migration is the Sincerest Form of Flattery WHAT MAKES TEXAS “TEXAS”? by Ann Marie Kennon
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n 2021, Texas ranked #1 in oneway U-Haul rentals entering the state. Representatives at U-Haul report that due to pandemic conditions, people were forced to make adjustments in their lives and more than half of their national traffic involved a move to or within Texas last year. Texas U-Haul Vice President Matt Merrill said, "The way Texas deals with the pandemic is using common sense. Everybody takes care of themselves and takes care of their neighbor and we can't be shut down. We have to deal with it head-on. We continue to be open." Traffic into Texas grew nearly 20 percent from 2020 to 2021, largely due to moves from the west coast, mid-Atlantic, and New England states. Still, for nearly 200 years before COVID, Texas was attracting other Americans and today, migration from other states accounts for nearly one-third of the state's population growth from year to year. According to experts like U-Haul and Forbes, data show Texas is home to
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four of the top 50 most active metropolitan areas in all sectors of real estate combined over the past decade.
REAL ESTATE TRENDS Over the past decade, Dallas has shown the most office and industrial growth while Houston stands out as the most active single family market and the Austin-Williamson County metro area ranks 11th with the greatest population growth by percentage. This is no surprise to anyone who has lived in Liberty Hill since 2010 and experienced the 361 percent increase in the local population in 2022. Newcomers to Texas seem to land in the Houston area, particularly those Californians seeking relief in the state's lower home prices and tax rates, cheaper land, and solid economy but who still prefer a city lifestyle. Combining all these trends, the U.S. Census Bureau data show, overall, more than 687,000 Californians have moved to Texas over the last decade. Given the cost, it is hard
