Texas is not one place. It is eight states disguised as one, and the first decision you make after “yes, Texas” will shape everything that follows. Before reading about costs, schools, or movers, answer one question: which Texas are you moving to?
The distance from El Paso to Houston is 747 miles. That is farther than Chicago to New York. A person moving to El Paso and a person moving to Houston are making categorically different decisions about climate, economy, cost, and lifestyle. The guide below covers all five major metros. Find yours, then dig in.
Part One: Choose Your Texas First
The Five-Metro Decision Framework
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States with roughly 2.3 million people in the city proper and over 7 million in the metro. It is the energy capital of the world, a major medical hub anchored by the Texas Medical Center (the largest in the world), and one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country. It sits on the Gulf Coast, which means heat, humidity, and hurricane risk are real factors in daily life. Median home price as of early 2026: approximately $335,000. Traffic on I-10 and I-45 is some of the worst in the country. There is no zoning code, which means commercial and residential uses mix in ways that surprise newcomers.
Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest metro in Texas and the fourth-largest in the US, anchored by roughly 8 million people across the Metroplex. It is a financial and corporate headquarters magnet: Toyota North America, AT&T, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines all call the area home. The NYSE announced a Texas exchange in Dallas in late 2025. DFW sits in Tornado Alley. Median home price around $440,000 in early 2026, with significant variation between Dallas proper, Fort Worth, and suburbs like Plano or Frisco.
Austin is the state capital and tech hub. Tesla, Apple, and Meta have major presences here. The University of Texas anchors a strong talent pipeline. Austin saw the sharpest housing price correction among Texas metros since 2022: median prices dropped roughly 18% from the pandemic peak to approximately $440,000 in late 2025. That still makes it the priciest major Texas market on a per-square-foot basis at $228 per square foot. The city has a serious flooding problem and is in the process of rebuilding its reputation as an affordable alternative to San Francisco, a reputation that no longer holds for most workers.
San Antonio is the most affordable of the four largest metros. Median home price sits around $250,000 to $297,000. It is heavily military (Joint Base San Antonio is the largest military installation in the US), strong in healthcare and tourism, and growing steadily. It lacks the corporate headquarters density of DFW or the tech concentration of Austin. For families who want a lower cost of entry into Texas homeownership, San Antonio is the clearest value.
El Paso sits on the far western tip of the state, 750+ miles from Houston, closer to Los Angeles than to Dallas. Median home price is approximately $255,000, stable year-over-year. The economy is tied to military installations (Fort Bliss), cross-border trade with Ciudad Juarez, and healthcare. It is a balanced market where 98.6% of homes sell at or near asking price. Factor in that out-of-state moves to El Paso can take 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.
If your employer has not already dictated the metro, spend 48 hours in each finalist city before signing a lease. The cultural, climatic, and commute differences between these five places are not minor.
Part Two: Moving Costs and Distances
Local Texas Moves (Under 50 Miles)
Within any Texas metro, professional movers charge approximately $95 to $140 per hour for a two-person crew and truck. Total costs by home size:
- Studio apartment: approximately $400
- 1-bedroom: approximately $540
- 2-bedroom: approximately $860
- 3-bedroom: approximately $1,940
- 4-bedroom: approximately $2,225
- 5+ bedrooms: approximately $3,400
Book 4 to 6 weeks in advance for summer or end-of-month moves. Moving on a weekday typically brings lower rates than weekends.
Long-Distance Moves Into Texas
Once a move exceeds 50 miles or crosses state lines, pricing shifts from hourly to weight-and-distance-based. Budget ranges for moving a 2-bedroom home to Texas:
- From California: $7,125 to $7,375 average (1,300 to 1,500 miles)
- From the Pacific Northwest: $3,600 to $8,000
- From the Midwest: $2,500 to $6,000 (varies by origin city)
- Within Texas, city to city (e.g., Houston to Austin, 165 miles): $1,200 to $3,500
Driving Distances Within Texas
These are not metaphors. These are actual driving times you should internalize before deciding which city to settle in:
- El Paso to Houston: 747 miles, approximately 10.5 hours
- El Paso to Dallas: 617 miles, approximately 8.5 hours
- Dallas to Houston: 239 miles, approximately 3.5 hours
- Houston to San Antonio: 199 miles, approximately 3 hours
- Austin to Dallas: 195 miles, approximately 3 hours
- Austin to Houston: 162 miles, approximately 2.5 hours
If you are moving to El Paso and expect to visit Dallas “on weekends,” revise that plan.
