'Boomtown' Austin leads country in tech migration, LinkedIn data says

Austin's "boomtown" status is more than a headline: the Texas capital had the highest tech migration rate over the past year, according to data from Microsoft Corp.'s LinkedIn profiles.

Austin brought in 217 software and information technology workers per 10,000 pre-existing employees, a number nearly 1.5 times higher than the runner-up, which was Nashville, Tennessee.

The data, which was grabbed from May 2020 to April 2021, shows that Austin securely rooted itself as a tech hub when remote work became king and thousands moved away from traditional metros such as New York City or Silicon Valley during the pandemic. The effect spilled over into other emerging areas, including Nashville, Charlotte, Miami and Denver.

Austin's workforce, Texas taxes and spacious living compared to California and New York made it a desirable city for professionals to gravitate to during the pandemic, as seen in various companies, venture capitalists and CEOs that moved their home base to the Capital City.

Meanwhile, San Francisco hemorrhaged 80 Microsoft tech workers per 10,000 existing positions, and fellow California hub Los Angeles lost three net workers per 10,000. Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati and New York City all saw significant losses as well.