Texas Declared ‘Stickiest’ State, What That Means And Why Its True

When I first saw that Texas was the "stickiest" state, I thought of two things: the sticker plants that die and become tumbleweeds and how humid East Texas can be.

While we might be the "stickiest" state for those reasons, US News declared us the stickiest state because we "kept the highest shares of native residents from moving away. "

That tracks. I know many people who were born here that still live here as adults, and if they do move, they move in-state (or come back in a few years).

Texas, with an 82% stickiness rate, retains the most native-born people and has been at or near the top of the list for years. 

Texas has a considerable lead over the second stickiest state, North Carolina, at 75%. In case you are wondering, the least sticky state is Wyoming at 45.3%, meaning more than half the people born there move away.

So what makes Texas so sticky? That's up to speculation, but I believe there are a few reasons. First, Texas is huge. A move from El Paso to Houston is still a 10.5 hour drive, which would cover a few states in other parts of the country.

Second, Texas has good reasons to stay. A robust economy with a decent housing market means there are opportunities for natives without having to move.

Third, and this truly is subjective, I think it's a cultural thing. Texans are more proud of our state than others typically are. The food is excellent, the music is fantastic, and there really is no "taking the Texas out of the Texan" no matter where we land.