Dallas, Houston Renters Create a Pipeline Between the Metro Areas, Data Finds

Could it be that the Texas Rangers baseball team just doesn’t win enough? Is the cultural scene better? Certainly, the traffic isn’t an attraction. It’s not you, it’s us, right?

Whatever the reason, Apartment List came up with an interesting finding in its third-quarter Migration Report: Houston ranks as the most popular destination for Dallas renters looking to move outside the metro area.

According to the report, 6.6 percent of Dallas renters hunting for an apartment outside the metro area are checking out Houston, followed by Tulsa (5 percent), and Oklahoma City 4.7 percent).

On the flip side, maybe the Rangers, the cultural scene, and the traffic are better than we expected. Dallas is the top destination site for Houston renters looking to move with 13.6 percent checking out our area. Dallas is the top search for Austin (4.7 percent) and San Antonio (3.2 percent).

In all, 34.7 percent of Dallas-area apartment hunters are looking to move away from the metro area, and 24.5 percent of those seeking somewhere to live in the Dallas area are searching from outside the metro area.

The report is based on Apartment List’s searches between July 1 and Sept. 30. Apartment List analyzes data on millions of searches to see where its users are preparing to move, shedding light on the migration patterns of America’s renters.

According to Apartment List, “2021 poised to be a historic year for the rental market, as rapid price appreciation threatens affordability across the country. Housing is already taking center stage in local politics, as cities debate rent control, upzoning, eviction moratoria, and other legislation to improve short- and long-term housing security for renters. All of these shifts have the potential to accelerate migration as renters reconsider how their current living arrangements align with their housing preferences, their work arrangements, and their financial standing.”

So, maybe it isn’t just the baseball team, cultural scene, or traffic.