On the move

3 hot Austin suburbs rank among Texas' most popular places to move in 2022

Leander lands at No. 4 on a list of the most popular Texas cities for movers.

Photo courtesy of Leander Chamber of Commerce

Three booming Austin suburbs are among the state's most popular moving destinations, a new report shows. In a survey spanning January 1-July 5, 2022, moveBuddha released a new list of the 20 Texas cities where the share of people seeking to move in outweighs the share of people seeking to move out.

Representing the Austin metro are Leander, Georgetown, and Hutto.

Landing at No. 4 on the list is Leander, which scored a 224-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs. The North Austin suburb has seen a population explosion in recent years and is also home to one of the country's hottest ZIP codes for homebuyers.

At No. 15 is charming Georgetown, with a 166-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs. And Hutto, which is experiencing its own boom in development and population, comes close behind at No. 18. It has a 158-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs.

Dallas-Fort Worth leads the state’s major metro areas for popularity as a moving destination, with eight cities making the top 20:

No. 1 Prosper, 253-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 5 Euless, 211-to-110 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 6 Roanoke, 204-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 7 Forney, 202-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 12 Frisco, 180-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 13 Dallas, 170-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 19 Plano, 154-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 20 Addison, 151-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs

Other major-metro cities in Texas on the moveBuddha list are:

No. 8 Tomball (Houston), 200-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 9 Montgomery (Houston), 198-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 10 New Braunfels (San Antonio), 191-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 14 Katy (Houston), 169-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs
No. 17 Conroe (Houston), 162-to-100 ratio for move-ins vs. move-outs

lists rankings

santa's favorite city

Austin shines bright as No. 1 most festive city in U.S. for 2024

Photo by Maggie Boyd

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Austin's love for the holiday season is shining bright once again: The Capital City has been crowned the No. 1 most festive city in the nation for the third year in a row.

Austin has hung onto the coveted No. 1 spot on the holiday list since 2022, according to the recently released annual report by home services provider Thumbtack.

The study compiled data from millions of holiday light installation requests across all 50 states, between October 2023 and 2024, to reveal their list of the most festive cities in the nation.

Austinites have plenty of citywide light displays to pull inspiration from for their own homes, including the long-cherished Trail of Lights, Mozart's Annual Holiday Light Show, and many more.

Texas cities are far merrier than many other places in the country, with Dallas and Houston ranking just behind Austin as the No. 2 and No. 4 most festive American cities, respectively. San Antonio ranked No. 10 this year, after previously ranking No. 5 in the 2023 report.

Texans have to get creative when it comes to their holiday decorating, as the weather doesn't always cooperate with the classic "White Christmas" theme.

"In the milder climates, you probably won’t find a winter wonderland, but you might see plenty of twinkling lights, tinsel, and bold colors outside the traditional red, green, and white palette," the report's author wrote. "Neon baubles, vintage plastic Santa molds, and playful LED lights keep properties festive and bright. Native eucalyptus, olive branches, and succulents are used as greenery in place of traditional pine and fir."

Outsourcing that outdoor holiday decorating will cost a pretty penny, according to Thumbtack's analysts. The study said the average cost to hire a holiday lighting specialist can range from $168-$300, depending on the scope of the project and home size. Thumbtack also recommends that Austinites avoid hiring a lighting specialist during Thanksgiving weekend, which is the time period that sees the highest demand.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 – Sacramento, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

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