MIGRATION DESTINATION

Texas ranks as the top U.S. destination for millennials on the move

Millennials moved to Texas more than any other state in 2019.

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In the category of news that will surprise no one, young people are moving to Texas in droves.

According to the fifth-annual study from SmartAsset, millennials are fleeing cities like Los Angeles and Chicago and migrating to other areas in search of work and a better quality of life, with Texas being the top destination for young professionals age 25 to 39.

In order to compile the list, SmartAsset dug into U.S. Census Bureau data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 180 specific cities. When it comes to migrating millennials, the Lone Star State is tops, landing at No. 1 for states where millennials are moving, with more than 187,000 young people heading to Texas in the pre-pandemic year. Though some 154,000 millennials left Texas during the same time period, this results in a net gain of more than 33,000 millennial residents, the biggest net gain for the group in the country, giving Texas the lead in millennial migration for the second year in a row.

San Antonio ranked No. 22 on the nationwide list, garnering a net migration of 1,865 millennials. Interestingly, some 9,641 young people left Alamo City in 2019, but that number is dwarfed by the 11,506 millennials who moved in that same year.

Austin landed at the No. 4 overall hot spot for migrating millennials, and was their top Texas destination. According to the findings, millennials make up 31.3 percent of the Austin population, which amounts to the 11th highest population percentage for the millennial generation in the study. Additionally, Austin saw a net migration of 5,686 millennials from out of state in 2019.

One other Texas spot landed in the top 10, the Dallas suburb of Frisco (No. 6), with a net migration of 3,516 out-of-state millennials in 2019.

Dallas just missed the top 10, landing at No. 11 on the list, with a net millennial migration of 2,525 in 2019, and Houston was ranked No. 18, with a net migration of 2,197 millennials.

The top city overall for millennial migration in 2019 was Denver, followed by Seattle.

rankings reports

Drop the Debt

Students of families making under $100,000 will get free tuition to UT

University of Texas at San Antonio/Instagram

This is an extension of a previous program with a lower income eligibility.

Beginning next fall, some students accepted into schools within the University of Texas system will receive free tuition and have all fees waived, the board of regents announced on Wednesday.

In order to qualify, families of undergraduates must make less than $100,000 a year.

The board gave preliminary approval to the plan on Wednesday. After the full board’s consideration and vote on Thursday, the plan will include a new, immediate infusion of $35 million directly to campuses to offer the financial aid benefit. The plan also directs additional investment in endowments supporting financial aid to ensure a commitment for tuition relief.

In 2019, the regents established a $167 million endowment at UT Austin to completely cover tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students from families with an income of up to $65,000. In 2022, the regents approved a second endowment of almost $300 million called “Promise Plus” to extend the program to all UT academic institutions.

“To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us [...]” Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the board of regents, said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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