Whether you’re moving to Texas for the first time or building a home in a new city, people of all generations are constantly going up and down Texas’ many congested highways for various reasons. A new report has singled out the Lone Star State as being the go-to destination, with a notable military city metro landing as the go-to Texas city.
Texas was the main topic of a study posted by HireAHelper.com, titled “2026 Millennial Migration: Where the Largest Generation Is Headed Now.” Out of 15 million moves that took place across the U.S. in 2025, the study found that Texas gained 16,530 millennials, more than twice the total of any other state, making it the clear No. 1 destination for millennial movers. In total, Texas ranked No. 6 in per capita millennial migration, gaining 55.8 millennials per 10,000 residents, the study shared.
Yet while the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro remained a popular destination, ranking No. 21 among cities millennials moved to, it was not the most popular in Texas. That honor belongs to Killeen-Temple, which ranked No. 15 as the most popular metro for millennials coming to Texas, gaining 35.2 millennials per 10,000 residents.
The Killeen-Temple metro, which also includes the town of Belton, is located between Waco and Austin along I-35. Killeen stretches further west into the Hill Country and is dominated by Fort Hood, a U.S. Army base first established in 1942. Residents have easy access to Stillhouse Hollow Lake and Belton Lake, as well as major barbecue joints like Miller’s Smokehouse and Schoepf’s BBQ, seven H-E-Bs and a Buc-ee’s in North Temple heading toward Waco.
As of 2024, Killeen has a population of over 160,000, Belton has over 25,600, and Temple has over 96,000 residents. Together, that gives the metro over 281,000 residents before the millennials even arrive.