(NewsNation) — More Americans are moving to Texas than any other state, with close to half a million people moving there since July 2021, according to data from the U.S. Census.
The Lone Star State is now home to over 30 million people — second only to California.
State leaders pointed to a number of reasons why people — mainly millennials — have been so attracted to Texas. There’s no state income tax and the cost of living is lower than the national average. Plus, there are plenty of business-friendly policies.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas is outpacing the nation in job growth, with the latest job report showing the state added more jobs than any other state in the year from January.
The state’s economy is also diverse — it’s not just successful in its oil and gas industry but it also has a growing tech hub in Austin.
Ed Curtis, the CEO of YTexas, an organization that helps businesses that relocate to the state get acclimated, told NewsNation that more than 250 companies have moved their headquarters to Texas over the last decade, especially since the start of the pandemic.
He said he believes the state’s infrastructure will be able to keep up with the population surge.
“We’re in a good position where we need to make good decisions and we need to look at the good economy and how to handle infrastructure needs. And now our legislature is meeting. It’s not just government, it’s the private sector at the seat at the table saying how do we fix these problems? How do we keep the cost of doing business in Texas low? That’s what we’ve always been known for, and that’s what has to remain,” Curtis said.
Right now, Texas has a record $32 billion budget surplus and there is a debate on how to best use it. Some advocates have called for better investments in health care and education. Last week, the state took over Houston schools — the nation’s eighth-largest public school system — in part for poor performance.
However, just like every other state, there are some cons to living in Texas. Property taxes are usually higher than in other states, according to a report from Redfin. The state ranks seventh among other states in having the highest property taxes, Rocket Mortgage reported.
Plus, it can get hot in the summer, and Redfin reported that “when it comes to bugs, Texas has a lot of them.”