The Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio metropolitan areas ranked among the nation’s top 10 for population gains from 2024 to 2025 | Images via Wikimedia Commons; compilation by DX.
Texas gained $5.54 billion in adjusted gross income from interstate movers as its four largest metropolitan areas ranked among the nation’s top 10 for population growth, federal data show.
The datasets cover different periods. The IRS migration figures compare tax returns filed in 2022 and 2023, while the latest Census estimates measure population changes from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.
Texas gains income from interstate movers
IRS records show Texas received 307,240 returns from other states while losing 250,767, producing a net gain of 56,473 returns.
Those returns represented 553,369 incoming residents and 440,888 outgoing residents, based on exemptions claimed. That left Texas with a net gain of 112,481 people through interstate migration.
Incoming filers reported $25.7 billion in adjusted gross income, compared with $20.2 billion reported by those who left. The difference was $5.54 billion.
The figure measures income associated with movers, not tax revenue collected by the state. Texas does not levy an individual state income tax.
The Tax Foundation ranked Texas second only to Florida, which gained $20.6 billion in net adjusted gross income. California lost $11.9 billion, while New York lost $9.9 billion.
Four Texas metros make the top 10
The Census Bureau placed four Texas metropolitan areas among the country’s 10 largest numerical gains:
Metro
Residents added
U.S. rank
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
126,720
No. 1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
123,557
No. 2
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
53,796
No. 6
San Antonio-New Braunfels
38,402
No. 9
Together, the four metros added 342,475 residents, equal to roughly 88% of Texas’ statewide increase.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth also rank among the nation’s 10 largest cities. Fort Worth surpassed 1 million residents and climbed to No. 10.
North Texas growth shifts outward
Growth across North Texas remained uneven. Dallas County lost an estimated 2,616 residents from 2024 to 2025, while Collin County added 42,966, the second-largest numerical gain among U.S. counties.
The Census Bureau said the outer edges of major Texas metropolitan areas tended to grow fastest. DFW nevertheless reached nearly 8.5 million residents and recorded the nation’s second-largest metro increase.
Texas added 391,243 residents statewide during the year, more than any other state, lifting its population to 31,709,821. Its 1.2% growth rate ranked fourth nationally, behind South Carolina, Idaho and North Carolina.
The population and income gains coincided with continued economic expansion. Preliminary federal estimates show Texas produced $2.9 trillion in current-dollar gross domestic product in 2025. Inflation-adjusted output grew 2.5%, according to the governor’s office, which cited Bureau of Economic Analysis data.
The Tax Foundation said tax differences may influence migration alongside housing costs, employment opportunities and climate. The latest federal figures show Texas gaining residents, income and economic output at the same time.