- Texas has become a popular destination for people relocating within the United States.
- Smaller cities like New Braunfels are attracting more movers than Austin or Dallas.
- New residents and locals tell Business Insider how the city is attracting people.
Anna Lagos, 38, moved to Texas from California in 2014 with her husband and two children, joining most of her parents and siblings who had already moved to the state.
Mr. Lagos, a real estate agent, said he believes Texas offers families a chance to achieve the often expensive American dream of homeownership.
“For us, the opportunity was much greater in Texas than in California,” Lagos told Business Insider. “We always wanted to own a home, and it was clear that we would have to work for many years before we could buy a home in California.”
In the early years after the move, Lagos and her husband lived in San Antonio and Austin. But in 2021, driven by a desire to be more affordable and closer to her parents, who were already settled in New Braunfels, the couple moved to a small city in central Texas.
Mr. Lagos, who bought a 2,700-square-foot home in New Braunfels for $325,000, said he fell in love with its “small-town” charm.
“It's not a small town anymore, but somehow it still has a small town feel,” she said, adding that it's one of those places “you won't find it anywhere else.”
Over the past few years, hundreds of thousands of people have moved to the Lone Star State, drawn to affordable housing. political environment, abundant employment opportunities.Texas welcomed, according to Census Bureau data 670,000 new residents In 2021-2022, it ranked second behind Florida.
Large cities like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio have traditionally been real estate hotspots, but in recent years Census estimates From 2020 to mid-2022, New Braunfels; katiehave experienced significant population growth, while correspondingly large countries have experienced minimal growth and, in some cases, population declines. This trend is likely to continue as Americans continue to reevaluate the concepts of affordability and community.
BI interviewed homebuyers and real estate agents to find out what's driving New Braunfels' rise in popularity. Residents said its rich German heritage, close-knit community, rapidly expanding business sector and affordable real estate market make it an ideal place to raise a family and settle down.
One of the fastest growing cities in America
New Braunfels has emerged as one of them. fastest growing American city. Since 2020, the population has increased by more than 15%, according to census data. As of July 2022, the city's population has reached 104,707 people.
Its growth is as remarkable as its origin story. From a humble settlement founded by a German prince, it developed into a thriving and rapidly expanding city.
In 1844, Prince Karl of Solms-Braunfels, a German prince and military man, was appointed head of the Adelsverein, a group of aristocrats united with the sole purpose of creating a “new Germany” in the land of Texas. Ta.
Although New Germany never materialized, the colony was successful, and New Braunfels retains much of its German heritage to this day.
home of famous cities Schlitterbahn Water Parkhosts an annual event Wurstfest celebration — A 10-day German cultural festival dedicated to sausages and Oktoberfest. It has become an internationally famous event, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants from all over the world.
The city's economy and employment sector are booming
New Braunfels' economy is growing rapidly along with its population. The city's gross regional product, a measure of the local economy, reached $2.8 billion in 2021, nearly double what it was a decade ago, according to the New Braunfels Economic Development Foundation's 2023 report.
EDC also reported that the city has created 16,434 new jobs since 2003. In 2022, New Braunfels is building a $110 million auto manufacturing plant. continental, a technology company serving major automakers including Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota and Porsche, will create more than 500 new jobs. Additionally, business outsourcing company TaskUs has expanded its operations in the city, adding 750 new positions.
“When I was growing up here, you worked in factories, you worked in local government, you had jobs that went along with that, but there weren't a lot of job opportunities,” said Mayor Neil Linnertz. san antonio express news In July. “There are so many opportunities now that when kids finish school, they don't have to leave New Braunfels to find a good job. There are good jobs here.”
According to the Texas Economic Development CorporationNew Braunfels' major industries include military and tourism, as well as financial services, information technology, aerospace, and aviation.
the house is attractive to home buyers
software and data companies payslip According to , the cost of living in New Braunfels is 15% lower than the national average.
Easton Smith, who co-founded Emerald House Group with Keller Williams, moved to New Braunfels from Oxnard, Calif., in 2016. He told BI that the area's affordability is what attracts people.
“I can say on behalf of our clients and ourselves that it is more affordable here,” he said. “We find that people come here and want to spend less and have more freedom.”
Take Janelle Crossan, a 44-year-old single mother who moved to New Braunfels in 2020 for a fresh start with her son.
Facing financial hardship due to a divorce in Costa Mesa, California, she was looking for an affordable place to buy a home and a stable environment for her family. After moving to her city, she bought her first home for $240,000.
“I paid $1,750 for rent on a crappy little apartment in California,” Crossan told BI's Erin Snodgrass earlier this year. “Now, three years later, my total bill, including mortgage and property taxes, is $1,800 a month for him in her three-bedroom home.”
Cities are experiencing growing pains
Crossan told BI that she has been surprised by New Braunfels' growth since moving there in 2020, but believes the expansion is putting a strain on the local infrastructure. Ta.
“There's construction going on everywhere,” she said. “I'm one of the people who contribute to the development of this area, so I can't complain, but there's a lot of traffic.”
Donna Cowie, a real estate broker with Keller Williams who moved to New Braunfels 32 years ago, told BI that the city's growth is displacing some locals.
“When I moved here, the town had a population of 19,000,” Cowie said. “Now that at least 100,000 people live in the surrounding area, the dynamics have changed. Some people move because it's a small town, and others move because it's too big.”
Lagos, who now runs a Facebook group for newcomers to New Braunfels, said there was tension between locals and immigrants.
“A lot of people, especially people who grew up here, feel that everyone who comes here is ruining the small town they've come to live in and driving up prices,” she says. “Unfortunately, many of them are now priced higher.”
Despite the tensions, Crossan said she remains optimistic about New Braunfels, emphasizing that it is a safe and ideal place to live.
“I hate to say it, but in a time when people can't afford homes and people feel like they don't have the same privileges as older generations, the American dream still exists,” she said. “It's affordable, fun, cute, and a great place to raise a family. I didn't know it existed yet.”
Correction: January 1, 2024 — An earlier version of this article misspelled Donna Cowie's name.
