Everything is bigger in Texas — even the debate over whether the state really is one of the best places to live.
Over the years, Business Insider has written about many people who have moved to Texas from other states. Though their backgrounds vary, many were drawn by the same assets: a lower cost of living, relatively affordable housing, and a strong job market.
Those perks have helped Texas attract hundreds of thousands of new residents, from everyday people to high-profile arrivals like Elon Musk and Bella Hadid. But as home prices have climbed, property tax bills have grown, and layoffs have rippled through major tech hubs like Austin, some transplants are reconsidering their moves.
In May, I wrote about Guadalupe Galindo-Nevarez, who moved back to her hometown of El Paso — a city on the US-Mexico border — in 2022. After four years there, she and her family are planning to move back to California.
Galindo-Nevarez told me that while she found El Paso beautiful and the state’s lower cost of living appealing, those perks weren’t enough to outweigh the extreme summer heat, limited outdoor activities, and high property tax bills.
The article struck a chord with Business Insider readers. I received nearly 100 emails, and the story itself has nearly 700 comments as of publication.
Responses were split. Some readers said they also regretted moving to Texas, while others said the state had given them everything they wanted and more. Several suggested that Texas itself might not be the issue, but that El Paso simply may not have been the right fit for the family.
“Texas is very diverse, and not all parts of Texas are the same,” one commenter wrote, adding that life in El Paso can look very different from life in any of the state’s other cities.
It’s a fair point. Texas is the second-largest state in the US, behind only Alaska, and it contains four geographic regions and 12 economic regions, each with distinct industries, cultures, politics, and ways of life.
Living in El Paso can feel worlds apart from living in other major Texas metros, such as Dallas-Fort Worth, more than 600 miles away. El Paso’s location in far West Texas, in the Chihuahuan Desert and along the US-Mexico border, gives it a distinct bicultural identity. And with Fort Bliss nearby, defense is one of the region’s major economic drivers, alongside aerospace and manufacturing.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, also known as DFW, couldn’t be more different. The North Texas region is marked by sprawling suburbs, dense urban centers, towering skylines, shopping centers, and restaurants. Its major industries include financial services, technology, and hospitality.
Indeed, many commenters pointed out key differences between El Paso and other large Texas cities, including politics, housing costs, and climate.
“Instead of going straight back to California, do the research and see where in Texas you might get the things you are looking for,” one commenter wrote. “Austin is fantastic. The suburbs of these cities are cheaper tax wise and there are many areas [with] a bustling night life, day life, culture, and untold outdoor recreation.”
“El Paso is more like New Mexico than the rest of Texas,” another commenter wrote. “I will never understand how El Paso could be compared to ANY other Texas city like San Antonio, Austin, Dallas or even Houston.”
Others noted that cultural and political leanings can often be a factor in if a California transplant takes to Texas.
“What the article is conspicuously silent on is the ENORMOUS cultural divide between California and Texas,” one commenter wrote, while another shared a story of a friend who left Texas after disliking the changes in the local Texas government. Others who identified as Texans were happy that a transplant was planning to leave their state.
One commenter who identified as a California transplant from Texas said they’re happy to have Nevarez back in the Golden State.
“As a 4th generation Texan that moved to California, all I can say is Welcome Back!” they wrote. “Yes, its cheaper to live in Texas, but you get what you pay for.”
Still, no matter where commenters stood in the debate, one thing was clear: There is no one-size-fits-all Texas experience.
As one commenter put it, “It would seem some research and the location where one lives makes all the difference in the world.”
