We suspected people were moving by the thousands to Texas and Florida. Now Washington has proof. The recent census results added two congressional seats to Texas and bolstered Florida’s representation by one seat, while California and New York each lost a seat. American politics and culture are changing, and ground zero of that change is these two Southern states. Their trajectory will come to define the future of America.
No longer are Texas and Florida only for escaping high taxes, onerous regulation and frigid weather. These states are the foundation of America’s future. They may be raising the future presidents of this country, and they’re housing both white- and blue-collar workers. Florida is on the map, and Texas — despite the problem it’s had keeping the lights on — is quickly becoming the nexus of industry and innovation.
We’ve already begun to notice Texas and Florida aggregating America’s largest corporations over the past year. Everything associated with the future of America can be found in these states. Wall Street’s Goldman Sachs is expanding to sunny Miami, and technology giant Oracle moved to Austin, Texas. Even Silicon Valley has started getting a little thin.
Ron Conway, founder of SV Angel, told Business Insider, “Candidly, some of those leaving have already found great wealth here in the Bay Area ecosystem, and so they have the privilege of leaving and declaring some other city ‘the next big thing.'”
Elon Musk’s transition to Austin could make this Southern city “the next big thing.” He made a new home for his rockets in Texas to escape California regulations — with the “final straw” being disrespect from California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D).
If the only new additions to Florida and Texas were corporations, the movement wouldn’t be so monumental. But the traffic is not solely from big business; grandparents, parents, children and siblings are escaping the traditional coastal hubs. A Redfin report revealed that nearly 45 percent of its January Austin home searches came from users in other metro areas. The Orlando, Fla., region alone is projected to add 1,500 people per week to reach 5.2 million by 2030. Where the people are is the hub of culture.
Engineers and information systems experts will settle in Texas; the same cycle will occur in Florida with bankers and day traders. They’ll have children, and their children will have children. Along with this current migration will come consequential changes in the fabric of American society for generations.
But we still live very much in a world where the left and right coasts dictate the narrative in the U.S. The mainstream media decides which issues, battles and events are noteworthy and get the limelight. It directly influences trends in the digital sphere. Now this narrative’s trajectory of influence is trending down, not up. They won’t be able to maintain a tight grip on information. They will no longer be the genesis and judge of all thought. Environment directly affects how people think. So, instead of information being concentrated in two prominent states, it will become more decentralized. Perspectives will shift.
Let’s face it: Florida and Texas are not frontier states anymore; they’re the future of mainstream America. While people can thumb their noses at the South and cast it aside as uncivilized, they’re mistaken. Right before our eyes, we’ve transitioned to a world where places such as San Francisco and New York will continue to lose out to places such as Austin and Miami. And Americans will continue voting with their feet long after the pandemic crisis has abated.
Finally, this news isn’t breaking: One of us wrote an op-ed about this phenomenon back in 2016. The pandemic and significant shifts in 2020 have only accelerated the process. So, the 2020 census isn’t a passing trend ignited by the pandemic that will slowly wane. This demographic shift is the beginning of a permanent change.
David Grasso is the host of the “Follow the Profit” podcast, where he shares simple ideas for financial success and lessons learned the hard way. He is also the CEO of Bold TV Inc., a nonprofit media company dedicated to entrepreneurship and cultural empowerment. Hannah Buczek is the managing editor and journalist for Bold TV. She also reports and edits for GenBiz, a nonprofit media brand focused on promoting financial freedom.