MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — Back-to-back! U-Haul listed Texas as the number 1 growth state for the second straight year. According to their annual growth index.
“We average about adding 1000 people to the population of Texas every day. We have done that for decades and that is an amazing number,” said Perryman Group President Ray Perryman.
Throughout the year U-Haul tracks the number of one-way U-Haul trips arriving in a state or city versus leaving from that state or city.
In 2022, The Lone Star State along with Florida and the Carolinas racked up the most.
U-Haul said this is the fifth time Texas has top that list since 2016. Local experts say the main reason many people are packing up the truck and heading out to Texas is because of a better job opportunity.
“The last five years we have added 3,253 jobs in Central Texas. We continue to see that growth and even when your project it out it looks like the growth is going to continue,” said Charley Ayres Workforce Solutions of Central Texas.
Ayres said many companies like Samsung are building facilities in Central Texas, which reels in many looking for high-paying jobs. Despite the bump in manpower- There’s still worker shortages in the state including the education, medical, restaurant industries.
“It looks like that restaurant was half full and they told you was a 40-minute wait even though there were open tables, the real issue is they haven’t had enough staff to handle the crowd,” said Ayres
Experts say these shortages are impacting the entire nation, yet Texas is still one of the most affordable places to live.
“Cost of living factors are significant. Even though it is increasing in Texas it is lower than what it is then some of the East Coast and West Coast Markets,” said Perryman.
“You know Covid kind of shut some things down Central Texas economy just kept growing. Businesses continue to be productive and create new jobs,” said Ayres.
Experts said no state tax is also a factor. They expect Texas to continue this rate of growth for the next 5 years and possibly even longer.
