In many Northeast Tarrant cities, out-of-towners outnumber native Texans

By Sarah Bahari

sbahari@star-telegram.com

The Texas twang is not a common sound these days in Northeast Tarrant County.

Just ask Kacy Hankins, who lives in Keller and is originally from East Texas.

"It's rare to run into native Texans around here. You're almost unique," Hankins said. "When you come across someone with a Texas accent, it's like you speak the same language."

Northeast Tarrant is home to the highest percentage of out-of-staters in the county, according to the census. Southlake tops the list, with 59.4 percent of residents hailing from outside the Lone Star State.

In Keller, 56.3 percent are non-natives. Other Northeast Tarrant cities with more non-natives than natives include Trophy Club, Westlake, Euless, Colleyville, Grapevine and Bedford.

Cities that have remained loyal to their state include Aledo and Crowley, where 7 in 10 people were born and bred in Texas.

What's the explanation for the big non-native numbers in Northeast? Opinions abound. High-ranking schools. Proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Convenient location between Dallas and Fort Worth.

Kelly Riley, a real estate agent who sells homes in Northeast Tarrant, described a bit of a domino effect.

"People want to be around people like themselves," said Riley, who estimates that 75 percent of her business comes from out-of-staters. "Families go where other families are. Professional people go where their associates are."

Microcosm of the U.S.

When Glen Harvell moved from Minneapolis to Southlake in 2001, he noticed immediately that only one family in his cul-de-sac had always called Texas home. His neighbors came from Minnesota, Tennessee, California and Pennsylvania. Like them, Harvell and his wife, Shelly, chose Southlake because they liked the schools and the close-knit community.

"Our little cul-de-sac was a microcosm of the country," said Harvell, an executive partner at Sabre Holdings in Southlake. "It made it easy to get plugged into the community right away. You weren't viewed as an outsider because everybody was in the same boat."

Mike Lafavers, whose family operates Feedstore BBQ in Southlake, is a native Texan and proud of it.

"I don't even like to leave the state," he said.

He acknowledges, however, than many of his customers are non-native Texans.

"They think I talk funny," he said.

The census does not provide data on where people moved from, but Hankins, the executive director of the Carroll Education Foundation, said she has met many people in the past few years who moved from the northeast United States, perhaps lured by the relatively low cost of living.

To a Texan, a sprawling home in Southlake, where the average value is about $500,000, might seem awfully pricey. But for a Northeasterner accustomed to hefty home prices, that's a bargain.

"People are starting to hear how wonderful this area is," she said. "The schools are great, and you get a lot of house for your money."

A slim majority

Native Texans account for the majority in Tarrant County, with 55.5 percent, but that is lower than the statewide figure of 60.9 percent.

In Aledo, where 71.9 percent of residents are natives, plenty of room and a country atmosphere attract lifelong Texans who think of themselves as adventurers, Mayor Kit Marshall said.

Crowley is not far behind, with 70 percent natives. Other area cities with high percentages of natives are Dalworthington Gardens, Blue Mound, Burleson and Weatherford, several of which are on the outskirts of the county.

"It's that independent, freethinking Texas attitude that draws them here," said Marshall, who is not a native but has lived in Texas since she was 2. "Texans love their wide-open spaces."

Sarah Bahari, 817-390-7056