Houston remains attractive to movers as oil slips in the markets

​​​HOUSTON – Houston is the most popular moving destination in Texas, according to a new report by United Van Lines.

The Bayou City ranked first in the Lone Star State for the number of shipments that United Van Lines moved to the city in 2015. 

The St. Louis-based moving company transported 2,568 shipments to Houston last year, according to its annual migration study.

Austin (1,585 shipments), San Antonio (987), Fort Worth (855) and El Paso (343) rounded out the top five most popular moving destinations in Texas, according to United Van Lines.

Texas ranked No. 9 on United Van Lines’ list of the top moving destinations in 2015, which saw 57 percent more inbound migration than outbound migration.

United Van Lines’​ study found that people are continuing to flee East Coast states. The Midwest also saw a large number of move-outs, with 55 percent of all moves being outbound.

Fueled in large part by the fracking frenzy, Houston employers added nearly a half-million new jobs, growing the city’s population by 570,000 over the past five years, according to the Greater Houston Partnership.

As a result, Houston was ranked the third most popular city for U.S. families in United Van Lines’ 2013 moving trends report. Other moving companies, such as U-Haul, also had Houston topping their relocation lists.

However, as oil prices plummeted over the past year, Houston’s energy sector cut more than a thousand oil rigs and 4,000 workers. It’s yet to be seen how the oil slump will affect relocation activity moving forward.

People are still moving to Houston however, likely buoyed by the city’s thriving medical, petrochemical and technology sectors. This moving frenzy has been a boon for relocation companies and Realtors as well as apartment developers and home builders.