Most native-born Texans prefer to keep their boots firmly planted on Texas soil, according to a new study. The Lone Star State ranks No. 1 in the nation by a significant margin for the rate at which natives remain in the state.
Texas has a “stick” rate of approximately 82%, followed by North Carolina at 75.5%, Georgia at 74.2%, California at 73.0%, and Utah at 72.9%, according to research of 2021 data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
Factors causing this “sticky” rate can be difficult to measure. Some native residents may remain in Texas because they are strongly attached to the culture of their home state, while others may stay in Texas because they cannot afford a move out of the state, suggested Pew Research.
The states with the lowest rates of native-born resident retention are Wyoming at 45.2%, North Dakota at 48.6%, Alaska at 48.7%, Rhode Island at 55.2 %, and South Dakota at 54.2 %.
The well-known saying often seen on bumper stickers and T-shirts, “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could,” may have a kernel of truth, according to statistics.
Not only do most native-born Texans stay in Texas, but a flood of residents from other states have made their way to the Lone Star State. From July 2021 to the end of 2022, the population of Texas increased by more than 470,000 residents. Roughly half that growth came from net domestic migration, that is, people coming to Texas from other U.S. states.
The remainder of the growth was split about evenly between net international migration and natural increase — the difference between births and deaths in the state, as The Texas Tribune reported.
Texas has experienced the third-highest population growth rate (21%) over the last 13 years, per World Population Review. It had the highest population growth of any state in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, per USA Facts.
That year, about 596,000 U.S. residents from other states moved to Texas. Most of them, around 105,000, came from California, while 37,000 came from Florida and 31,000 from neighboring Louisiana. With 421,000 Texans leaving the state in 2020, Texas had a net gain of 177,000 residents through domestic migration.
Tax returns show that most of those moving to Texas are 25–44 years old and are likely to have children. Texas is the second most populous state in the nation at 30 million residents, behind California.
The Lone Star State continues to attract residents through its business-friendly policies, no income tax, and sunny weather year-round. The most commonly cited reason for moving to Texas is job-related, hence Gov. Greg Abbott calling it the “headquarters of headquarters,” as The Dallas Express reported.
The influx of residents from other areas increases demand for housing, which can drive home prices upward. The median price for a house in Texas has jumped 32% since January 2020, per the Texas Real Estate Research Center.