Container and DIY Options
Portable moving containers within 50 miles: $400 to $700. Interstate container moves: $900 to $4,500+. Renting a moving truck and driving yourself is the cheapest option and is practical for moves under 500 miles with sufficient driving time.
Part Three: Housing Markets by Metro
Austin
Median home price corrected to approximately $440,000 in late 2025, down roughly 18% from the 2022 peak of $550,000. Over 53% of active listings took price cuts in that period. Homes average 50 to 60 days on market. Average 1-bedroom rent runs $1,400 to $1,800 per month. The 2026 outlook is modest further softening of 1 to 3% before stabilization in the second half. Mortgage rates hovering at 6.5% to 7.5% still constrain purchasing power for many buyers.
Three Austin-specific negatives: I-35 is a major construction zone through at least 2028; flash flooding risk is the highest of any major Texas metro per ClimateCheck; and service-industry workers who built the city’s identity largely cannot afford to live in it anymore.
Dallas-Fort Worth
DFW’s median fell to approximately $440,000, down 1% to 1.8% year-over-year. The Metroplex has the largest housing inventory in Texas at over 30,000 active listings. Fort Worth and suburbs like Arlington offer meaningfully lower entry prices than Dallas proper. Price per square foot is $197, versus $228 in Austin. Average apartment rent statewide runs approximately $1,470 per month; single-family rentals run $2,200 to $2,300.
Houston
Houston’s median is approximately $335,000, the lowest of the four largest metros, and fell roughly 1.5% year-over-year. Homes average 91 days on market, giving buyers the most negotiating leverage of any major Texas metro. Price per square foot is approximately $172.
The tradeoff: Houston has no zoning code, meaning industrial uses can legally locate next to residential neighborhoods. Flood insurance is a real cost that can add $1,000 to $3,000+ per year depending on your FEMA flood zone designation. Check flood maps at msc.fema.gov before committing to any property.
San Antonio
Median home prices range from $250,000 to $297,000, making San Antonio the clearest entry-level homeownership option in Texas. The sale-to-list ratio is 96.7%; only 9.1% of homes sell above asking. Projected appreciation is 1% to 4% in 2026. Job opportunities for senior-level professionals in finance or tech are more limited here than in Austin or DFW; remote workers and retirees are well-served.
El Paso
Median sale price approximately $255,000, stable year-over-year. Homes sell in 48 days. 24.2% sold above asking price, up from 18.7% a year earlier. Lowest cost of living of the five metros. Real estate experts project 2% to 14% growth in sales volume in 2026 (use the lower end as your planning figure).
Part Four: Driver License and Vehicle Registration
Texas DPS: The 90-Day Driver License Transfer
New Texas residents must obtain a Texas driver license within 90 days of establishing residency. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) handles all driver licenses by appointment only. Do not show up without one.
Required documents:
- Proof of identity (passport or birth certificate)
- Social Security number
- Two proof-of-Texas-residency documents (utility bill, lease, bank statement, mortgage statement, or W-2, all dated within 180 days)
- If surrendering a valid out-of-state license, the 30-day residency waiting period is waived
Adults 18 and older surrendering a valid unexpired out-of-state license are exempt from the written knowledge and driving skills tests. You will still complete a vision exam, pay the fee, provide biometrics (fingerprints), and have your photo taken.
REAL ID note: Starting May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant license (gold star in the upper right corner) is required for domestic air travel and federal building access. To get one, bring your birth certificate or passport, Social Security card, and two residency documents.
Book your DPS appointment early. Wait times for appointments commonly run 3 to 6 weeks in major metros.
Vehicle Registration: 30-Day Deadline
Vehicle registration must be completed within 30 days of moving to Texas, faster than the driver license deadline. Visit your county Tax Assessor-Collector’s office (not DPS).
