Texas is experiencing a strong migration of new residents from other states, with recent Texas Realtors’ data showing that one-third of new residents are coming from California, Florida, New York and Colorado and that 30% of interstate movers are choosing to relocate to Dallas.
“Americans are voting with their feet. They want places that are livable. They want places that are workable. They want places that are sustainable and affordable,” Texas Realtors Chair Jennifer Wauhob told Fox News Digital. “And so I think this migration, as we call it, is really turning into a long-term shift.”
Texas’ median home price currently stands at $335,000, below the national average of about $415,000.
As an example, Fox News cited millionaire business owner Frederic Lepoutre, who said his decision to move his family from the South Florida coast to Texas Hill Country wasn’t just about a change of scenery — it was a lesson in efficiency.
Fox Digital noted that while building a custom home in a place like Broward County in Florida can be a yearslong odyssey of red tape and soaring insurance premiums, Lepoutre saw his 11-acre Texas estate go from breaking ground to move-in ready in just over a year.
Lepoutre’s initial property tax bill of just $8 on his land in Texas and insurance costs one-fifth of what he’s paid for decades in Florida, Lepoutre is part of a growing wave of high-net-worth individuals proving that, in 2026, Texas isn’t just winning on taxes — it’s winning on speed.
Growth Doesn’t Feel ‘Episodic’
“I think it already has [surpassed Florida as the center of gravity],” Lepoutre told Fox News Digital. “First of all, you have the land for manufacturing. You don’t have it here in Florida… it’s a huge state… and part of West Texas now, you hear about AI factories that are building up.”
“I think it will if it hasn’t already,” Lepoutre’s wife, Lynn Lepoutre, said.
A growing wealth and population migration to Texas “does not feel episodic,” according to Texas REALTORS Chair Jennifer Wauhob. (Getty Images)
While younger workers and families may flock to bigger cities and their suburbs, the semi-retired Lepoutres – who oversee National Textile and Apparel and invest in oil and gas – bought their land in a remote area near Bandera and Kerrville, a few hours’ drive west of San Antonio. They had to buy at least 10 acres per a county minimum mandate, and bought the land three years ago for $26,000 per acre, Fox Digital reported.
The couple’s plans for a second home were long in the works, and Texas not only provided enough land for their project, but Lepoutre said the initial tax bill with agricultural exemptions was $8 per year (while the home itself awaits formal assessment) and the regulatory environment allowed for quick construction turnaround.
“It takes three years to build a house here. It took us one year from literally getting the ground ready to moving in. In Texas, it took us one year, and the only permit we needed was for the water well and the sewer system,” Lepoutre said. “It’s the opposite [of Florida]. It’s a total 180.”
Couple’s Home Slightly Off-Grid
“The highways, the infrastructure, they’re quick. They move fast. There’s no resting on their laurels,” Lynn Lepoutre said. “If they’re building a highway, it’s finished. They get it from start to finish quickly.”
“We were looking for peace, quiet, tranquility, privacy and a slower pace,” she said. “When we were looking online [at homes], it’s either an older home, and we wanted to build a house together. We already pretty much knew exactly what our design would be. You couldn’t find that [anywhere].”
The couple’s new home is off-grid enough that they had to build a private 600-foot water well and switchback mountain-style driveway, which makes package delivery a “nightmare” as items are often left at the bottom and must be retrieved by four-wheel drive, Fox Digital said. Also, there’s a remote-specific helicopter ambulance service membership that’s offered because of the couple’s rural location.
“We wanted to be somewhere where you can look at the stars at night and not see one light. You can’t see your neighbors. The trees are still low enough where you can see out, the view from our house now is 40 miles,” Lepoutre said. “It’s very rare to see properties like this in America anymore.”
Lynn Lepoutre said Texas is a refreshing change of pace.
“I’ve been [in Florida] since ‘88, so I’m ready for the change, and I just like the way of life in Texas and the people in Texas, and it’s just a nice, refreshing place to be,” she said. “Everything’s bigger in Texas.”
“What we’re seeing with this migration of all these people moving to our state is, it’s creating a really steady demand for housing, and that spans to all levels. We’re seeing a demand for entry-level housing, and we’re still seeing a strong demand for luxury-level housing. So it’s, right now, a really balanced, healthy market,” Wauhob said, “and all these people coming in here, it’s just creating good things for Texas.”
The post Wall Street to Y’all Street’: America’s Wealthy are Swapping the City for Acres of Freedom in Texas first appeared on The MortgagePoint.
