A lot of people went through major life changes in the last couple of years. Some of those changes included moving, and Texas just happened to be one of the most popular places to relocate during the height of the pandemic.
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from July 2020 to July 2021, 13 of the top 50 counties in America with increases in population were in Texas. Four of the 10 fastest-growing counties during this period were also in the state of Texas. In fact, the December 2021 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau show Texas added over 300,000 residents between July 2020 and July 2021.

The Texas Economy is Growing

WalletHub recently ranked Texas the best state to start a business. Since 2015, Texas has been recognized as the world’s 10th largest economy, ahead of Canada and South Korea, according to the Texas Economic Development Corporation. In 2020, several large companies moved operations to Texas, including Amazon, Tesla, HP, and Oracle.

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No State Income Tax in Texas

Texas is also one of the most tax-friendly states in the country. In addition to the low cost of living, the state doesn’t require residents to pay taxes on their personal income. Sale and property taxes take the place of state tax.

Affordable Homes in Texas

Although Texas property prices are rising, it's still cheaper than many other parts of the country.  Homes cost 60% more in California compared to Texas, according to homeia.com, a housing information website.

As of March 2022, realtor.com has the median list price for a home in Temple as $285,000, with a median home price for a house in Killeen listing for $221,000. For that same time period, the median listing price for a house in Pasadena, California was $1.2 million, trending up 21% year-over-year.

Texas Food

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Having lived here all my life, I can tell you that there is no place like home when it comes to food, especially Texas barbeque. Everything's bigger in Texas, including the portion sizes. According to Culture Trip, these are the best BBQ joints in the state.

Texas also has some of the best Mexican restaurants in the country! Here's a list of the top-rated Mexican restaurants in Texas from bestthingstx.com.

Things To Do in Texas

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Texas is one of the few states big enough for a truly diverse staycation. You could spend a week driving around the Lone Star state and not even see half of it!

If you are looking for a big city experience, there's always Austin, Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio with a wide variety of events to attend, museums to visit, places to eat, and things to buy. For those who want to experience nature, Texas has plenty of outdoor recreational areas, including two national parks - Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains.

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Texas also has amazing sunsets, by the way. So, are you ready to pack yet?

If you need more information about a particular city in Texas that's piqued your interest, check this city profile report from moving.com.

Texas in Top 10 Best States to Work from Home in America

How many people do you know that work from home? Since the pandemic, the number of employers with remote jobs has risen steadily.

WalletHub used 12 factors to compare 50 states and the District of Columbia, including the percentage of people working from home, internet cost, cybersecurity, plus size and population concentration of homes in the state.

Let's take a look at the states that are the best for remote work, and where Texas sits on the list nationwide.

Love the TV Show 'Friends'? This Texas House Could Be Your Dream Home!

Here's your chance to live just like Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, and Ross!

This 'Friends'-themed townhouse in Houston was listed on Airbnb and just hit the real estate market. Diana Hu, an agent at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in Houston, said this is the first time in 16 years that she's listed a home with a pop culture theme, according to the Today show.

The living room and kitchen will be familiar to 'Friends' fans as you will see from the real estate photos. At the top of the stairs, you’ll see a foosball table that looks a lot like the one in Joey and Chandler's apartment, surrounded by a comfy couch.

The three-story house also has a two-car garage with a Tesla charger. It's located at 1706 Bevis Street in Houston, and the asking price is $330,000.

Shall we take a look around, friends?

This $170M Texas Ranch With 65,000 Acres Is a Dog Lover’s Dream Home

Mesa Vista, the 65,000-acre Panhandle ranch, which belonged to oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens until his death three years ago, has been up for sale since 2017. The list of mind-blowing amenities is long, but for the price it's quite a deal!

The property includes its own golf course, a chapel with a memory garden, an airport with a private apartment for the pilot, and a 40-unit kennel, complete with a bronze dog sculpture in front of the building. Pickens, who was an avid hunter and dog lover, told Land Report in 2015Back when I couldn’t afford one bird dog, I had two. When I couldn’t afford two, I had three.”

Let's take a look around this incredible piece of property, which was recently reduced from $250 to $170 million, and see what kind of luxuries you and your furry friends could enjoy!

The Most Dangerous City in Texas for 2022 May Surprise You

According to FBI statistics, Texas had 438 violent crimes and 2,562 property crimes per 100,000 residents as of this year. For every 100,000 residents, there are 224 police officers statewide.

Crime rates are expressed as the number of incidents per 100,000 people.

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