A new national survey indicates Texas is high on the list for remote workers looking to relocate in the next 18 months. The Lone Star State ranked fifth out of the 50 states.
Decreased cost of living, climate, meeting new people and affordable housing topped the list of reasons for the strong interest in Texas, according to the survey released by MakeMyMove, a remote worker-community connection marketplace.
Almost 11% of workers who went remote due to the pandemic and expressed a desire to move to a new city or town within the next 18 months would likely choose Texas. California, at 21%, topped the list, followed by Florida (20%), New York (13.45%) and Georgia (11.34%).
Of respondents who chose Texas, 50% cited both a desire for a decreased cost of living and a different climate. This was followed by meeting new people, cited by 34.6%. Affordable housing, a more favorable tax climate, desire to live in a big city and finding a place to live on a large piece of property were all reasons cited equally by almost 31% of respondents, said Evan Hock, co-founder of MakeMyMove.
Communities looking to attract these workers should strongly consider offering financial incentive packages to convince them to pack their bags, Hock said in an interview with the Dallas Business Journal.
Nationally, the survey found that 29% of COVID remote workers say that they are either “likely” or “somewhat likely” to move to a new city or town in the next 18 months while continuing to work remotely. And, while 43% cite moving expenses as a barrier to relocating, 50% of all those surveyed said they would consider permanently relocating if offered $10,000 and the community has the amenities they are seeking.
For those remote workers considering a move to Texas, more than 80% say they would move to a new city for $10,000 if the community had the amenities they wanted.
To read more from Hock on remote work trends he sees and how they pertain to Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth specifically click here.