Base registration fees:
- State base fee: $50.75
- TexasSure insurance verification: $1.00
- Processing and handling: $4.75
- Inspection replacement fee (non-commercial): $7.50
- Title transfer: $33.00
- Local county fees: $0 to $31.50 (varies by county)
Electric vehicles pay an additional $200 annual fee at registration. New EVs issued two-year registrations pay $400.
New residents also pay a one-time sales tax fee of $90 or the difference between your previous state’s sales tax and Texas’s rate, whichever is higher.
As of January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicle safety inspections are no longer required statewide. However, 17 counties (including Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, Travis, and Collin) still require emissions inspections before registration.
Minimum auto insurance requirements in Texas: 30/60/25 coverage. That means $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. This is the legal floor. Given Texas traffic volumes and repair costs, most advisors recommend substantially higher coverage.
No State Income Tax
Texas has no state income tax. For a household earning $150,000 per year, this represents a savings of roughly $9,000 to $15,000 compared to states like California or New York, depending on deductions. The state funds its budget through property taxes, sales taxes, and business taxes instead.
Part Five: Taxes and Cost of Living
Property Tax: The Real Cost of Texas Homeownership
Texas has one of the highest property tax burdens in the United States. The effective rate on owner-occupied housing runs approximately 1.36% to 1.58% of market value annually, compared to a national average of approximately 1.02%.
On a $335,000 home (Houston median), that means $4,556 to $5,293 per year in property taxes, or roughly $380 to $440 per month added to your housing cost. On a $440,000 home (Austin or DFW median), that is $5,984 to $6,952 per year.
Positive development: Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2025 increasing the general residence homestead exemption from school district taxes to $140,000 (previously $100,000). Homeowners 65 and older or with disabilities received an increased additional exemption of $60,000. These changes reduce effective tax bills for qualifying homeowners.
Texas homeowners pay a projected median of $4,232 in property taxes in 2026. That number is statewide and includes rural areas with lower home values. Urban homeowners typically pay substantially more.
Sales Tax
The state sales tax rate is 6.25%. Local jurisdictions can add up to 2%, bringing the combined average to 8.2%. Most groceries are exempt. Clothing, prepared food, and most services are taxed.
Cost of Living Index
Texas as a whole sits slightly below the national average for cost of living, but major metros vary significantly. Austin tracks closer to national average or slightly above due to housing costs. Dallas sits slightly below national average. Houston and San Antonio sit meaningfully below national average on most indices. El Paso is among the most affordable cities in the country.
The tax structure math: eliminating state income tax saves money for higher earners but costs proportionally more in property taxes and sales taxes for lower earners and renters who do not own property. A renter earning $60,000 who moves from Ohio to Texas may save less than they expect because they pay higher sales taxes and do not benefit from property tax exemptions they do not own.
Part Six: Texas’s Deregulated Electricity Market
This section deserves more space than most guides give it. The electricity market in Texas is genuinely different from every other state, and the wrong plan choice can cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
How ERCOT Works
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages 90% of the state’s electrical load, serving approximately 27 million customers. Unlike every other state, Texas operates its own isolated grid, separate from the Eastern and Western Interconnections that serve the rest of the country. This independence was a deliberate political choice that has significant operational consequences.
ERCOT is an energy-only market: generators are paid only for electricity they produce and deliver, not for maintaining reserve capacity. This creates cost efficiency during normal conditions and dangerous scarcity during extremes.
Who Can Choose Their Provider
Not everyone in Texas can choose their electricity provider. The deregulated market applies to approximately 85% of the state. If you are moving to:
- Houston (CenterPoint service area): you can choose your provider
- Dallas-Fort Worth (Oncor service area): you can choose your provider
- Austin (Austin Energy): you cannot choose your provider
- San Antonio (CPS Energy): you cannot choose your provider
- El Paso (El Paso Electric): you cannot choose your provider
This is one of the most misunderstood facts about Texas electricity. Austin and San Antonio residents pay rates set by their municipal utilities.
