Gen X, Millennials Drive Texas Migration Boom, Dallas-Fort Worth Leads

Three workmen load up a Budget rental moving truck in Queens, New York.
Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Texas and Florida are once again leading the states in the most new residents, surveys show. But what makes the Lone Star State so attractive, and which metros are people flocking to? And, where are people moving out of Texas going, and why? A new analysis sheds some light on the latest migration patterns.

Online marketplace HireAHelper partnered with data provider PGM to analyze a database of 18,000,000 national moves between June 2024 and May 2025. The migration report focused on origins and destinations of adult moves, intrastate versus interstate flows, and the demographics of people who moved.

Here are some quick Texas migration statistics:

• Annual Texas moves from outside and inside the state: 1,403,786 people
• Annual Texas population gain from other states: 265,112 people
• Average monthly Texas population gain from other states: 22,092 people
• Average daily Texas population gain from other states: 726 people

HireAHelper's survey went deeper to uncover which Texas metros are seeing the most movement of people and the top reasons for moving in or out. Here's a breakdown of the results.

Top US states for net migration

Despite the tens of thousands of residents moving to Texas, the state ranked 19th for net migration. Between June 2024 and May 2025, Texas gained 14.1 more residents per 10,000 than it lost.

As in previous years, a large share (27.8%) of new Texans came from California, Florida and Colorado. California alone contributed to 14% of people moving into Texas. Experts cite affordable housing, job opportunities and the lack of a state income tax as major reasons for migration to Texas, according to HireAHelper.

Here's a breakdown of the top five states people left for the Lone Star State:

1. California: 14%
2. Florida: 9.2%
3. Colorado: 4.5%
4. Arizona: 3.8%
5. Illinois: 3.7%

1 in 3 new Texas residents are moving to this metro

The following list includes the top five metros with the largest population gain, along with the share of total new Texas residents:

1. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 519,078(31.7%)
2. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands: 376,391(20.7%)
3. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: 186,109(13%)
4. San Antonio-New Braunfels: 159,306(10.5%)
5. Killeen-Temple: 33,049(3%)

Texas also exhibited a national pattern of urban-to-suburban migration. Some of its fastest-growing metros also saw the most outbound moves, particularly Dallas, Houston and Austin, generally due to housing costs and remote work flexibility.

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Migration paths within Texas

Top 5 in-state sources of movers to the Austin-Round Rock metro area

1. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands: 23.74%
2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 21.84%
3. San Antonio-New Braunfels: 17.89%
4. Killeen-Temple: 8.94%
5. Corpus Christi: 2.63%

HireAHelper's analysis explored the top reasons people are moving to Texas.

Reason	% of TX moves	% of national moves	TX vs. national
New job or job transfer	30.7%	10.09%	67%
Wanted new or better housing	6.2%	14.54%	-135%
To look for work or lost job	5.1%	1.34%	74%

Gen X, Millennials

Of those moving into Texas, the majority are "Gen X" and "Millennials." On the other hand, a far smaller share belongs to the youngest generation of adults ("Gen Z") and the oldest generation ("Traditionalists").

1. Gen X (born between roughly 1965 and 1980): 40.7%
2. Millennials (born between roughly 1981 and 1996): 35.7%
3. Baby Boomers (born between roughly 1946 and 1964): 13.5%
4. Traditionalists (born between roughly 1928 and 1945): 3.3%
5. Gen Z (born between roughly 1997 and 2012): 2.7%

Most new Texas residents come from middle- and upper-middle-income households, which HireAHelper reports "fits the narrative of professionals and families moving for career opportunities, lower taxes, and a more affordable lifestyle compared to some coastal states."

1. Less than $12,000: 0.3%
2. $12,000 - $50,000: 20.4%
3. $51,000 - $100,000: 41.1%
4. $101,000 - $200,000: 32.9%
5. $201,000 - $250,000: 3.5%
6. $251,000 - $500,000: 1.9%

Who is leaving Texas?

The top Texas metros that saw the largest shares of the state's outbound moves include:

1. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 6.74%
2. Houston: 4.75%
3. Austin: 3.19%

The top states people moved to from Texas were as follows:

1. Florida (8.53%)
2. California (7.92%)
3. Colorado (6.33%)
4. Oklahoma (5.00%)
5. North Carolina (3.82%)