Austin, Dallas-Ft Worth-Arlington, San Antonio, Houston, and Frisco round out the top 5 cities that people are moving to in Texas. There are numerous suburbs that are extremely popular as well. Several of those suburbs are growing into large cities themselves.
They are moving from all over the country and not leaving either. Net migration in the last year numbers over 550,000 and those numbers are growing. An exodus of people from high-tax liberal states, mainly California and New York, are flooding Texas. Austin tops the list of most popular destinations to move to.
Austin
The killer combination of job growth in Austin and lifestyle factors are bringing in people that are leaving areas like New York, San Diego, and L.A. No state income tax is also a big draw for those fleeing the crazy tax burdens of places like California. Lack of economic freedom in other states is another reason cited as a reason why Texas is the place to be. As traditional millennial magnets become more and more expensive, Austin is being discovered as a great fit for young upcoming adults. Housing costs play a large role due to its generally lower costs comparatively. Texas has expanded its housing supply at twice the rate of places like California and New York. For new families starting out that are priced out of the market or must look at living with parents, leaving their states for Texas becomes an even easier decision.
Dallas – Fort Worth
With a Metro population of ~7 million, a mean average salary of ~50k, and home pricing averaging 210k, DFW remains a top destination. Dallas has been an economic powerhouse for decades and is one of the top cities in the world. See our other articles on why Dallas and Ft Worth culture is world-class. If you want to find an area of Texas that still has some of its old country roots showing, Fort Worth might be the city for you. Stockyards and brick roads and a renovated Downtown area give Fort Worth a lively cultural scene. It is distinctly different from Dallas, and a little more laid back but the vibe is still big city all the way. Both cities over world-class dining, entertainment, and amenities.
San Antonio
The River Walk is both beautiful and iconic. With a population of 2.3 million, San Antonio is a growing city with a rich history. Despite being a large city, it feels like an escape from the hectic pace of places like Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth. Tourism is a large part of the industry of the city and festivals and restaurants are plentiful. The nightlife isn’t as vibrant as Austin’s 6th Street or Dallas’ Deep Ellum, but the whole city can have a vacation destination feel to it.
Houston
Houston remains one of the largest cities with 6.5 million living within its area. Salary mean average is around 53k and housing costs are an average of 216k. Houston is toward the top because of the region’s relatively low cost of living, including consumer prices, utilities, and transport costs and, most importantly, housing prices. Everything is bigger and your money goes farther in Texas. Texas has six of the country’s 20 biggest cities
Frisco
In several online ranking systems, you will find Frisco as voted the Best place to live in Texas. North of Dallas, Frisco enjoys a combination of lower cost of living and higher median incomes. Frisco is down to earth, family friendly and within driving distance of Dallas and all its amenities. If you want all the benefits of living near the big city without the crime, Frisco is the place to be. Frisco ranked #1 as the city with the least amount of violent crime. The population is around 163,000 and growing. The housing market is pricey, with a median average of $395,000 however.