How to Choose a Retail Electricity Provider
For those in deregulated areas, the official comparison tool is Power to Choose (powertochoose.org), run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Enter your zip code, compare plans, and enroll directly.
Fixed-rate plans: Your rate per kilowatt-hour is locked for the contract term (typically 6, 12, or 24 months). You pay the same price in July as in February. This is the recommended option for most households.
Variable-rate plans: Your rate fluctuates with the wholesale market. In normal months, variable rates can be cheaper. During extreme weather, they can spike to catastrophic levels. Variable rates are appropriate only for users who monitor the market actively and can absorb price spikes.
What to look at when comparing plans: The advertised rate is often for a specific usage level (e.g., 1,000 kWh per month). Read the Electricity Facts Label (EFL), which shows your actual rate at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh. Base charges can make low-usage plans expensive. Cancellation fees typically run $150 to $200.
Average Texas electricity rates in 2025 to 2026: approximately 14 to 19 cents per kWh. The average Texas home uses roughly 1,200 kWh per month in summer. At 17 cents per kWh, a summer electric bill of $200 to $280 is common. Bills in DFW and Houston during July and August routinely exceed $300.
Winter Storm Uri: What It Means for You
In February 2021, a prolonged deep freeze hit Texas. Millions lost power for days. At least 246 people died. Some households received electric bills of $10,000 or more because they had variable-rate plans tied to wholesale prices that spiked to the market cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour.
Since then, Texas has invested in weatherization of power plants, added battery storage, and updated market rules. ERCOT’s winter 2025 to 2026 assessment projects available resources of approximately 70.4 gigawatts against an extreme-demand scenario of 85.3 gigawatts. That gap means rolling blackouts remain possible in a severe multi-day freeze, though grid operators consider them unlikely under most scenarios.
The practical lesson: lock in a fixed-rate plan before winter. Have a plan for 24 to 48 hours without power. Keep a battery bank charged. If you rely entirely on an electric heat pump with no backup, you are vulnerable in a grid stress event.
Part Seven: Weather and Natural Hazards
Heat
All five Texas metros experience sustained summer heat that is a genuine infrastructure hazard. Houston in 2025 recorded 259 days at or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the most in a single year on record. Dallas summer highs routinely reach 100 to 105 degrees for weeks. Check the HVAC system age before buying any home. A failing unit in August is not a minor repair; it is an emergency that will cost $5,000 to $15,000 to replace.
Hurricanes (Houston and the Gulf Coast)
Hurricane Harvey (2017) deposited over 60 inches of rain on parts of Houston, flooding roughly 200,000 structures and causing an estimated $125 billion in damage. If you are moving to the Houston area, check FEMA flood maps at msc.fema.gov before committing to any property. High-risk flood zones (AE or VE) require flood insurance for federally backed mortgages. Properties outside designated zones also flooded during Harvey. Budget $1,000 to $3,000+ annually for flood insurance depending on your zone.
Tornadoes (Dallas-Fort Worth)
DFW sits in Tornado Alley. In 2024, an EF3 tornado with 165 mph winds killed seven people and cut power to 322,000 residents. Dallas-Fort Worth logged over 1,300 severe weather events that year. A NOAA weather radio is not optional here; your phone’s weather app will not reliably wake you at 2:00 a.m.
Flash Flooding and Winter Storms
The corridor from Dallas through Austin to San Antonio is Flash Flood Alley. The limestone terrain channels water rapidly; shallow crossings become impassable within 20 minutes of heavy rain. “Turn around, don’t drown” reflects a real fatality pattern, not bureaucratic caution.
Homes built before 2022 may have unprotected pipes in exterior walls and HVAC systems not rated for sustained sub-freezing temperatures, a direct legacy of assuming severe winter was a once-per-generation event. When evaluating any pre-2022 home, ask specifically about pipe insulation.
Part Eight: Transportation
The Car Is Not Optional
A car is functionally required in every Texas metro. Dallas has the most developed public transit through the DART system (144 miles of light rail, bus, and commuter rail), but coverage drops sharply outside the urban core. Houston’s Metro provides bus service and limited light rail downtown. San Antonio’s VIA is primarily bus-based. Austin’s Project Connect light rail expansion is years from meaningful coverage. If you are moving without a car, Dallas is your best option.
