High Property Taxes
When people move to Texas from, say, California, they often explain that they’ve moved because Texas is a low-taxed state. While that is true — Texas doesn’t have any state income tax — that doesn’t mean the state doesn’t have any taxes.
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Many don’t know that Texas has incredibly high property taxes. In fact, some of these property taxes are the highest in the entire country. That alone has made some decide not to move to the state.
High Cost of Living
Many Californians have claimed they’ve decided to move to Texas because it’s cheaper to live there. That may be true. However, many have still struggled to truly thrive in Texas, as its overall cost of living has gone up recently.
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Certain areas of the state, such as parts of Dallas, have also completely priced out working-class families.
Low Wages
Unfortunately, Texas has a low minimum wage when compared to the national average. The state hasn’t raised its minimum wage since 2009, and lawmakers have given no indication that they plan to do so anytime soon.
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Americans have chosen to move to other states where they might make more money, as they can’t do that in Texas.
Uneven Distribution of Wealth
You may have heard that states like California and New York have a terribly uneven distribution of wealth. There are incredibly rich people in the state — and then incredibly poor people in the state.
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However, Texas is also very uneven when it comes to socioeconomics. Many corporations and wealthy people thrive in the state while poorer families greatly struggle. This fact has made many working-class people choose to live elsewhere.
Bad Drinking Water
Texas holds both massive cities and many small rural towns. Sadly, many of these areas don’t have the best drinking water.
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Those in rural areas choose to not drink their tap water, as it’s not very healthy for them. Other Americans have seen this and chosen to avoid ever moving to Texas.
Pollution
Unfortunately, parts of Texas have major air pollution. Dallas is one of the most polluted cities in the entire United States.
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As no one really wants to live in an area where they’ll have to deal with pollution, this fact has caused many Americans to choose to live in other states where this isn’t a problem.
The Weather
Texas is a huge state, so different parts of the region get different types of weather throughout the seasons. Regardless, the state is known to be a rather hot one — and it’s only been getting hotter.
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The scorching summers — that often are a combination of high heat, merciless sunshine, and unbearable humidity — have made many think twice about moving to Texas. Expensive utility bills during these hot summer months have also made people decide to steer clear of Texas living.
Tornadoes
Nobody really likes to live in an area where natural disasters are known to happen. Those who live in the central and northern parts of Texas choose to do so because they love the area… even though it does come with tornadoes.
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The idea of having to deal with tornadoes multiple times a year is enough to make some Americans swear they’ll never move to Texas.
Below-Par Education System
Texas is a huge state. So, its education system can vary from county to county. However, many in Texas have criticized the state’s school system, as school funding remains unevenly distributed.
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This often results in lower-income areas having a below-par education system. Those with families have seen this and decided to raise their kids elsewhere.
Slow Living
You may have heard that everything in the South moves slower. In many areas of Texas, this is true. The hot weather, among other things, has often resulted in many Texans moving at a slower, more leisurely, pace.
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While you might get the hustle and bustle in cities like Dallas and Houston, much of Texas has a more relaxed lifestyle where they champion activities like fishing and hanging out with friends on their porches. For some, this isn’t the lifestyle they’re looking for.
Politics
The ongoing red-state versus blue-state battle will likely persist for the foreseeable future. Some may have chosen to move to Texas as they’ve fled a blue state. However, the same is also true.
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Some Texans have fled the state to go somewhere where it’s less conservative. Other Americans have sworn they’ll never move to the state because of its very Republican politics.