What percentage of the DFW area consists of transplants? (Dallas: home, college)

[EarlofCardigan]

Not that it's important to me, as I find native Texans to be quite nice, but what percentage of DFW consists of transplants from the North, the Midwest, and California? I assume that there are a lot of transplants given DFW's robust economy.

[Acntx]

The closest information I could find to answer your question comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008-2012 American Community Survey regarding place of birth. I used county-level data, but the information is also available for most of the larger cities in the area.

Native vs Foreign-Born
Column 1) Native-born population
Column 2) Foreign-born population

-(1)-|-(2)-|-COUNTY-
82.4 |17.6 | Collin
77.1 |22.9 | Dallas
86.1 |13.9 | Denton
92.1 | 7.9 | Ellis
94.5 | 5.5 | Hood
93.1 | 6.9 | Hunt
93.1 | 6.9 | Johnson
93.2 | 6.8 | Kaufman
95.9 | 4.1 | Parker
89.9 |10.1 | Rockwall
90.9 | 9.1 | Somervell
84.4 |15.6 | Tarrant
93.1 | 6.9 | Wise
82.7 |17.3 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA


Native Born Population Breakdown
Column 1) Percentage of population who are Native-born (sum of columns 2 & 3)
Column 2) Percentage of population who were born in the United States (Sum of columns 2A & 2B)
Column 2A) Percentage of population who were born in Texas
Column 2B) Percentage of population whose birthplace was in a U.S. state other than Texas
Column 3) Percentage of population born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parents

-(1)-|-(2)-|(2A) |(2B) |(3) |-COUNTY-
82.4 |81.2 |45.6 |35.5 |1.2 | Collin
77.1 |76.1 |55.6 |20.5 |0.9 | Dallas
86.1 |84.8 |50.2 |34.6 |1.3 | Denton
92.1 |91.6 |70.6 |21.0 |0.5 | Ellis
94.5 |93.7 |62.4 |31.3 |0.8 | Hood
93.1 |92.3 |69.9 |22.4 |0.8 | Hunt
93.1 |92.1 |69.9 |22.3 |1.0 | Johnson
93.2 |92.6 |71.7 |20.9 |0.6 | Kaufman
95.9 |94.9 |66.6 |28.2 |1.0 | Parker
89.9 |88.7 |57.8 |30.9 |1.2 | Rockwall
90.9 |90.4 |63.6 |26.8 |0.5 | Somervell
84.4 |80.3 |55.2 |27.8 |1.4 | Tarrant
93.1 |92.6 |68.9 |23.7 |0.5 | Wise
82.7 |81.6 |55.6 |26.4 |1.1 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA

[BigDGeek]

Geez, Dallas County is only 56% Texan-born. That's sad.

[EarlofCardigan]

Thanks for the information.

[RJ312]

Good info Acntx. Thanks for posting.

I'm in Dallas County and was born in the US, in another state. I came here primarily for economic purposes, as Texas does have a strong economy relative to the US as a whole. I also came here for social reasons as well. For instance, North Dakota has some very good economic indicators but not a great scene for young people who are unmarried and looking to date and make new friends.

I don't think it is a bad thing that there are a lot of transplants in Dallas but I think transplants should try to adapt to an extent to the area they are moving, partially by choosing areas that fit them well.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Geez, Dallas County is only 56% Texan-born. That's sad.

If I were a betting man, I would be anything that number is lower outside 635.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by peterlemonjello

If I were a betting man, I would be anything that number is lower outside 635.

Think about south of 635 and north of 30 (south end of downtown). Uptown and The Village for instance are filled with transplants.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by peterlemonjello

If I were a betting man, I would be anything that number is lower outside 635.

You don't have to bet, just read the info posted above--> 55% of Collin County was born in another state or country.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by RJ312

Think about south of 635 and north of 30 (south end of downtown). Uptown and The Village for instance are filled with transplants.

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

You don't have to bet, just read the info posted above--> 55% of Collin County was born in another state or country.

Sorry, I wrote wrong. I meant the concentration of transplants is higher outside 635 than inside within Dallas County. Meaning that places like Coppell, Garland, and Far North Dallas are going to have a higher concentration of people born out of state than places like Highland Park or Pleasant Grove.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by peterlemonjello

Sorry, I wrote wrong. I meant the concentration of transplants is higher outside 635 than inside within Dallas County. Meaning that places like Coppell, Garland, and Far North Dallas are going to have a higher concentration of people born out of state than places like Highland Park or Pleasant Grove.

The stats back it up, with 55% of Collin County being non-Texas born as opposed to 45% of Dallas County. In Dallas County, I think it is safe to say that non-Texans move to places like Uptown or The Village after college graduation. That's what I'd think would be statistically significant.

The type of out-of-state transplant that would come to Uptown/The Village is much different than the type of transplant going to Collin County.

If you are going to Uptown/The Village, you are likely between 22-early 30s, unmarried (often not even in a relationship when you arrive in the city), and are working some sort of Yuppie type job. You likely have a Bachelor's or a Master's. You probably moved here because your home state doesn't have a lot of opportunity for college grads. Lots of states would fit this description, but nearby examples would be Arkansas and New Mexico. There's a decent chance that you are fitness oriented.

If you are moving to Collin County, you are probably married. You likely have kids. There's a decent shot you lived in California and are escaping their high taxes and overall declining economic opportunity. There is less of a chance that you will be as fitness oriented as the young unmarried coming into Uptown/The Village.

The point of the last two paragraphs is that the type of transplant going to Collin County is much different than the one going to Dallas County, especially within the 635. These two types of transplants don't spend much of their free time together.