Even as the average U.S. home turnover rate remains at its lowest since the 1990s, Texas remains one of the leading states for new residents. An August 2025 study deemed Austin the biggest boomtown in the country, with significant jumps in population, housing units and gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
Austin, TX
Texas border deployment going through 'realignment': officials
Hearing held on Texas/Mexico border
Illegal border crossings in South Texas are down and the state is in the process of making some adjustments to Operation Lone Star. The revamping was discussed during a Senate hearing at the state capitol.
AUSTIN, Texas – Illegal border crossings in south Texas are down, and the state is in the process of making some adjustments to Operation Lone Star.
Details about the revamping came out Thursday during a hearing before members of the State Senate Committee on Border Security. The committee is gathering information to prepare for the regular session, which starts in January.
Officials with the State National Guard revealed that two of the four operation base camps, one in Laredo and one north of Eagle Pass, will be shut down. A base camp near Del Rio is also being downsized.
The change is because of the new and larger forward base camp that opened in Eagle Pass earlier this year. Morale among guard members reportedly has improved after mission assignments got better focus and facility upgrades were made by the state.
Major Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the Adjutant General for the State of Texas, told the committee that 18 different states have sent National Guard members to Texas to help with Operation Lone Star.
“What we say to these states is, we will obviously accept all the help we can get. We will ask, we have these types of missions. Is there any type of mission you wouldn’t want to do, or you would like to do? Would you like to send an engineering set of personnel to do engineering and put up a barrier, or do you want to do security points? And then we go through kind of a negotiation process that goes through a state process that would occur during any state declared emergency and solidify that and then they come out. So, we’ve had states that have come out, agreed to come for a whole year, some that have agreed to come for just a few months,” said Suelzer.
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The committee was also told that deployments of state troopers have also been reduced to seven-day rotations. Recent trooper academy graduations are helping to address a staffing shortage, which is now at 540 vacancies, and that has reduced longer deployments.
However, DPS Director Steve McCraw and others who testified said more resources are needed to address the stress related to the continued deployments.
“There was a time one of our operations, we called it Operation Strong Safety. And many members called it Operation Imminent Divorce. And that because it was a longer-term deployment at the time, and we had to send larger numbers, and we didn’t have the benefit of being able to enhance trooper positions in the area of operation. So, there’s no question that it’s very difficult to be, you know, all places at all times and maintain the level of intensity that need to be in and still have family life and be able to be, you know, so we can sustain our workforce,” said McCraw.
Operation Strong Safety took place in 2014 during a surge in migrants. The last time there was a force reduction on the border was back in 2022. The committee was told a larger scale back of personnel on the border is not advised because there is still the threat of another surge in illegal crossings and El Paso remains a hot zone, especially for a dangerous gang known as TDA.
“They’re still probing. They are still cutting fences. They are still trying to create the type of gaps we saw before, and rush hundreds in, and take that combative, riotous type of stance that they’ve done before. So, they have not gone away,” warned McCraw.
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During the hearing, McCraw noted there was a 56,000% increase in the number of Venezuelans apprehended in Texas between 2000 and 2023. According to McCraw, since February 2021, there have been over 93,000 arrests in Texas of individuals classified as criminal migrants. Several cases involve things like drunk driving, but 4,100 cases involved felonies like sexual assault and murder. Since 2021, about $11 billion has been allocated to Operation Lone Star.
Immigration advocates who testified Thursday called it a wasteful program and a boondoggle. Jaime Puente, director of Economic Opportunity, claimed Operation Lone Star has not significantly affected the number of migrants apprehended compared to other border states like Arizona.
“State leadership continues to establish policy based on dehumanizing rhetoric and unverified claims of success. Texans deserve policies that harness the productive power of people seeking refuge and asylum in the United States, not the wasteful, destructive policies of Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star,” said Puente.
Texas reacts to Venezuelan leader being taken into custody
With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region.
AUSTIN, Texas – With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela.
That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region.
Now, a spike at the pump and a production slump in the Texas oil patch may not happen this year, but with oil prices down, a budget crunch for state lawmakers may be waiting when they return to Austin in 2027.
What they’re saying:
The situation in Venezuela is creating a lot of political uncertainty, but a Texas energy expert said he is not expecting that uncertainty to cause an oil patch crash or a gas pump pike in 2026.
Prices at the pump are low and despite some recent big swings, up and down, analysts say 2026 could see the lowest prices since the pandemic. That prediction has people like Dale Owens cautiously optimistic.
