Moving to Texas: Costs, Routes & What to Know
Last reviewed 2026-08-25 · Next review due 2026-09-25
A typical 3-bedroom move in or out of Texas runs $1,400–$2,450 locally or $4,200–$6,720 long-distance. Texas had the lowest out-migration rate of any state in 2022 and posted a net gain of roughly 174,000 residents — California is its single biggest exchange partner in both directions.
Moving to or from Texas? Compare quotes from licensed interstate movers.
Get free quotesTexas at a glance
Texas is the nation's second most populous state and its fastest-growing large state, adding over 391,000 residents in 2025. It has no state income tax — a constitutional prohibition, not just policy — and its major metros added among the largest population gains of any US metros in 2024.
- Population
- 31,709,821
- July 1, 2025
- State income tax
- No personal income tax
- Major metros
- Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington (8.3M); Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land (7.8M); San Antonio–New Braunfels (2.6M); Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos (~2.5M)
Constitutionally prohibited — relies on sales tax (up to 8.25% combined) and comparatively high property tax (~1.40% effective rate).
Who is moving in and out
Texas has one of the strongest net domestic in-migration records of any state. In 2022 — the most fully corroborated year available — 668,000 moved in while 494,077 moved out, a net gain of about 174,000; Texas had the lowest outmigration rate of any state that year.
- Inbound
- 668,000
- Outbound
- 494,077
- Net domestic
- +174,000
Top origin states
- California (102,442)
- Florida (41,747)
- New York (30,890)
- Illinois (25,272)
- Louisiana (25,192)
Top destination states
- California (42,400)
- Florida (38,207)
- Oklahoma (26,440)
- Colorado (25,466)
- Georgia (23,754)
Data year: 2022 ACS 1-year estimates (fullest corroborated breakdown)
2023 ACS shows a more recent net gain of +133,372 without a verified full state breakdown; 2024 figures could not be independently confirmed in this research pass.
Typical moving costs
These figures are national moving-industry planning ranges scaled by home size, not state-specific pricing — cost data at that level of granularity isn't reliably published for any single state. They use the same underlying benchmarks as MoverQuoteEngine's moving cost calculator. A genuinely state-specific range would need to be derived from this state's own priced move corridors once enough live route pages exist to support that — not attempted in this pass (see `upgrade_note` below).
| Home size | Local | Long-distance |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $600-$1,050 | $1,250-$2,000 |
| 1 Bedroom | $800-$1,400 | $2,000-$3,200 |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,100-$1,925 | $3,000-$4,800 |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,400-$2,450 | $4,200-$6,720 |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,800-$3,150 | $5,500-$8,800 |
| 5+ Bedroom | $2,200-$3,850 | $7,000-$11,200 |
For a number tailored to your actual move, use the moving cost calculator.
Once this state has enough live `/moving-from-{city}-us-to-{city}-us` route pages, replace this national-benchmark table with a state-specific range derived from those priced corridors. Not done here because `popular_routes` has not yet been filled from the real US route sitemap.
New-resident deadlines
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Driver's license | New residents can drive on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days, then must get a Texas DL. | dps.texas.gov |
| Vehicle registration | Must register and title within 30 days of moving; requires inspection and TX-minimum liability insurance. | txdmv.gov |
| Voter registration | Must register by the 30th day before Election Day — an election-relative deadline, not a post-move window. | votetexas.gov |
Housing, season and licensing
No distinct Texas-specific peak-season driver turned up beyond the national late-spring through summer pattern.
Mover licensing
Not included in this state's original pilot source object. Confirm household-goods licensing with the state regulator before treating this block as complete — nothing was invented to fill the gap.
Popular routes
Leaving Texas
Main inbound partners
- from California
- from Florida
- from New York
- from Illinois
- from Louisiana
Main outbound partners
- to California
- to Florida
- to Oklahoma
- to Colorado
- to Georgia
Partner-state lists come from Census migration flows. Linked corridors above are live published route pages, not guessed slugs.
Texas city guides
Frequently asked questions
- Does Texas have a state income tax?
No — a constitutional prohibition. Relies on sales tax and relatively high property taxes instead.
- Is Texas gaining or losing residents?
One of the strongest net in-migration records in the country — +174,000 in 2022.
- Where do most people moving to Texas come from?
California by far, followed by Florida, New York, Illinois and Louisiana.