Migration trend in Texas is on the rise as wealthy residents move to ‘Y’all Street’

For millionaire business owner Frederic Lepoutre, the decision to move his family from coastal South Florida to the Texas Hill Country wasn’t just a change of scenery — it was a lesson in efficiency.

While building a custom home in an area like Broward County can be an odyssey of red tape and skyrocketing insurance premiums, Lepoutre saw his 11-acre Texas property go from construction to move-in ready in just over 12 months.

With the first $8 property tax bill on his land and insurance costing a fifth of what he’s paid for decades in the Sunshine State, Lepoutre is part of a growing wave of high-net-worth individuals proving that, in 2026, the Lone Star State isn’t just winning on taxes — it’s winning on speed.

“I think there is [surpassed Florida as the center of gravity],” Lepoutre told Fox News Digital. “First, you have a world of production. You don’t have it here in Florida… it’s a big state… and part of West Texas now, you’re hearing about the AI ​​industries that are building.”

“I think it will be if it’s not already done,” said Lepoutre’s wife, Lynn Lepoutre.

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“Americans are voting with their feet. They want places to live. They want places that are usable. 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, has become a long-term change.”

Recent data from Texas REALTORS shows that one-third of new residents come from California, Florida, New York and Colorado, while 30% of out-of-state movers choose to move to Dallas. Texas’ home price currently sits at $335,000, below the national average of about $415,000.

While young workers and families may be flocking to the big cities and their suburbs, the semi-retired Lepoutres — who ran National Textile and Apparel and invested 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 county mandate, and they bought the property three years ago for $26,000 per acre.

The plans for the second house were long in the works, and Texas not only provided enough land for their project, but Lepoutre said that the first tax with agricultural freedom was $8 per year (while the home itself is awaiting official inspection) and the control area allowed for a quick change of construction.

“It takes three years to build a house here. It took us one year from the actual preparation of the residence. In Texas, it took us one year, and the only permits we needed were the water source and the sewer system,” Lepoutre said. “It’s the opposite [of Florida]. There are 180 in total.”

“The highways, the infrastructure, it’s fast. It’s going fast. There’s no rest in their results,” Lynn said. “If they build a highway, it’s over. They get it from start to finish quickly.”

“We were looking for peace, quiet, quiet, privacy and a slow pace,” added Lynn. “When we looked online [at homes]maybe it’s an old home, and we wanted to build a house together. We already knew very well what our design would be. You couldn’t find that [anywhere].”

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Their new home is so off the grid that they had to build a 600-foot water well and driveway, making package delivery a “nightmare” as items are often left on the ground and must be picked up by four-wheelers. Additionally, there are certain helicopter ambulance service memberships offered due to their rural location.

“We wanted to be somewhere where you can look at the stars at night and not see a single light. You can’t see your neighbors. The trees are still low enough that you can see, the view from our house is now 40 kilometers,” said Lepoutre. “It’s rare to see buildings like this in America.”

“I was [in Florida] since ’88, so I’m ready for a change, and I just love the Texas lifestyle and the Texas people, and it’s a great, refreshing place to be,” Lynn said. “Everything is great in Texas.”

“What we’re seeing with this migration of all these people moving into our state is, it’s creating a really strong demand for housing, and it’s reaching all levels. We’re seeing a demand for entry-level housing, and we’re still seeing a strong demand for high-end housing. So, right now, it’s a really balanced, healthy market,” “Wauhob, all of these things don’t come from Texas.”

“If you don’t like sitting in a saloon or a bar or a restaurant … and you don’t like being talked to, don’t move to Texas.”

– Frederic Lepoutre

“I’m a native Texan, but I spent some time traveling the country for my husband’s job. And I can say, that I have to live in other states, people who move here, are very happy with how far their housing dollar goes,” she continued.

As more and more companies are dual-listed on the NYSE Texas, Texas is also seeing executive migration in waves. Wauhob briefly discussed how REALTORS are working with the country’s economic development teams to ensure that there is enough housing to meet the growing residential and corporate needs.

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“We’re really trying to step up. We don’t want to try to catch up after all these people get here. We want to think ahead, plan ahead, and make sure that when people get there, we have infrastructure in place and we have healthy communities for them to come in,” the chairman said.

“I would say this doesn’t sound like an episode to me. If you look at the data, this has been going on for several years in a row now,” Wauhob said. “We have a lot of people coming here. We’re not seeing a big boom, which is great because we want to grow slowly. So for me, this is something to keep an eye on. I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon… people are coming, and they’re not leaving.”

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