Do you want to have a bigger house? A better business opportunity? Are people seeking a lower cost of living for their large families? Perhaps it’s because of a new job opportunity, or for a fresh start at a Texas college. Almost half a million people moved to Texas in 2022, and in 2023, more than 30 million residents now call the Lone Star State home. The reasons for families moving to Texas are plentiful, and making the move can be spurred by a number of different reasons—economical, cultural, educational, or otherwise. No matter what the reason is, moving to Texas can be exciting and full of great opportunities. Read on to learn more about why families are moving to Texas. 

• Highly affordable: Texas leads the US in population growth, but even with an influx of newly minted Texans, the cost of living remains truly affordable. Attractive housing prices, larger lots, and a variety of home options are definitely a major driver when it comes to why people are choosing to move to Texas. While popular areas like Austin might run buyers a bit more for housing and necessities, overall, the state’s cost of living is about 6% lower than the national average. 
• Tax Free Income, and then some: Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of moving Texas is this: It is one of 8 states with no state income tax. For those who move to Texas to start or to relocate a business, there’s more good news: Texas offers a variety of tax incentives. There’s the Texas Enterprise Zone Program, a state sales and use tax refund program that encourages investment and job creation in economically distressed areas of the state. 
• Moving out of other markets to a big, booming one: Many citizens have made the leap from towns like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, NYC, and Boston to towns in Texas. While Texas has traditionally been an economic powerhouse for years in areas like agriculture, oil, and gas, the state has expanded its economy immensely. Sectors of manufacturing, tech, engineering, aerospace, and energy have grown a lot in Texas. In turn, this has helped spur the growth of a strong, diverse workforce.
• Plentiful options for education: Not only are there great job opportunities in Texas, there are great schools too. Rice University in Houston is a prestigious Top 100 US News and World Report school. And of course, there is the prolific University of Texas at Austin as well as many more notable institutions including SMU, TCU, and Baylor. Proximity to colleges offers a multitude of benefits such as a lively community, proximity to nightlife, a highly educated workforce, and plentiful options for affordable housing. The Lone Star state is also known to have an excellent system of K-12 schools, as it’s home to some of the top-ranked school districts in the country.
• Diversity for the win: Let’s be honest—diversity isn’t always the first word that comes to mind when you consider Texas. However, one beautiful thing about the great state of Texas is its role as the second most diverse state in the United States (after California). Diversity makes for vibrant cities; an influx of immigrants to Texas has helped to fuel the state’s growth with entrepreneurial spirit, cultural richness, and desire to join in the booming Texas economy.  
• So many cities: In addition to a diverse population, Texas also has diverse towns, each with cultures all their own. Fort Worth is a highly desirable North Texas city with a good mix of urban and suburban amenities. Plano, a prosperous suburb, is famous for its plethora of public parks. San Antonio in South Texas boasts a rich history and great authentic Tex-Mex cuisine. Dallas and Houston have perhaps the most metropolitan vibes of all the Texas cities. Corpus Christi is a coastal town with a beach-life culture. And of course, Austin is the heart of Texas and a hot spot for food, culture, music, politics, and college football.
• Conveniently located: Although Texas is referred to as a Southwestern state, it is truly central when it comes to location. The easy access to airports as well as the state’s long coastline help to make the Texas the perfect place for travel—for business and pleasure. The state has 24 passenger airports, 12 of which are international, and 29 official ports of entry, which serve as major gateways for global trade. Texas is a hub for so many industries, and it is home to great vacation destinations too.

Are you part of one of the families moving to Texas? There are so many resources available regarding relocating to Texas. Be sure to check out this relocation planning tool and find more information about opportunities in Texas at https://texasedconnection.com/.