布兰特·埃克特（Brant Eckert）认为他刚大学毕业时拿到的6万美元年薪在纽约市根本不够花，于是他搬到了圣安东尼奥。这也是其他Z世代年轻人正在做出的选择。多年来，德克萨斯州一直是那些寻求负担得起的生活方式的人们的灯塔，但最近涌入“孤星之州”的这批人与以往有所不同。Redfin首席经济学家达里尔·费尔韦瑟（Daryl Fairweather）告诉《商业内幕》，2020年代初因疫情而搬迁的人们，由于远程办公的兴起，带着沿海地区的高薪来到这里，并希望让钱更经花。
Brant Eckert thought he couldn't make his fresh-out-of-college $60,000 salary work in New York City, so he moved to San Antonio. It's a move that other Zoomers are making, too. Texas has been a beacon for those looking for an affordable lifestyle for years, but the latest bunch of Lone-Star movers aren't quite like the last. Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather told Business Insider that the pandemic movers of the early 2020s were bringing their coastal salaries with them due to the rise in remote work and were looking to stretch their dollars.
然而，最近德克萨斯州吸引的是更多寻求职业生涯早期机会的年轻人。费尔韦瑟说：“他们可能不是基于远程办公来做选择，因为那些入门级工作往往更倾向于线下办公，或者至少是混合办公模式。他们考虑的不是‘我能带着我的薪水去哪里，让它发挥最大价值？’，而是‘我想在哪里开启我的职业生涯？’”Redfin分析了美国人口普查局的数据，发现千禧一代和Z世代的搬迁者选择德克萨斯州城市的比例高于其他任何地方。
However, more recently, Texas has been luring younger movers looking for early-career opportunities. "They're probably not choosing based on remote work, because those entry-level jobs tend to be more in-person, or at least hybrid," Fairweather said. "They're not thinking about 'Where can I take my salary and where it will go the furthest?' They're thinking, 'Where do I want to start my career?'" Redfin analyzed US Census data and found that millennial and Gen Z movers are choosing Texas cities more than anywhere else.
例如，圣安东尼奥的Z世代净迁入人口最多，达到10,678人。从2014年到2024年，德克萨斯州的城市占据了前五名中的三个席位，奥斯汀和达拉斯的净迁入人数均达到数千人。在另一份报告中，Redfin和Glassdoor对适合应届毕业生的城市进行了排名，达拉斯、休斯顿和奥斯汀均跻身前十。在千禧一代的搬迁者中，达拉斯和休斯顿的净迁入人数遥遥领先，分别为13,072人和16,365人。
San Antonio, for example, had the highest net migration among Gen Z movers, at 10,678 residents. From 2014 to 2024, Texas cities claimed three of the top five spots, with Austin and Dallas both posting gains in the thousands. In a separate report, Redfin and Glassdoor ranked cities for new grads, with Dallas, Houston, and Austin included in the top 10. Dallas and Houston had the highest net migration counts by far among millennial movers, with 13,072 and 16,365, respectively.
千禧一代比Z世代在人生阶段上更进一步，他们正在寻找更大的居住空间——而德克萨斯州恰好以实惠的价格提供了充足的空间。费尔韦瑟表示，虽然纽约市或洛杉矶等沿海城市（这两个城市在Z世代和千禧一代中的净迁入人口均流失了数万人）通常提供更高的薪水，但德克萨斯州的城市提供了更多样化的就业市场，以及以更低成本舒适生活的机会。
Millennials, a little further along in life than Zoomers, are on the hunt for more space — something Texas has a lot of at an affordable price. Fairweather said that while coastal cities like New York City or Los Angeles — which both had net migration losses in the tens of thousands among Gen Z and millennials — often offer higher salaries, Texas cities offer a more diverse job market and the opportunity to live comfortably for less.
“我认为，对于那些不追求30万美元高薪的人来说——他们只是想在一个负担得起的中产阶级生活成本的地方，建立自己的中产阶级生活——得州正好能满足他们的需求，”她说。土生土长的加州人赫拉尔多和托米·鲁伊斯在2024年因火灾导致家园受损后，从圣贝纳迪诺搬到了圣安东尼奥。他们曾考虑过在加州其他地方重新开始，但最终决定到得州寻找更实惠的生活。
"I think especially for people who are not going for that $300,000 salary — they're just trying to build a middle-class life in a place that's affordable to be middle class — Texas offers them that," she said. Native Californians Gerardo and Tomi Ruiz traded San Bernardino for San Antonio in 2024 after a fire damaged their home. They discussed starting over somewhere else in California, but landed on seeking a more affordable life in Texas.
“我们对得州的第一印象就是房租非常便宜。在圣贝纳迪诺，我们租一套三卧一卫的公寓，每月要付大约2350美元，”赫拉尔多在2024年告诉《商业内幕》。“现在我们住在圣安东尼奥一套两卧两卫的房子里，每月只需支付1250美元。”托米当时告诉《商业内幕》，她在加州做抽血员时，每小时收入约25美元，但在得州，这一数字更接近每小时16到20美元。
"Our first impression of Texas was how cheap the rent is. We paid about $2,350 in San Bernardino for a three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment," Gerardo told Business Insider in 2024." We're now in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom place in San Antonio and pay $1,250." Tomi told Business Insider at the time that as a phlebotomist in California, she was making about $25 an hour, but in Texas, it was closer to $16 to $20 an hour.
不过，她在其他地方节省下来的开支弥补了收入上的差距。作为疫情期间的热门城市，丹佛在2020年和2021年吸引了大量迁入者，但最近却出现了Z世代和千禧一代居民净流失的情况。费尔韦瑟表示，科罗拉多州和得州其实并没有太大区别，但随着科罗拉多州生活成本不断上升，得州仍然是更实惠的选择。“归根结底，这其实关乎住房负担能力——不必为了合租而精打细算，也不用担心是否付得起房租，”费尔韦瑟说。“我认为在得州，这方面会顺利得多。”
The savings elsewhere made up for it, she said. Pandemic darling Denver received an influx of movers in 2020 and 2021, but has recently experienced a net loss of Gen Z and millennial residents. Fairweather said that Colorado and Texas aren't all that different, but while Colorado becomes more expensive, Texas remains the more affordable option. "It really does come down to housing affordability and not having to really scrape by with roommates or worry about whether you're able to afford your rent," said Fairweather. "I think in Texas, it's just smoother sailing on that front."