Texas Ranks Second In U.S. For Relocation Activity In 2017

AUSTIN— Texas ranked second in the nation for relocation activity in 2017, according to the Texas Relocation Report released today by Texas REALTORS®, which analyzes the latest migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau and U-Haul.

“Texas remained a hotbed of relocation activity in 2017 due in part to our diverse job opportunities, record-breaking housing market and booming economy,” said Tray Bates, 2019 chairman of Texas REALTORS®. “This is the fifth year in a row that Texas has gained more than 500,000 new residents from out of state and we anticipate that trend will continue in the coming years.”

According to the report, Texas welcomed 524,511 new residents in 2017. This is less than the number of out-of-state residents who moved to Texas in 2016 (531,996). The net gain of out-of-state residents in Texas in 2017 fell from 87,656 in 2016 to 57,173 residents in 2017.

Residents moving to Texas from outside of the United States made up nearly half of the total inflow of residents. Among U.S. states, the highest number of new Texans relocated from California (63,175), Florida (33,740), Louisiana (28,700), Illinois (26,214) and New York (20,644).

Texas ranked third in the United States for the number of residents moving out of state (467,338) in 2017. The most popular out-of-state relocation destinations for Texans were California (40,999), Oklahoma (32,430), Florida (31,625), Colorado (25,212) and Louisiana (17,674).

At the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, New York-Newark-Jersey City and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin produced the highest volume of residents relocating to Texas. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA recorded the highest number of incoming residents from out-of-state (230,118), followed by Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (203,279).

At the county level, Harris County (Houston) led the state with a net gain of 83,282 residents relocating from out of state, but four of the top 10 counties with the highest net gain of out-of-state residents were in North Texas (Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties). Three of the top 10 counties were located in the Gulf Coast.

Bates concluded, “As more residents and businesses choose to put down roots in Texas, we need to preserve our favorable conditions to buy, sell, rent and own real estate here. As always, Texas REALTORS® will take the lead in advocating for policies at the state Capitol and in our communities that support our increasing population and strong economy.”

The 2019 edition of the Texas Relocation Report is based on data from the 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. The report analyzes county relocation data for the 40 largest demographic areas in Texas.

Texas REALTORS® distributes insights about the Texas housing market each month, including quarterly market statistics, trends among homebuyers and sellers, international trends, and more. To view the Texas Relocation Report in its entirety, visit TexasRealEstate.com.

With more than 114,000 members, Texas REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We are the advocate for REALTORS® and private property rights in Texas. Visit TexasRealEstate.com to learn more.