Move Over, New York! Why Texas Is Becoming ‘America’s New Center of Gravity’
Move Over, New York! Why Texas Is Becoming ‘America’s New Center of Gravity’
Thomas RichmondFri, June 12, 2026 at 5:38 PM UTC
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Quick Read -
Tesla (TSLA) and Caterpillar (CAT) joined 184 companies relocating to Texas, which generated roughly a fifth of all net new U.S. jobs since 2020.
A standalone Texas Stock Exchange launches this summer, with Trump's own social media venture being the first listing on NYSE's new Texas branch.
Texas will build two-fifths of all U.S. utility-scale solar this year, anchoring a data center buildout powered by cheap ERCOT generation and abundant land.
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On a recent Diet TBPN segment, co-host John Coogan read at length from an Economist piece making a striking claim about where corporate America now lives. The thesis, quoted directly: "Texas is steadily establishing itself as America Inc.'s new center of gravity. No state receives more business investment or is adding more people to its population." For investors, the implication is that Texas may offer some of the most compelling long-term opportunities in the country, as companies, workers, and investment dollars continue to concentrate there.
Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty ImagesThe Headquarters Migration Is Real
The numbers cited in the segment are notable. From 2020 to 2025, at least 184 companies moved their headquarters to Texas, including Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT). The state created roughly a fifth of all net new U.S. jobs during that period. Recently, ExxonMobil's (NYSE:XOM) shareholder-approved reincorporation from New Jersey to Texas was a symbolic move for a company that has been physically based in the Dallas area for years.
Some of these drivers are structural. The Tax Foundation's 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index ranks Texas 7th overall, with a No. 1 ranking for individual income tax (the state has none). Meanwhile, New York ranks 50th, and California ranks 48th.
Cost of living also reinforces the gap. Texas sits at a regional price parity of 97.057, below the national average of 100, against New York at 107.921 and California at 110.72. For executives modeling payroll and real estate expenses, that 10-13-point spread compounds quickly.
Energy and Data Centers: The Next Layer
The relocation story has moved beyond tax arbitrage. Texas's energy dominance is now fueling an AI-era infrastructure boom. The state is expected to build two-fifths of all utility-scale solar in America this year, and that generation is feeding a data center buildout that increasingly defines where hyperscale compute will live. Large-scale solar, battery storage, and natural gas projects across Texas appear repeatedly in the EIA's May 2026 Electric Power Monthly construction pipeline, including the 350-MW Chillingham Solar, 240-MW Cattlemen Solar Park, and the 200-MW Destiny Storage project.
That matters because the United States houses roughly 45% of global data centers, with approximately 4,000 facilities located primarily in Virginia, Texas, and California. Data centers grew from 1.9% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2018 to 4.4% in 2023, with projections of 6.7-12% by 2028. Texas owns generation and transmission flexibility through ERCOT, and the land to host hyperscale campuses.
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A Texas Stock Exchange Adds Financial Infrastructure
The most visible sign of Texas' growing influence may be happening in the capital markets. A standalone Texas Stock Exchange is set to launch this summer, joining existing NYSE and NASDAQ operations in the state. As Coogan noted, the development highlights how Texas is becoming a larger player in finance, not just energy and technology.
Donald Trump called the Texas Stock Exchange "an unbelievably bad thing for his hometown of New York," referring to how New York could lose some competitiveness as America's financial hub. Trump's own social media venture was the first business to list on the NYSE's new Texas branch.
The broader economic backdrop helps explain why companies continue to migrate south. Corporate profits reached a record $4.4 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, while growth in the finance and insurance sector pushed the industry to more than 8% of U.S. GDP. At the same time, economic growth has slowed, with real GDP expanding just 1.6% in the first quarter. In a slower-growth environment, factors like taxes, regulation, labor availability, and operating costs can play a larger role in where companies choose to invest and expand. Texas has increasingly positioned itself to benefit from those decisions.
Key Takeaways
Texas's rise now extends well beyond remote workers chasing zero income tax. Business investment, population growth, jobs, energy generation, and now market infrastructure are all adding up to make Texas look poised for a bright future. Housing starts at a 1.465 million annualized pace in April 2026 hint that construction is keeping up.
For investors, the key question is where this trend creates opportunities. Areas that could benefit include Texas-focused real estate, utilities and powerproviders, energy infrastructure companies, and data center operators. If more businesses, workers, and capital continue moving to Texas, those sectors could see outsized growth in the years ahead.
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Source: “AOL Money”
