinois, Washington, and Oregon.
Texans who decided to leave were primarily headed for Colorado, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Lloyd Potter, the director of the Texas Demographic Center and a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Newsweek earlier this month that “Texas has grown more than any other State for the past couple of decades.”
“Each year for the past three decades, Texas has grown by about 400,000 people,” Potter said, adding, “Counties surrounding the urban cores of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio/Austin are generally growing the fastest. We often refer to these counties as suburban ring counties.”
“Texas’s economy has been growing and has demonstrated relative resilience to economic fluctuations compared to many states,” he continued. “This, combined with a generally lower cost of living compared to other large states and business-friendly policies, have been additional factors.”
The fastest-growing Texas counties are Kaufman, with a 26 percent population increase; Rockwall, with 20 percent; Comal, with 18 percent; Liberty, with 17 percent; and Parker, with 16 percent.
Texas has seen steady population growth since 2000 across the Texas Triangle region, which encompasses the cities of Austin, Dallas, College Station, Houston, and San Antonio.
In April 2021, the Census Bureau awarded Texas two new congressional seats following the completion of the 2020 Census, bringing it to a total of 38 seats and 40 electoral votes. It was the only state to receive more than one additional seat and electoral vote after the 2020 census.
However, the Census Bureau later acknowledged errors that resulted in undercounting Texas by more than half a million people, costing Texas a third new congressional seat.
The latest news on Texas’ domestic migration numbers comes several months after Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar released a report warning of elevated prices and high interest rates affecting borrowing costs and home ownership.
Regarding housing affordability problems, Hegar stated, “My office will continue to work with legislators to provide support as they work to address this issue and prepare bills for the upcoming legislative session.”