Three interstates define daily Texas movement. I-35 runs north-south through San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. The Austin segment is under active reconstruction through at least 2028; budget 1.5x to 2x normal drive time during peak hours. I-10 runs east-west from El Paso through San Antonio and Houston. The Katy Freeway (I-10 west of Houston) reaches 26 lanes and is still congested. I-45 connects Dallas and Houston across 250 miles and carries a high per-mile fatality rate.
Texas has no congestion pricing. Toll roads are the primary capacity solution. Daily commuters in DFW, Austin, and Houston regularly spend $100 to $250 per month in tolls.
Part Nine: Texas State Profile and Economy
Texas has a GDP exceeding $2.6 trillion, ranking it the eighth-largest economy in the world if it were a country. The 2025 budget surplus reached $24 billion. GDP growth in 2024 ran approximately 3.9%, outpacing the national average. 55 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered here. Since 2015, over 314 corporate headquarters have relocated to Texas. In late 2025, both NYSE and NASDAQ announced Texas expansions. Google committed $40 billion to the state, its largest single-state investment in company history.
Five Major Texas Employers
Toyota North America is headquartered in Plano with 59,000 US employees, relocated from California in 2014.
Southwest Airlines is headquartered in Dallas with 72,450 employees, on best-employer lists in Texas for nine consecutive years.
Texas Instruments is a top-ten global semiconductor company, headquartered in Dallas, with a new 300mm chip plant in Sherman opened recently.
Texas Health Resources employs 29,000 people across 29 North Texas hospital locations and has ranked on best-places-to-work lists for eleven years.
McKesson Corporation, one of the largest healthcare companies in the world by revenue, is headquartered in Irving in the DFW metro.
Fastest-growing sectors for 2026: technology, healthcare, logistics, and professional services. Professional and business services alone employ over 1.9 million Texans.
Part Ten: Moving Companies
Before hiring any mover, verify their credentials at two sources. Interstate movers must be registered with the FMCSA; check at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Intrastate Texas movers must be licensed with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; verify at txdmv.gov or call 1-888-368-4689.
Red flags: companies that refuse to provide a written binding estimate, demand cash-only payment, require a large deposit before the move, or quote prices exclusively over the phone. If a quote is 40% lower than every other estimate, that is reason for suspicion, not celebration. File complaints about problematic movers at protectyourmove.gov or call 1-888-368-7238.
Always request a binding estimate. A binding estimate sets a firm price. A non-binding estimate can increase after your belongings are loaded and held until you pay.
AB Moving
Website: https://abmoving.com
Phone: (214) 348-2626
Service Area: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio (statewide Texas coverage)
Services: Local moving, long-distance moving, packing, storage, commercial moving
License: USDOT 1939700; TxDMV 000571862B
Rating: A+ BBB rating; strong Google reviews across markets
Price Range: $95 to $145 per hour for local moves; long-distance pricing by quote
Best For: Households wanting a Texas-native company with over 30 years of in-state experience and offices in all four major metros.
AB Moving is family-owned, founded in the Dallas area and expanded statewide. Their multi-city presence means they handle both ends of intrastate Texas moves without brokering to third parties, reducing handoff risk. Request a binding estimate online or by phone, and confirm crew licensing before moving day.
Two Men and a Truck (Texas Locations)
Website: https://twomenandatruck.com
Phone: (512) 451-1111 (Austin); (713) 529-1111 (Houston); varies by franchise
Service Area: Multiple Texas locations including Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio
Services: Local and long-distance moving, packing, unpacking, junk removal, storage
License: USDOT 1737936 (national); individual franchise locations also licensed by TxDMV
Rating: Generally 4.0 to 4.5 stars across locations; individual franchise quality varies
Price Range: $110 to $150 per hour for local moves; long-distance by quote
Best For: Households wanting a nationally recognized brand with local franchise accountability and transparent hourly pricing.
Two Men and a Truck is now one of the largest moving franchises in the US. Texas locations operate semi-independently, so call the specific location serving your zip code rather than the national number. Confirm the local franchise’s TxDMV license number before booking.
