When it comes to the best cities to move to in Texas, here are our top five recommendations:
Houston – Texas’s largest city and the fourth-largest in the nation, Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center (the world’s largest medical complex), NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and a thriving energy sector with major oil and gas companies. The city offers diverse neighborhoods from the historic Heights to master-planned communities in the suburbs, with housing costs 55% lower than Los Angeles and no state income tax making it incredibly affordable for families and professionals alike.
Austin – The state capital and tech hub, Austin has attracted Tesla, Oracle, Apple, and hundreds of tech startups, creating a booming job market for California tech workers. Known for its live music scene, outdoor activities around Lady Bird Lake and the Hill Country, and a vibrant food culture, Austin offers a unique blend of Texas charm and California innovation with costs still 35-40% lower than San Francisco or San Jose.
Dallas – A major business center, Dallas hosts corporate headquarters for AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and numerous Fortune 500 companies, offering exceptional career opportunities in finance, technology, and telecommunications. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex provides world-class shopping, dining, arts districts, professional sports, and excellent schools in suburbs like Plano and Frisco, with housing costs 50% below California averages.
San Antonio – Rich in history and culture, San Antonio combines a lower cost of living with a strong military presence (multiple Air Force bases), growing healthcare and cybersecurity sectors, and family-friendly attractions including the famous River Walk and historic Alamo. The city offers authentic Tex-Mex culture, affordable real estate, and a welcoming community atmosphere that appeals to families seeking both affordability and quality of life.
Fort Worth – Known for preserving Western heritage while embracing modern growth, Fort Worth offers a more relaxed pace than Dallas while sharing access to the same robust job market. The city features the famous Stockyards, excellent museums, a revitalized downtown, and family-friendly suburbs with top-rated schools, all at costs 52% lower than Southern California metros.
These cities offer Texas’s legendary hospitality, no state income tax, and robust job markets with significantly lower living costs for West Coast transplants.