These Texas cities ranked among nation’s top places to move in 2022, U-Haul says

Lots and lots of people moved to Texas in 2022.

That’s according to U-Haul, a moving truck rental company that analyzed more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck rentals across the U.S. and Canada last year. The study calculated how many of the one-way trucks were moving into and out of states and cities to determine each area’s net gain of movers.

“People are still flocking to Texas,” Zane Rowland, president of the U-Haul Company of Northeast Dallas, said in a Jan. 3 news release.

This was the second year in a row Texas ranked as the No. 1 growth state, per the U-Haul Growth Index, according to the release. This is also the fifth time the Lone Star State has been named the top state since 2016.

“Texas is great because you have a low cost of living, no state income tax, and deregulated energy costs,” Robert Abidin, U-Haul Company of Northeast Houston president, said in the release. “Texas is also the energy capital of the U.S. We’re home to every major industry. Anything you’re looking for in Texas, you can find in Texas.”

Three Texas cities also ranked among the nation’s top 25 places people moved to in 2022, according to U-Haul’s findings.

Missouri City placed No. 13, followed by Richardson at No. 15 and Conroe at No. 19.

Missouri City

Missouri City, with a population of about 74,850, is about 15 miles southwest of downtown Houston in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area.

“When I ask people why they are moving to Texas, they usually say things are too expensive everywhere else — and there are jobs in Texas,” D-An Smith, general manager of U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Stafford, said in a release. “Amazon is building warehouses all over this region, including one in Missouri City. Those jobs, along with FedEx and delivery jobs associated with that, bring people to this area. I see people moving from inner-city Houston to the suburbs like Missouri City.”

Smith said the housing opportunities are also a big reason people move to the area.

“The houses are similar to what you would find in California, but for less than half the price,” Smith said. “We’re seeing people moving here from California, Seattle and even New York, because they can sell their homes for millions of dollars and buy a bigger house here, with space to grow.”

Richardson

Richardson, about 15 miles northeast of downtown Dallas, has a population of about 116,380 and is U-Haul’s No. 15 growth city.

“I see a lot of growth in Richardson,” Rowland said in a statement. “They’re always building new apartments and affordable living. People are coming from all over the U.S. and settling here.

“Richardson is one of the more affordable cities in the Dallas area. The schools and roads are nice. It offers a fairly easy commute to any job in Plano, Dallas or Frisco. Richardson offers a perfect balance between urban and suburban.”

Conroe

Conroe ranked as the No. 19 growth city in America, according to the U-Haul Growth Index report. It has a population of about 94,400 and is about 40 miles north of downtown Houston.

“It offers a mix of country living and big-city amenities,” Abidin said in a news release. “The proximity to Houston is a big draw, but Conroe still maintains a rural feel. It’s far enough away from the traffic, and hustle and bustle of Houston.”

He said the city’s “good school system” and a new Exxon campus have also encouraged families to move to the suburb.

“And Conroe still has room for growth,” Abidin said. “We’re receiving a lot of West Coast movers. Some people are even moving out of Houston because Conroe is more affordable.”

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