Gen Z Is Flooding Into Texas: Young Demo Moving Here in Nation-Leading Numbers

Texas is America's No. 1 state by far in attracting Gen Z out-of-state movers, according to a new analysis of 2022 census data by real estate marketplace Zillow. It may be time to catch up on slang and watch out how you put emoticons in your texts.

The next moving van swinging around a corner near you may be racing to bring an out-of-state young future along for the ride.

Texas is America’s No. 1 state by far in attracting Gen Z out-of-state movers, according to a new analysis by real estate marketplace Zillow.

Nearly 80,000 extra Gen Z adults in 2022 alone

In 2022, the Lone Star State had a net migration of +76,805 Gen Z adults. 

California ranked No. 2 in attracting Gen Z-ers, gaining far fewer—less than 44,000—from other states in 2022. That’s despite the Golden State losing 215,000 movers overall that year.

Florida, North Carolina, and Washington rounded out the Top 5 in Gen Z attracters.

The states that attracted Gen Z the least in 2022? That would be Michigan, Maryland, and Idaho. And Michigan was the only state in the U.S. “where more Gen Z movers departed than arrived” in 2022, Zillow says. Maybe they don’t like Wolverines?

Narrowed Gen Z adults to those born from 1996 to 2004

Gen Z is typically defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, currently 12- to 27-year-olds. But to reach its findings for this report, Zillow said it analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and defined Gen Z as those born between 1996 and 2004 to narrow the demo to “Gen Z adults.”

To avoid capturing temporarily moving college students, Zillow’s statistics exclude respondents who reported attending school in the past three months.

“Compared to all interstate movers, Gen Z adults who moved to California, Washington, Colorado, or Virginia were more likely to have a four-year college degree, more likely to be serving in the military, and more likely to work in tech, ACS data shows,” Edward Berchick, a principal population scientist at Zillow, said in a statement. “Gen Z movers are likely drawn to the job opportunities in these states, despite the higher costs of housing. They may also be in a stage of life where they’re willing and able to be flexible in their standards of living while starting their careers.” 

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