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Map: 10 states with most people moving to Texas

Howdy, new neighbors

Esri's population flow map into Texas, based on tax filings from 2015-16.

SAN ANTONIO – A map showing migration flow to Texas gives some insights to our new neighbors.

Texas is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. Last year, the Census reported that the Lone Star State had the largest overall growth since 2017, with an increase of 379,128 people.

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"Texas grew both from having more births than deaths and from net gains in movers from within and outside the United States," according to the U.S. Census' website.

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The map, put together by Esri, a company that uses ArcGIS to build maps about the demographics and the world, focuses on the movers from within the United States.

It confirms some widely held beliefs — like California residents are leaving en masse to Texas — but also highlights some little known facts. For example, state GOP leaders often attribute flight to Texas to its lack of a state income tax. But the state with the second-largest exodus to Texas is Florida, which also doesn't have a state income tax.

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Esri used tax filings from the IRS from 2015-2016 to determine who is moving where.

The states with the most residents who moved to Texas during that time period are:

  • California - 62,767
  • Florida - 35,188
  • Louisiana - 26,469
  • Illinois - 22,552
  • Oklahoma - 21,401
  • New York - 20,909
  • Colorado - 18,768
  • Virginia - 18,741
  • North Carolina - 15,803
  • Arizona - 15,294
  •  ​​Some more information about the map from Esri:

    "The flow lines gives a representative amount of people moving a certain direction. These are not literal paths that people took, but rather a directional flow.

    "The brightest, thickest yellow lines have the most population moving along that flow line. The circles reinforce the amount of population migration for each state based on size. The pop-up for each state is configured to also show the inflow and outflow of population, households, and income between 2011 and 2016." 


    About the Author
    Kolten Parker headshot

    Kolten Parker is Manager of Content and Coverage at KSAT. He moved into the role in 2024, after five years of leading the digital team. Kolten is an award-winning journalist and a proud Texas State Bobcat. He's a triathlete who loves the outdoors and sports. When not working, he likes to hang out with his wife and travel.

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