596,000 people moved to Texas from other US states in 2020. Which states did they come from?

California had the most people leave the state for Texas in 2020. Accounting for population size, New Mexico had the highest percentage of its population move to Texas.

Updated May 15, 2023 by the USAFacts team

From 2020 to 2021, Texas had the largest population growth of any state. Much of that increase came from people moving to Texas from other states. Around 596,000 Americans from other states moved to Texas during 2020. With 421,000 Texans also leaving the state, Texas gained a net 177,000 residents through domestic migration.

Which states had the most residents move to Texas?

In 2020, around 105,000 Californians moved to Texas, more than double the next-highest state. Florida had the second-highest number of residents move to Texas (37,000) and Louisiana was third (31,000).

Which states had the highest percentage of their residents move to Texas?

While California had the most movers to Texas in absolute terms, it is also the most populous state in the country. As a result, people moving to Texas represented just 0.27% of California’s population in 2020. Thirteen states had a higher percentage of their populations move to Texas. New Mexico topped the list, with 0.74%.

Northeastern and Midwestern states tended to have fewer residents move to Texas.West Virginia had the lowest percentage of residents leave for the state: 0.07%.

Subscribe to get unbiased, data-driven insights sent to your inbox weekly.

Why do people move to Texas?

While there is no data on the reasons people have moved to Texas in recent years, previous research from can give some indication of potential migration drivers.

From 2000 to 2019, the most common self-reported reason for interstate migration was job-related, including getting a new job, looking for work, or wanting an easier commute. Family reasons were the second-most common reason and included getting married or moving away from home.

These are reflected in the demographics of recent movers to Texas. They are mostly ages 25–44 and are more likely to have children than current Texas residents. They are also overrepresented in computer and engineering-related jobs as well as the management, business, and financial fields.

Where did this data come from?

This data came from the IRS based on filed tax returns. The data has information on tax filers who moved at a county, state, and international levels. However, it misses low-income residents who choose not to file taxes. While other sources such as the US Census Bureau have data on overall migration, it does not have the same level of detail on people moving from one specific state or country to another.

Learn more about US population demographics, differences in population growth among states, why people are moving from California, and get the facts every week by signing up for our newsletter.