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Texas is the No. 1 destination for Gen Zers on the move, study says

Gen Z likes the state of Texas.

A new population analysis by real estate marketplace Zillow has pegged the Lone Star State as the No. 1 destination for adults born between 1996 and 2004 – also known as Gen Z.

Using data from the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau, the report identifies the Top 10 states to which Gen Zers are moving, and Texas was the runaway winner – far outranking No. 2 destination California with 76,805 Gen Z movers, versus California's 43,913.

Reasons for moving vary, but the report says young adults from 18 to 24 years old may prefer to live in states with high performing job markets, especially in a place like Houston where many top employers reside. In fact, Houston has previously scored No. 9 in a 2023 list ranking the best cities for Gen Z.

Favorable weather also may play a factor in the high migration of Gen Z'ers, the report suggests. Texas' mostly year-round sunshine makes it more attractive to younger crowds who are looking for fun activities around the state, not to mention the advantageous impact on dating opportunities.

Other top states with high influx of Gen Z movers include Washington (No. 5), which added over 33,500 Gen Z movers in 2022, and Colorado (No. 6) with just under 31,000 new Gen Z residents.

Their least favorite destination was Michigan. The Northeast also ranked poorly, with four New England states – Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine – all in the bottom 10.

High cost-of-living states like Washington, Colorado, and Virginia (No. 7) are places where young adults are more likely to have a bachelor's degree, work in tech, or serve in the military, according to Zillow principal population scientist Edward Berchick.

However, becoming a homeowner is much more difficult, as the report found 77 percent of the Gen Z workers in these states are renters.

"Gen Z movers are likely drawn to the job opportunities in these states, despite the higher costs of housing," Berchick explains. "They may also be in a stage of life where they're willing and able to be flexible in their standards of living while starting their careers."

The top 10 states for Gen Z movers are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – California
No. 3 – Florida
No. 4 – North Carolina
No. 5 – Washington
No. 6 – Colorado
No. 7 – Virginia
No. 8 – Illinois
No. 9 – Georgia
No. 10 – Arizona

The full report can be found on zillow.mediaroom.com.

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2 Houston suburbs named top-10 best Texas cities to move to

The City of Sugar Land, Texas – City Government/Facebook

The asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Sugar Land was $1,450 in June, and two-bedroom units were $1,870.

Several Houston neighbors have been deemed the best Texas cities to move to, with two local suburbs – Sugar Land and League City – coming in among the top 10.

Advisors at ConsumerAffairs, a customer review and news platform, ranked the 50 most populated Texas cities across five main categories – affordability, safety, economy, health care and education, and quality of life – to determine which were the best places to move to. Each city was given a score out of 100 possible points.

Four out of the top five best places to move to in Texas are located in Dallas-Fort Worth: Allen (No .1), Frisco (No. 2), Plano (No. 3), and McKinney (No. 4). Leander, a suburb outside Austin, rounded out the top five.

Of all five categories considered, Sugar Land ranked highest – No. 4 – in the category of "health care and education." The city came in No. 5 for safety, No. 17 for economy, and No. 21 for quality of life. Its lowest ranking was No. 29, for affordability.

Sugar Land has been booming in recent years, and earlier in 2025 it was ranked the No. 3 best place to live in the U.S.. According to Livability.com's report, Sugar Land is well known as "one of the more affluent and rapidly growing master-planned communities in Texas" whose 90s-era population boom has only continued to grow.

Most recently, the City of Sugar Land acquired the 40-acre Imperial Sugar refinery complex for $50 million. The city is planning on redeveloping and renovating the land and its buildings, which include the iconic Char House.

In ConsumerAffairs separate ranking of the best places to live in the South, Sugar Land ranked 6th on the list.

Elsewhere in Houston
League City ranked right behind Sugar Land, and it topped the list with the best healthcare and education in Texas, and it is the 7th safest city in the state.

This suburb, located about 30 miles southeast of Houston, has earned its own reputation as the 7th fastest-growing, affordable city in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Pearland landed just outside the top 10 as the 11th best Texas city to move to with the second-best healthcare and education statewide.

Elsewhere across the Houston metro, three more suburbs made the list: Missouri City (No. 19), Conroe (No. 27), and Pasadena (No. 44). Surprisingly, The Woodlands was nowhere to be found in the rankings.

Despite many of its suburbs ranking highly on the list, Houston proper ranked at the bottom as the 50th best place in Texas to move to.

The top 10 best Texas cities to move to are:

No. 1 – Allen
No. 2 – Frisco
No. 3 – Plano
No. 4 – McKinney
No. 5 – Leander
No. 6 – Mansfield
No. 7 – Sugar Land
No. 8 – League City
No. 9 – Round Rock
No. 10 – Richardson

real estate suburbs consumeraffairs lists rankings houston sugar land league city