The post 10 States Texans Are Moving to When They Leave the Lone Star State first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
Everything might be bigger in Texas, but that doesn’t mean everyone wants to stay there forever. Each year, thousands of residents pack their belongings and start fresh somewhere else in America.
According to the latest available state-to-state migration figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 483,476 people moved out of Texas to another state in 2024. Interestingly, Texas also welcomed approximately 556,156 people from other states, meaning more people arrived than left.
So, where are departing Texans heading?
From neighboring states to destinations hundreds of miles away, these 10 states have notable connections to Texas migration. The list highlights documented destinations rather than ranking the 10 most popular, using 2024 Census migration estimates.
California
California might seem like an unexpected destination for people leaving Texas, especially considering how frequently the two states are discussed in relocation conversations. Yet an estimated 45,400 people moved from Texas to California in 2024, making it the largest destination by the published estimates.
The interesting part? Movement between the states goes both ways. Approximately 77,200 California residents relocated to Texas during the same period. That means Texas gained roughly 31,700 residents from California.
Clearly, the California-Texas moving connection isn’t a one-way street.
Related: 4 Most Affordable Towns to Buy a House in California
Florida
Florida is another major destination for people leaving Texas. According to USAFacts, approximately 45,300 people relocated from Texas to Florida in 2024.
That’s almost identical to California’s estimated number, although the small difference doesn’t necessarily represent a meaningful statistical gap. Florida also sent approximately 52,200 residents to Texas.
Despite welcoming tens of thousands of departing Texans, Florida actually lost more residents to Texas than it gained from the exchange. Nationally, Florida attracted about 573,900 people from other U.S. states that year, making it the country’s leading destination for interstate movers.
Related: 8 Things Florida Residents Should Know About the New Home Insurance Problem
Oklahoma
When Texans move, some don’t go very far. Oklahoma, which shares a border with Texas, received an estimated 28,100 people from the Lone Star State in 2024.
That placed it among the three leading destinations for departing Texas residents. But there’s another interesting detail.
Texas saw its largest net interstate migration loss to Oklahoma, with about 9,500 more people heading north than moving south. Texas was also Oklahoma’s biggest source of newcomers from another state.
Among the destinations on this list, Oklahoma stands out because its moving relationship with Texas clearly favored Oklahoma.
Colorado
Colorado also attracted many Texas residents. Approximately 27,600 people moved from Texas to Colorado in 2024, making Texas the state’s largest individual source of interstate newcomers. Meanwhile, around 23,000 Colorado residents moved in the opposite direction.
According to the Texas Demographic Center, Texas lost a net 4,588 residents in this exchange. That contrasts sharply with states like California and Florida, where more people moved into Texas than left for those destinations.
The numbers show a strong migration connection, though they don’t explain why people made those moves.
Louisiana
You don’t necessarily have to move across the country to leave Texas behind. Neighboring Louisiana has a well-established migration connection with the Lone Star State.
According to the 2024 Census estimates, Texas supplied Louisiana with more new residents than any other individual state.
But the movement isn’t entirely one-sided. Louisiana also ranked among the notable states sending residents into Texas.
Arkansas
Arkansas might not immediately come to mind when discussing people leaving Texas, but the migration figures tell an interesting story. In 2024, Texas was Arkansas’s largest individual state source of new residents.
In fact, Texas was the largest source of incoming residents for Arkansas, along with eight other states. That’s a notable distinction, although it doesn’t necessarily make Arkansas one of the 10 biggest destinations for Texans.
New Mexico
Another neighboring state attracting Texans is New Mexico. The 2024 Census data identified Texas as New Mexico’s largest source of newcomers from another U.S. state.
That places New Mexico alongside several other destinations with particularly strong migration ties to Texas.
Illinois
Not every Texan moving away chooses another Southern or Southwestern state. Illinois also has a surprisingly strong connection to Texas.
According to the 2024 migration figures, Texas supplied Illinois with more new residents than any other state. Interestingly, Illinois also appeared among the leading states sending newcomers into Texas.
This makes Illinois another example of significant movement in both directions.
Mississippi
Mississippi is another Southern state with a notable connection to Texas migration. The Census data show that Texas was Mississippi’s largest individual source of new residents from another state in 2024.
That puts Mississippi alongside Louisiana and Arkansas, where Texans were the largest single-state group of new arrivals. It’s an interesting pattern, especially since these destinations don’t always get as much attention as California or Florida.
Tennessee
Tennessee rounds out the list with a particularly interesting migration pattern. According to the Texas Demographic Center, Texas lost a net 5,210 residents to Tennessee in 2024.
That made Tennessee the second-largest net outflow destination, behind Oklahoma, in the center’s findings. In other words, more people moved from Texas to Tennessee than moved from Tennessee to Texas.
Unlike several other states on this list, however, Texas wasn’t Tennessee’s largest individual source of newcomers. That distinction belonged to California.
The Bottom Line
Texas remains a major destination for Americans moving between states, but many of its residents also choose to start fresh elsewhere.
California, Florida, and Oklahoma stand out for their substantial numbers of Texas-origin arrivals, while states such as Arkansas, Mississippi, and Illinois show just how widely Texans are relocating.
Of course, the Census figures tell us where people moved, not why.
One thing is clear: Even as Texas continues attracting newcomers, thousands of people are finding their next chapter beyond the Lone Star State.
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