The Fate of Texas: Migration

Texas wealth, housing, industry, everything lending prominence to the Lone Star States rests on the shoulders of its population. And looking to the future, that heft may prove too much for future generations. It will all be a matter of migration.

“Migrants tend to be young adults in their 20s and 20s, and a continuation of historical migration patterns would give Texas a younger poplation than it would have otherwise,” the report reads.

Unfortunately, the group’s projections clearly indicate a suspected increase in the state’s elderly population, which will likely leverage heavier demands on social security, healthcare and a bevy of other services geared towards the aging. Should the state realize this future, the stress on economic systems will be significant. With a poor economy, housing markets will suffer, and none more so than Texas’ largest metro, Houston, which depends heavily on revenues from the healthcare and energy sectors. Already, with oil prices dropping, energy jobs and the attached employees, as well as their families, are fleeing the city as companies make cuts to supplement losses.

The report’s authors make no claims at perfect foresight, leaving room for change beyond the boundaries of their results. Continuing to observe migration trends, however, should help us to better understand and predict Texas’ fate with more certainty in the future.