“Things change so drastically nowadays. I mean, look what’s happening with the government, so anything can affect the price. But right now I’m really happy that it’s stable,” said Owens.
There are big reasons for that local gas price stabilization, and it predates the leadership change in Venezuela, according to Ed Hirs, an Energy Fellow at the University of Houston.
“The first is that the president has asked MBS (Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and OPEC nations to continue pumping a pace. Number one. Number two, this helps hamstring the Russian economy and its war effort. And that’s also one of the goals of not only the European Union, but of the Trump administration. And number three, we’ve got the midterm elections coming up,” said Hirs.
The price of a barrel of oil is expected to increase slightly because of the uncertainty regarding Venezuela. Texas crude oil production, according to an update released Monday, was stable in December, but state data also showed drilling permits for 2025 were at 369 and that’s down from 459 in 2024.
“When President Trump took office, oil was about $80 a barrel, today it’s under $60 a barrel. We are the high-cost producers in the global commodity oil market, and the cost of drilling these wells has gone up by between 5% and 12%, primarily because of Trump’s steel tariffs. Not only does the imported steel now cost a lot more, but domestic producers raise their So the producers in West Texas and across the Permian Basin are getting squeezed by much lower revenues, $20 a barrel less and much higher cost. It’s not a good capital investment for Wall Street,” said Hirs.
Dig deeper:
The oil industry remains a big part of the Texas economy and the state budget. State lawmakers will return to Austin in 2027 to crunch numbers for a new two-year budget.
“I think they need to be looking at the budget. So the state comptroller needs to be running the numbers now based on lower oil revenues, not only for state lands, for example, for the universities, but for the state tax receipts. And that applies to the counties and cities that rely on these revenues to keep their budgets balanced. It’s going to be lower for longer,” said Hirs.
There are also doubts about whether the Texas refineries will get a financial windfall if the Trump Administration is able to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. There are about six refineries in Texas and Louisiana that can process the heavy crude that is located in Venezuela.
“Well, it might help keep them open. But Lyondell just closed down a 100-plus-year-old heavy crude refinery on the Houston Ship Channel because it just doesn’t make any sense to reinvest in it. And it was going to require $750, $800 million of new capital investment just to keep the plant operating at par,” said Hirs.
What’s next:
Stocks for several oil companies did increase on Monday. Chevron, at one point, had a 10% stock price surge, mainly because Chevron is the only U.S. company operating in Venezuela. Other energy-related companies also saw an increase, like Exxon, as well as industry suppliers like Baker-Hughes and Halliburton.
The action on Wall Street came after President Trump said he wants energy producers to pay for the oil production rebuild. Hirs described the administration’s plans as being “naive.”
Past attempts to rebuild another country’s oil infrastructure seem to back up the doubts raised by Hirs. In 1989, after the Soviet Union collapsed, companies like Exxon went in to rebuild — only to get kicked out later by the Russians. Hirs also noted the rebuilding effort in Iraq, started by President George W. Bush, hasn’t returned production there to pre-war levels. And it’s the same story for Libya, which was done under President Obama.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and previous coverage
A “for sale” sign is displayed near a home on April 24, 2025 in Austin, Texas. The Texas capital had one of the highest home turnover rates among U.S. metros between September 2024 and August 2025.
A new analysis by Realtor.com identified the top 10 U.S. metros with the highest real estate turnover rates in 2025 — and nearly half are found in the Lone Star State.
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But why is a high turnover rate a good thing? Hannah Jones, a senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, breaks it down.
“Markets with higher turnover tend to function more fluidly than markets with lower turnover, with a healthier balance of active buyers and sellers,” Jones said. “The markets with the highest turnover are typically more affordable and supported by robust for-sale inventory, particularly from new construction.”
Here’s a look at the four thriving Texas cities.
4 Texas metros among top 10 with highest turnover
Among the top 10 U.S. metros with the highest turnover were San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Houston — but such healthy growth didn’t happen overnight.
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“Metros like San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin have seen significant building activity over the past five years, which has helped temper home price growth and expand options for buyers, ultimately encouraging more frequent home sales,” says Jones.
Here’s what local real estate professionals had to say about each city:
No. 2: San Antonio
Daniel Cabrera, owner and founder of Sell My House Fast SA TX, attributes much of the area’s high turnover to job relocations and “equity unlocking.”
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“Corporate hiring and military rotations provide constant job openings,” he said, adding, “People in San Antonio are monetizing appreciation and resetting life logistics, not panic selling. They are selling to repay debts, relocate for their relatives, and escape the commute for more space.”
