Who's Moving to Austin? Hint: It's Not Californians... (Houston, Dallas: transplants, how much)

[CptnRn]

I keep hearing people ***** about all the Californians moving to Austin. If you are one of those people, you do not know what you are talking about. I am happy to see another article published on that subject:

Who's Moving to Austin? Hint: It's Not Californians | Boom Town | Austin Post

As much as Austinites like to think our city is being ruined by people from the East and West Coasts destroying everything that used to make the city “weird," the reality is that other Texans are moving to Austin in the largest numbers.

The counties providing the most transplants to Austin are as follows, in descending order (a big thanks to Brian Kelsey of Civic Analytics for compiling the following info):

• Williamson (TX)
• Harris (TX) (Houston)
• Hays (TX) (just south of us)
• Dallas (TX)
• Bexar (TX) (San Antonio)
• Bastrop (TX)
• Los Angeles (CA)
• Tarrant (TX) (Fort Worth)
• Fort Bend (TX) (Houston area)
• Bell (TX) (Temple/Belton/Killeen)

After LA County, other out-of-Texas counties frontrunners include Cook County (Chicago), IL, in 11th; Orleans Parish (New Orleans), LA in 17th; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ in 18th; and Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA in 25th. What? Where’s that East Coast representation? Aren’t they also moving here and ruining the city? Apparently not so much.

MigrationTravisCounty American Migration [Interactive Map] - Forbes

[scm53]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I keep hearing people ***** about all the Californians moving to Austin. If you are one of those people, you do not know what you are talking about. I am happy to see another article published on that subject:

That list requires putting an EXCEEDINGLY fine line on "Austin". Most people, when they say they are moving to "Austin", couldn't tell you the difference between Lakeway, Austin, Rollingwood, Round Rock, or Buda. They would all say they were moving to "Austin".

So to list moves from Round Rock to Clarksville the same as a move from LA fails the test of reasonableness. From Belterra to NW Hills shouldn't be different than from Circle C. Take out the five counties in the Austin MSA - Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson - and the list looks very different.

[TexasHorseLady]

Exactly. And the question is, do people moving here from other places in Texas (assuming they haven't moved to those places from elsewhere first) try to change Austin as much as people moving from other states and, specifically, California?

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Exactly. And the question is, do people moving here from other places in Texas (assuming they haven't moved to those places from elsewhere first) try to change Austin as much as people moving from other states and, specifically, California?

For years and years I've heard you make this claim here. You have zero basis for that statement except for some anecdotal experience that has apparently scarred you. Please don't be so ignorant and xenophobic and purport to know the hearts and minds of complete strangers.

[hts]

What's makes anyone think that anyone wants to change Austin?

Don't people move to Austin for what it is, rather than what they want to change it to be?

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

For years and years I've heard you make this claim here. You have zero basis for that statement except for some anecdotal experience that has apparently scarred you. Please don't be so ignorant and xenophobic and purport to know the hearts and minds of complete strangers.

Note quite as anecdotal as you make it out to be.

[ATX Wahine]

A seven year-old article about Californians moving to the Rockies is your rebuttal? Hahaha. Oh those evil west coasters, how DARE they migrate to states with civic leaders who invite them and their companies there! Are you aware of how much crap Coloradans give the Texans who moved there? Same sh*t, different state. Austin is not alone with it's growing pains.

You want to point fingers? Blame your elected goverment, traveling worldwide to announce that "Texas is open for business".

At the end of the day I surely am grateful that all the friends I've made, coworkers I spend days with, and even people I meet while out and about here in Austin who have been far more welcoming and kind than the handful of resentful people here at CD who thrive on complaints and generalizations about people they know nothing about.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine

A seven year-old article about Californians moving to the Rockies is your rebuttal?

Sorry to derail your accusatory rant with an example of transformation of a state due to immigration from California. You don't like "anecdotes", you don't like recorded history. I'm thinking there isn't anything that would be good enough. You made a statement begging to be refuted - which The Economist did expertly.

I'm not "pointing fingers" - I'm just reporting history. Who cares who's to blame?

[TexasHorseLady]

Thanks, scm53. Your point is well taken. Note the name of the objector to the characterization.

I want it clear that I don't think that all Californians want to change Austin or wherever they land. However, sufficient of them do that they have a reputation that far precedes their arrival in Austin, or Texas at all - a reputation earned in other states of moving in and wanting to change things.

That being said, anyone who moves to Austin because they love it and appreciate it and DOESN'T immediately start complaining about how it isn't like where they came from and start trying to make it over in the image of that place is more than welcome, in my book, and I think that's the majority of immigrants. It's just a few who don't understand the difference between immigration and colonization that cause problems not only for those who already live here but for those who from the same place who have to deal with the reputation.

It would never occur to me to move to California or anywhere else and try to make it into Texas. What on earth would be the point of moving, then?

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Note the name of the objector to the characterization.

I want it clear that I don't think that all Californians want to change Austin or wherever they land. However, sufficient of them do that they have a reputation that far precedes their arrival in Austin, or Texas at all - a reputation earned in other states of moving in and wanting to change things.

That being said, anyone who moves to Austin because they love it and appreciate it and DOESN'T immediately start complaining about how it isn't like where they came from and start trying to make it over in the image of that place is more than welcome, in my book, and I think that's the majority of immigrants. It's just a few who don't understand the difference between immigration and colonization that cause problems not only for those who already live here but for those who from the same place who have to deal with the reputation.

It would never occur to me to move to California or anywhere else and try to make it into Texas. What on earth would be the point of moving, then?

I've been at this board just a hair longer than you, and moved here six years ago after marrying a native Austinite who was born here in 1958. The fact that my log-in name here is still pointed out by you after all these years is just a glaring reminder of your long-standing resentment toward outsiders who move here. You consistently make sweeping generalizations just like the very one that prompted my initial response. Yet you sell houses to these very people, and don't even live in Austin or even Travis County yourself. You are the absolute worst kind of hypocrite in my opinion ... you profit off the very people you resent.

My father is a native Texan, as was my grandfather, and my Texas family would never dream of being rude or unwelcoming to outsiders. You must be from a different part of Texas.