Texas has a pretty strong and diversified economy. Lots of oil both in midland/Odessa and in the gulf. Energy sector is big in Houston. Decent tech presence in Austin although lots of focus on lower level jobs (phone/support/etc). Dallas has lots of finance. Manufacturing is big there too, and transportation.
One of the things I worried about when I moved out of Texas was leaving such a strong and diversified economy… but after Covid and the normalization of remote work, this is thankfully less of an issue now. I hope remote work is here to stay. It helps prevent the centralization of labor around existing cities and lets the wealth of society spread more uniformly throughout the country.
Yeah, I'm from a poor rural community and the difference remote work would make to a place like Walton, Nova Scotia if future generations grow up feeling secure in it would be hard to express. Really breaking a cycle of poverty for a lot of regions that are absolutely breathtaking in natural beauty.
My anecdotal observation is the opposite. It seems like since Covid, demand to live in big cities has gone up much faster than before. You can mostly see / feel this in property prices.
Yeah, small data point, but everyone in my circles who tried "remote life" realized why they're not fond of it, moved back into cities. It's not for everyone, and it's definitely not for me. Giving up walkability, being surrounded basically endless amount of options, and the ability to get away if I want to is a no-brainer for me.
One of the things I worried about when I moved out of Texas was leaving such a strong and diversified economy… but after Covid and the normalization of remote work, this is thankfully less of an issue now. I hope remote work is here to stay. It helps prevent the centralization of labor around existing cities and lets the wealth of society spread more uniformly throughout the country.