Dallas-Fort Worth still a popular place to move to, but reasons for relocation is changing

Megan Cardona
·2 min read
14

The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks among the top 20 cities people are moving to in the United States for 2023.

Long-distance moving data compiled by PODS Enterprises recorded Texas was the third most popular state for people to move.

However, this year’s rankings look different from moving trends recorded last year, with the DFW area sixth on the list — it ranked second last year — and Austin not making the cut.

Houston ranked fifth this year, moving up from 12th in 2022. San Antonio moved back one ranking, going from 13th last year to 14th in 2023.

Austin not making the list on the long-distance moving data could be an early sign that the city’s booming growth seen in recent years is slowing, according to a PODS Enterprises report.

Why are people moving to the Texas and the DFW area?

Last year’s moving trends seemed to be influenced by remote work and proximity to loved ones, according to the report. This year’s trends are mostly linked to economics.

Major tech companies like Tesla, Hewlett-Packard, Apple and Amazon opened corporate campuses or relocated their headquarters to Texas in recent years, drawing employees to its cities, including Fort Worth and Dallas.

Amazon has fulfillment centers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Tesla is the latest to propose a 53,491-square-foot service and sales center in far north Fort Worth.

Fort Worth is the 13th largest city in the United States and its population stands at around 935,500, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

Between 2010 and 2021, Fort Worth grew by 25%, adding more than 194,000 residents, the Star-Telegram previously reported.

At its current growth rate, Fort Worth is projected to be home to approximately 1 million people by 2028 and is projected to reach 1.2 million people by 2045.

Where are most people moving from?

The cities with the highest move-out numbers in 2023 stayed pretty consistent with last year’s rankings.

PODS Enterprises ranked Los Angeles as the top city with the highest move outs — it also ranked first last year.

The second to fifth areas with high move-out rates were the Northern California area, Chicago, Long Island and the South Florida area.