23 Reasons Americans Refuse to Live in Texas

In fact, some of these aspects are huge reasons why many Americans refuse to ever live in Texas.

As of 2023, Dallas County has recorded 4,300 people to the Census, but this is just because there were twice as many births than death. The 39,000 births are the only reason for any population growth. More people left Dallas than arrived, with 23,330 U.S. nationals heading elsewhere.

Business Insider reported that the typical profile of a Texan emigrant is an unmarried millennial or Gen-Zer. On average, the people moving out of the state make just over $50,000 a year, with Florida, California, and Oklahoma being the most popular destinations for those leaving.

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.

Certain areas of the state, such as parts of Dallas, have also completely priced out working-class families.

Americans have chosen to move to other states where they might make more money, as they can’t do that in Texas.

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.

While public transit is particularly challenged in rural areas, Arlington is the largest city in the nation without a fixed-route public transit system. With one quarter of Americans living with a disability, the lack of public transport in Texas could leave millions isolated in their homes.

Texas also had more motor vehicle accidents than any other state. In fact, driving in Permian Basin in western Texas is more dangerous than in the rest of the state, where 15 crashes per 1,000 are fatal compared the seven per 1,000 state average.

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.

Sharlene Leurig, CEO of Texas Water Trade, said Texans may feel this way because the water is truly unsafe or because it does not meet other standards like tasting fresh, or not being discolored.

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.

Reasons behind the high rate of air pollution range from unregulated industrialization to the number of personal cars on the road every day. But to those who are vulnerable to respiratory illnesses because of poor air quality, can you blame them for leaving?

Over the last decade, there were more than 1,600 days when a heat record was matched or broken at one of 22 weather stations throughout Texas. That is 1,000 more days than the 561-day average in decades prior.

Electricity prices in Houston are up by 16% compared to last year and in 2022, residents paid twice as much for electricity comparted to pre-pandemic prices. Some Texans refuse to switch on the air conditioner in the summer or would “rather it be really cold” than get hit with a huge bill.

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.

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.

Texas averages 137 tornadoes a year, but by the end of June 2024, the state had already been hit by 124 tornadoes. Because of climate change, tornado behavior will become more complex as when they hit and duration will start to change.

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.

However, due to the uneven distribution of wealth, Texan law has a recapture mechanism wherein the state pockets surplus revenue from property tax. The result is that parents who are paying more and more in property tax will not see their money funding public schools.

Black and Hispanic youths are twice as likely to be victims of gun-related homicides as their white counterparts. While this is a multifaceted issue that cannot be solved overnight, raising a family in Texas is not for the faint of heart.

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.

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.

Former GOP state representative in the Texas House, Burt Solomons, said the Republic Party has become a “cult” that “slowly went away from a lot of those traditional values of the Republican Party”.