The shifts are reshaping where economic and political power is concentrated ahead of the 2026 midterms<\/a>, affecting housing markets, state economies, congressional representation and the balance of power.<\/p>\n Texas<\/a> and Florida led the nation in inbound migration between 2022 and 2023, gaining more than 56,000 residents and 55,000 income tax filers, respectively, according to the IRS. Florida also gained roughly $20.6 billion in taxable income, while Texas added another $5.5 billion.<\/p>\n THE RED-STATE WINNERS IN THE CLIMB TO BECOME AMERICA\u2019S NEXT ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE<\/a><\/p>\n Everything may be bigger in Texas \u2014 including the state\u2019s growing economic influence, according to new federal migration data. (Jakub Porzycki\/Anadolu\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona also ranked among the top destinations for interstate movers, underscoring the broader population boom across the South and Sun Belt.<\/p>\n Adjusted for population size, South Carolina posted the nation\u2019s largest gain from domestic migration at 1.12%, fueled by more than 29,000 incoming households carrying roughly $4.1 billion in taxable income.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, California recorded the nation\u2019s largest outbound losses, with more than 100,000 income tax filers and nearly $12 billion in taxable income leaving the state between 2022 and 2023.<\/p>\n New York<\/a> followed, losing roughly 72,000 households and nearly $10 billion in taxable income, while Illinois and New Jersey shed about $6 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively.<\/p>\n AMERICANS KEEP MOVING TO TEXAS AND FLORIDA \u2014 BUT ONE OTHER RED STATE IS GROWING EVEN FASTER<\/a><\/p>\n Experts say the migration boom reflects broader affordability pressures pushing households toward lower-cost, lower-tax states across the South.<\/p>\n “While tax friendliness is not the sole determinant of where one chooses to live or start a business, states experiencing net in-migration tend to have more competitive tax structures<\/a> and lower overall costs of living,” Nicole Fox, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/texas-rodeo-cowboy-american-flag.png\")
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