Three out of 10 Texasans are proud to call their state home. Another three percent consider it better than other states. And three more percent think it is the best place to live. They enjoy the variety of the people and the good food. Many also like its culture and values.
Although many people are critical of the state of affairs, there are more positive views about Texas than about the country as a whole. They like the idea that Texas will become more diverse in racial groups, but they aren’t thrilled by the impact of immigrants from other states.
What are people liking and disliking about Texas? While three out of four people love Texas’ food, most appreciate its diversity and the diversity of its citizens. Texans think that their state’s culture is a positive thing. Although Texans tend to be more divided about their state’s economy, they are also more positive than negative.
Overall, Texans rate their state less well on other aspects of Texas life. Only 25% think Texas’ politics and government are good. Many also have negative comments about the weather. People who believe Texas has changed significantly since they lived there are more likely to point out its politics and government (60%), and its cost-of-living (57%) as negative aspects.
On balance, Texas’s desire to become more racially diverse is viewed as a positive for Texas. This is true for both White and Non-White Texans, as well as Texans from all ages. However, Texans are more divided about the effect of people moving to Texas form other states. More Texans believe that this is making Texas more difficult than it should be (with older Texans more likely to feel so than those born in Texas and those who came to Texas from another state).
The most significant divisions are along political lines. More than two-to-one, Texas Democrats see immigrants from other states as improving Texas, while Texas Republicans see it as making things worse. While two-thirds of Texas Democrats believe that Texas’s increasing racial diversity is a positive thing, the majority of Texas Republicans think it is making Texas worse. This may be due to political self-interest. In recent elections, Texas’s non-White voters voted heavily Democratic.
Residents of Texas view politics and government negatively by two to one. This is driven mainly by Democrats but also by independents. Republicans who control the governorship, and the state house tend to see things in a positive light.
The CBS News/YouGov survey included a representative sample of 1,075 U.S. adults in Texas, who were interviewed from June 22 to 27, 2022. Based on the U.S. Census Current Population Survey and 2020 presidential election, the sample was weighted so that it represented adults in Texas. The total sample’s margin of error is +4.7 points.
Toplines:
