The Texas Association of Realtors just released its annual Texas Relocation Report, which uses data from the American Community Survey. The numbers confirm that Houston is still a magnetic market.
Here is what we learned:
1. Houston’s population is growing – In 2015, more people moved to Harris County than any other county in the state. And what’s more, comparing population inflow and outflow, Harris was also No. 1 for biggest net population gain, with an increase of nearly 19,000 residents. Houston itself was No. 2 in the state for population inflow, behind Dallas. But looking solely at net gain, Houston, like Harris County, reported the largest growth in the state at 29,339.
Gains by County
County | Residents Entering Houston | Residents Leaving Houston | Net Change in Houston’s Population |
Harris | 74,829 | 55,884 | 18,954 |
Bexar | 40,833 | 34,917 | 5,916 |
Dallas | 40,745 | 37,094 | 3,651 |
Tarrant | 38,171 | 29,851 | 8,320 |
Travis | 31,998 | 22,750 | 9,248 |
Gains by City
City | Residents Entering Houston | Residents Leaving Houston | Net Change in Houston’s Population |
Dallas | 117,982 | 92,985 | 24,997 |
Houston | 101,604 | 72,265 | 29,339 |
Austin | 46,598 | 29,708 | 16,890 |
San Antonio | 43,388 | 35,359 | 8,029 |
Killeen | 23,315 | 18,423 | 4,892 |
2. Texans are choosing Houston, when they have the chance – An odd stat that came out of Texas Realtors’ report was the number of people leaving Houston to go to other Texas cities, and vice versa. Houston was the No. 1 destination for residents who wanted to remain in the state but leave Austin and Dallas, and was the No. 2 destination for residents leaving San Antonio. However, compared to outflow, the only population exchange in which Houston came out with a population increase was with Dallas; the net gain was a little over 800. Otherwise, more people were leaving Houston for other Texas cities than were coming in.
City | Residents Entering Houston | Residents Leaving Houston | Net Change in Houston’s Population |
---|---|---|---|
Dallas | 14,666 | 13,852 | 814 |
Austin | 9,211 | 13,304 | -4,093 |
San Antonio | 7,412 | 8,568 | -1,156 |
College Station | 5,156 | 6,328 | -1,172 |
Beaumont | 4,435 | 4,834 | -399 |
3. A nationwide magnet – Finally, what is perhaps the most promising stat from the state association’s report was the influx of new residents hailing from other major domestic markets. Houston recorded net gains of Chicagoans, New Yorkers and Los Angelenos, among others. The increases bolster Houston’s claim to call itself one of the country’s most attractive real estate markets.
City | Residents Entering Houston | Residents Leaving Houston | Net Change in Houston’s Population |
Los Angeles | 5,614 | 2,403 | 3,211 |
New York | 5,522 | 2,605 | 2,917 |
Chicago | 5,255 | 2,844 | 2,411 |
Washington, D.C. | 3,160 | N/A | N/A |
Miami | 2,890 | N/A | N/A |