Why More People Are Moving To Texas

Sometimes we all need a change, whether it’s our lifestyle, our hobbies, or where we choose to live. Finding a state that truly feels like home, especially if you have to relocate to find work,  can be a challenge. But for a lot of people, Texas is looking more and more like the place to be. According to the Texas Relocation Report 2021, people have been moving to Texas in droves — over 500,000 people a year for the last seven years running, a trend that is expected to continue. So why are more and more people moving to the great state of Texas? Let’s take a look.

The economy is strong.

One of the main reasons people move to a new state is to find a better job — or more opportunities to get any kind of job at all. That makes Texas particularly appealing as a destination, since it has the world’s 9th largest economy and ranks 12th in the nation. A number of Fortune 500 companies make their home in Texas, particularly in the tech sector. The most prosperous fields in terms of jobs are aerospace, engineering, healthcare, oil, and technology, among others. The strong job market also means healthy wages — the average yearly salary in Dallas is about $67,000 a year, and even the average salary statewide is higher than the national average.

Cost of living is lower.

Providing even more punch to the strong economy in Texas is the lower cost of living. The average living expenses across the state are 8% lower than the national average, and Dallas ranks highly as one of the most affordable major cities to live in compared to the rest of the nation. Even car insurance is cheaper in Texas than the national average — according to Ross Martin at the Zebra, about 9% lower. Paying less for gasoline, groceries, and other necessities is always a nice bonus when looking for a new place to live.

No personal tax.

Another big plus to the income situation in Texas? You get to keep more of it. There’s no personal income tax in Texas, which means a significant financial benefit even above and beyond the high wages and low cost of living. That makes Texas a pretty tough state to beat in terms of getting your money’s worth.

More business-friendly.

There’s a reason why so many top companies make their homes in Texas — the state is renowned for being particularly business-friendly. What does that mean? In general, it means fewer business regulations and looser city rules when it comes to business. The state government tends to take a more hands-off attitude, tending to stay out of the way of entrepreneurs and corporations.

There are a few other ways Texas is particularly friendly to businesses:

• Lots of real estate. Texas is big, and that means plenty of room to expand and grow. There is lots of real estate available, and at affordable rates.
• Lower taxes for business and tax incentives for improving their infrastructure and growing their workforce.
• Texas is one of the biggest green energy states in the nation, and that means plenty of growth opportunities for companies in the energy field.
• That strong economy we talked about earlier? The forecast is that it will continue to go up well into the future.

Great schools.

In addition to being business-friendly, Texas is also family-friendly, which is to say there are plenty of elementary and grad schools to choose from. The larger cities, such as Houston, have good school districts, with high test scores in math, science, and reading. There are several renowned schools beyond high school as well, such as the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

Family-friendly also means lots of activities to do with your family, whether it’s biking, hiking, or running in one of the many outdoor spaces Texas has to offer, or enjoying the rich culture of zoos, museums, theater, and more.

Diverse culture.

Did you know there are over 140 languages spoken in Houston alone? Though you might not expect it, Texas actually ranks as the 2nd most diverse state in the country. More than 1/3 of the state is Hispanic or Latin, making Texas a largely bilingual state. In Houston’s Asia Town, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Laotian, Thai, Malaysian, Korean, and Japanese businesses work alongside one another. There are other unique pockets of diversity such as Fredericksburg, where a large German population has given the town a decidedly Central European flavor.

Warmer weather.

Not everyone relishes the hot weather in the summer, but many, especially as they get older, much prefer the warm weather to the cold. While the summers can get particularly hot, many areas remain relatively mild for large parts of the year.

Granted, Texas might not be the first place someone thinks of when starting a new chapter of their life — but as it turns out, there are more reasons to consider it than you might expect.