Sain Rhodes, real estate expert for Cleve Offers, also emphasized the relationship between demand and sales.
“San Antonio is a city where sellers are riding the wave of demand,” Rhodes said. “Last quarter, I personally relocated clients from high-tax states like California to San Antonio. Sellers are taking advantage of this window of opportunity and not waiting around.”
No. 5: Dallas
Dusk view of the skyline in Dallas, where the pandemic-era shift to remote work exacerbated already-high office vacancy rates. The same is true in other Texas metros.
Harrison Polsky, director of luxury sales at Douglas Elliman in Dallas, observed how rising home values were enticing homebuyers in DFW.
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“In Dallas-Fort Worth, we’re seeing a healthy increase in homeowners putting their properties on the market, which reflects strong buyer interest and vibrant market activity,” Polsky said. “Many people are taking advantage of rising home values to move into larger homes, upgrade to newer properties, or relocate closer to family or work.”
No. 7: Austin
The Austin Skyline from the campus of the Texas School for the Deaf, Oct. 7, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-StatesmanSpeaking of rising home values and job relocation, those are also among the factors driving turnover in Austin — according to local real estate broker Noá Levy, of The Boutique Real Estate powered by eXp Realty.
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“During the [COVID-19] pandemic, Austin experienced rapid price appreciation, and many buyers moved here quickly and for many reasons,” Levy said. “In the last couple of years, political reasons, cost of living, desire to return to their previous areas, and even job relocation have been a factor in deciding to move away from Austin and Texas in general.”
Even those who bought before the pandemic maintain big equity.
“So people feel maybe now that interest rates came down a little bit, it may be the moment to take advantage of gains from the appreciation we saw from 2020 to 2022,” Levy added.
No. 9: Houston
The downtown Houston skyline is photographed from Sabine Street Bridge Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, in Houston.
Down in Houston, the factors contributing to high turnover seemed much the same, according to HoustonHomeTools.com founder Ahmed Harhara.
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“A lot of people bought homes during competitive market conditions, and now that lifestyles or budgets have changed, they’re adjusting by relocating sooner than planned,” Harhara said. “Turnover doesn’t necessarily reflect dissatisfaction; it reflects how dynamic the market has become.”
Heather Shepherd, a real estate agent at Douglas Elliman in Houston, listed off the reasons she’s repeatedly heard from those selling: rising homeowners insurance premiums and property taxes; commute fatigue; lifestyle upgrades; and new-construction pressures.
“Some older neighborhoods feel squeezed or overshadowed, and builders are starting to buy the older homes for new construction,” Shepherd said.
Top 10 US metros with the highest turnover
The following table shows the 10 metros with the highest turnover between September 2024 and August 2025.
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| Rank | Metro | Median list price |
Turnover rate (per 1,000 housing units) |
| 1 | Kansas City, Mo. | $380,000 | 45 sales |
| 2 | San Antonio | $329,000 | 45 sales |
| 3 | Indianopolis | $320,000 | 45 sales |
| 4 | Las Vegas | $471,975 | 43 sales |
| 5 | Dallas | $425,000 | 42 sales |
| 6 | Nashville, Tenn. | $536,739 | 42 sales |
| 7 | Austin | $489.859 | 42 sales |
| 8 | Charlotte, N.C. | $438,348 | 42 sales |
| 9 | Houston | $358,000 | 40 sales |
| 10 | St. Louis | $295,900 | 39 sales |
The Texas Tech football team landed its first commitment out of the transfer portal on Sunday.
Kansas State transfer linebacker Austin Romaine announced his commitment on social media. A second-team all-Big 12 selection this season, Romaine joins Texas Tech with one year of eligibility plus a redshirt year available.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pound linebacker has been a fixture in the middle of the Kansas State defense since his true freshman season of 2023 — when he earned five starts and was named Big 12 defensive freshman of the year, an award he shared with his new teammate Ben Roberts. He started all 12 games in 2024 and had 66 tackles, six quarterback hurries, an interception and a fumble recovery in 2025.
What Kansas State transfer Austin Romaine brings to Texas Tech football
Romaine will likely be seen as Jacob Rodriguez’s replacement as the other starting linebacker next to Roberts next season. It would also indicate John Curry will remain at the STAR (the hybrid linebacker-safety position) in which he excelled this season.
For his career, Romaine has three forced fumbles (all in 2024) and had his first career fumble recovery and interception in 2025.
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