Allied Van Lines
Website: https://allied.com
Phone: 1-800-470-2851
Service Area: All major Texas metros; nationwide and international
Services: Local, long-distance, and international moving; Allied Express portable container option; packing, storage, specialty items
License: USDOT 076235
Rating: 4.0 to 4.3 stars on major review platforms; 9% of Texas survey respondents chose Allied in 2025, making it among the most used national carriers in the state
Price Range: $2,500 to $8,000+ for interstate moves depending on home size and distance
Best For: Long-distance and interstate moves where continuity of carrier matters; households moving from out of state into Texas who want a single company managing origin, transit, and delivery.
Allied has locations in Houston, San Antonio, Plano, Belton, and Fort Worth. For any move over 500 miles, request an in-home survey rather than a phone estimate. Weight is the primary pricing variable on long-distance moves, and estimates not based on an actual inventory are frequently inaccurate. Verify USDOT 076235 at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before booking.
Moving Company Guys (Dallas)
Phone: (972) 528-0385
Website: https://movingcompanyguys.com
USDOT: 3918729
Type: Local / Regional
Rating: 4.5/5 on Google (approximate)
Notes: Dallas-based carrier with over 10 years of experience and 15,000+ completed moves in the DFW area. Licensed with both USDOT and TxDMV (009567347C). Provides binding written estimates. All movers are background-checked and drug-tested. Serves Dallas, Garland, Plano, Richardson, and surrounding DFW communities.
USF Moving Company (Houston)
Phone: (281) 743-4503
Website: https://usfhoustonmoving.com
USDOT: 3633499
Type: Local / Regional
Rating: 4.9/5 on Google (approximate)
Notes: Houston-based company with 12 years of experience and over 15,000 completed relocations. Serves Greater Houston including Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland, and Cypress. Handles local, statewide, and long-distance moves. Holds active TxDMV and USDOT credentials. Available seven days a week.
Part Eleven: Three Honest Negatives About Texas
Every guide mentions the no-income-tax headline and the affordable housing narrative. Three things that are underreported:
Property tax is a structural problem for fixed-income households. Texas’s high property tax rate does not adjust automatically when your income drops. Retirees on Social Security who bought a home when it was worth $200,000 and now see it assessed at $400,000 face dramatically higher annual bills unless they actively apply for senior exemptions. The 2025 voter-approved $60,000 additional exemption for homeowners 65+ helps, but property taxes remain a meaningful ongoing burden that does not disappear with retirement.
The electricity market punishes inattentive consumers. Variable-rate plans, auto-renewal into higher rates at contract expiration, and complex pricing structures mean that Texas electricity customers who do not actively manage their plan routinely overpay by 20% to 40% compared to available market rates. This is not accidental; it is a structural feature of a deregulated retail market. Set a calendar reminder 60 days before your contract expires to shop for a new plan at powertochoose.org.
Texas’s infrastructure is unevenly maintained. Outside the major metros, road quality, internet access, and public services drop sharply. Even within metros, rapid growth has outpaced infrastructure investment: I-35 through Austin, flooding infrastructure in Houston, and school district capacity in fast-growing DFW suburbs are all operating under strain. The state’s fiscal surplus is large but the infrastructure maintenance backlog is also large.
Summary: The Decision Matrix
If your primary driver is cost of entry to homeownership: San Antonio or El Paso.
If your primary driver is career opportunities in technology: Austin or DFW.
If your primary driver is career opportunities in energy, healthcare, or international trade: Houston.
If your primary driver is corporate and financial sector careers: DFW.
If your primary driver is military career or proximity to military installations: San Antonio or El Paso.
If you are a remote worker optimizing for cost plus livability: San Antonio offers the best combination of low housing cost, strong infrastructure, and quality-of-life amenities among the five metros.
No Texas metro is the right answer for everyone. The state’s size is both its selling point and its main planning challenge. Choose your Texas first, then plan the move.
Last updated: February 2026. This guide is for informational purposes only. Verify all costs, regulations, and company details before making decisions.