They’re not entirely wrong. CNBC has finally replaced the Lone Star State as the top state to do business (down to No. 6) and named it the worst in which to live according to their annual rankings.

Aside from Indiana, the cable TV business network named to the Bottom 10 all Southern states, including

1) Texas
2) Oklahoma
3) Louisiana
4) South Carolina and Alabama (tie)
6) Missouri
7) Indiana
8) Tennessee
9) Arkansas
10) Florida.

Don’t tell that to the 1.3 million people who moved to Southern states recently, with Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina seeing the most new residents. A NewsNation report indicated a rising number of residents of northern and northwestern cities are choosing to move south due to high cost of living, surging crime rates, and layoffs in the tech industry.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, the South gained people from migration between regions, about 253,000, while the Northeast lost people, about 227,000. The Midwest and West stayed more or less where they’ve always been population-wise.

Also according to the Census:

“In the wake of the [COVID-19] pandemic’s remarkable impact on domestic migration, parts of the country began showing signs of a rebound:

“Populous areas in the South and West, where growth through domestic migration waned at the height of the pandemic, resumed their pre-pandemic patterns. For example in Texas, Dallas County had net domestic outmigration of 25,000 in 2019 and 43,000 in 2021. The loss narrowed to just over 20,000 in 2022.

“Some major metro areas in the Northeast and Midwest that experienced a temporary lessening of net domestic outmigration during the peak pandemic had an increase in 2022.

“In New England, mid-sized counties with a population between 70,000 and 999,999 saw a very slim gain from net domestic migration in 2022.

“In the Middle Atlantic, small counties (under 70,000 population) saw gains from net domestic migration in 2022.

“In the Pacific Division, the smallest counties (under 30,000 population) saw a notable gain from domestic migration between 2020 and 2021. Most of the largest counties (over 1 million population) showed substantial losses that year. In many cases, these losses were higher than in prior years.”

We can safely ascertain here that the Southern States, by and large, are coming up with the policies that sustain a good economy, keep crime down, and otherwise draw people here from other areas. Rural areas and smaller counties across the country seem to be reaping some of that love, too. And then there’s illegal immigration — the South is the first stop, naturally, especially Texas.

So what gives with CNBC’s analysis? USA Today said:

“While Texas landed at number six on CNBC’s yearly America’s Top States for Business study, the state scored significantly low in one category: Life, Health & Inclusion. Factors in this category include:

“crime rates
environmental quality
health care
quality and availability of childcare
inclusiveness in state laws such as reproductive rights, protections against discrimination and voting rights.

“Texas received 53 out of 350 points for its 2023 Life, Health & Inclusion score, giving it an F in its Top States grade and the lowest nationwide, securing its number one spot on the list.”

It’s true. Texas has liberal-led large cities with higher crime rates than ever (hello, Austin). It’s a big swath of land so it contains more carcinogens in the air and water than most other states by volume alone. Texas did not capitulate to Obamacare. Texas did not pass a universal pre-K bill, even with moderate Republican support. Gay rights lobby groups are furious at Texans for consistently pushing back on transgender surgery among youth, insisting on parental consent, and protecting religious freedom. They’re about to start rating books sold to schools on their sexual content. Texans want their votes counted, and there’s a strong push for paper ballots afoot.

If those things upset you, then stay away: CNBC’s analysis is spot-on. Texas has plenty to deal with in terms of building new homes to handle all the tech-sector growth from California as it becomes the “Silicon Hills.” Its birth rate is up about as much as the rent is lately, and they are not aborting preborn humans anymore — nearly 10,000 more babies have seen daylight after Roe v. Wade was reversed. In short: the Friendship State, despite its moniker, is not cottoning to all the new license plates in driveways.

So let’s give Texas and low-scoring Southern states a little breathing room: they’re busy building the future.