Migration to Texas slows: These are the top 'inbound' and 'exit' cities (Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - The trend of moving from other states to Texas that's dominated the last decade is seeing a downward trend, a new study has found.
The Lone Star State has dropped out of the top 10 destinations in the U.S., falling further toward the middle of the pack since the migration peak of 2021.
Texas migration data
Big picture view:
While it's become commonplace to hear there's a mass exodus from California to Texas in recent years, new data is showing that trend to continue a multi-year cooling streak.
The ratio of Texas' in-to-out migration within the U.S. peaked in 2021, when 1.68 people were arriving in relation to each person leaving, which resulted in a sizable boom in the state's population, especially in the metro areas.
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Now, moveBuddha says its moving calculator has shown that trend to have dropped to a much lower positive ratio. As of the first quarter of 2026, Texas is sitting closer to a 1.2 ratio, slightly higher than the recent low of 1.15 in 2023. Texas now sits as the 17th-highest in-to-out state in the nation, far from the top-10 berth it secured a few years back.
For comparison, California's ratio somewhat mimics Texas in reverse, having gone from a 0.48 ratio in 2021 to 0.71 today.
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Texas destination and exit cities
Local perspective:
As far as the cities seeing the most intrastate migration action, the top destination city for the state shares a region with the top exit city.
Frisco, just north of Dallas, continues to see a high volume of migration from other states. The city sits at a 1.88 ratio currently, with 188 people moving there for every 100 leaving. Those stats place it at number 14 in the nation for destination cities.
Meanwhile, Arlington further southwest in the North Texas metroplex, is the 12th-ranked exit city in the nation. Arlington currently sees 68 new residents per 100 leaving.
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Texas in online moving searches
Dig deeper:
Despite ranking closer to the middle of the pack in actual inbound moves, Texas is in the top five states for migration search results for people planning their next location.
Of all the inbound moving search data surveyed by moveBuddha, five states make up 70% of all net demand. Florida reigns with more than a quarter, with Texas placing third overall and sandwiched between the Carolinas. Arizona trails for fifth.
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The Source: Information in this article comes from moveBuddha.com.