Hot ticket: Study cities influx of people moving to Brownsville-Harlingen

According to the 48th annual United Van Lines National Movers Study, the Brownsville-Harlingen market was the fifth most moved-to location in the United States in 2024.

Brownsville-Harlingen was the only Texas destination to make the 2024 top-10 list, which is based on household moves handled by UniGroup, parent company of United Van Lines, within the contiguous 48 states and Washington. D.C.

“United classifies cities as ‘high inbound’ if 55 percent or more of the moves are inbound,” according to the company.

Brownsville-Harlingen came in at just under 78.7%, behind Flagstaff, Arizona, with 79.3% but ahead of Bellingham, Washington, at less than 78.2%. Wilmington, North Carolina, (82.6%) was the top in-bound move city for 2024, according to the study. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was ranked 10th with less than 74%.

Among Brownsville-Harlingen’s attractions are a cost of living 25.1% below the national average, making the area “ideal for both retirees and first-time homeowners,” according to the study.

The study also cited many historical and natural assets of the area in addition to the melding of cultures and “thriving businesses and numerous recreational opportunities.” Parks, nearby beaches and Gladys Porter Zoo likewise earned a mention.

“Brownsville-Harlingen’s summers are long and hot, winters are short, cool, dry, and windy, and it tends to be at least partly cloudy year-round,” according to the study. “Temperatures typically vary between 52 F to 94 F and rarely below 39 F or above 98 F. That said, a steady Gulf breeze tends to make the heat easier to deal with.”

The study cited a “relatively strong job market tempered by inflation, high mortgage rates and general feeling of social and economic uncertainty” as among the reasons affordable housing and day-to-day living expenses were key factors behind people’s decisions where — or whether — to move.

Migration away from more expensive major metro areas emerged as a pattern, according to the study.

“It seems people want to be close to natural beauty and recreational amenities without sacrificing too much in terms of variety and culture,” it said.

Homes are under construction Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at Palm Valley Heights subdivision in Harlingen. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

In the case of Brownsville-Harlingen’s fifth-place showing, it reflects status as a “rising star in economic and workforce development,” according to the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, which said the ranking “reinforces Brownsville’s competitiveness for investment and its strategic bi-national location” in the eyes of businesses, site selectors and economic development professionals.

SpaceX at Boca Chica and the construction of Rio Grande LNG at the Port of Brownsville, in particular, have brought large numbers of jobs to the area and are likely a driver of in-bound moves to the area.

“Brownsville is seeing unprecedented growth, with much of it due to this region becoming a hub for advanced manufacturing, energy aerospace and space,” said GBIC CEO Gil Salinas.

“These different companies and enterprises are not only generating jobs in the thousands, but also creating value-added wages, and that’s what has people moving into the Brownsville area.

“We’re now witnessing how these industries are truly being transformational for Brownsville.”

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