Tyler Cowen has a front-page story in Time Magazine on why Texas has become a magnet for American population. Here is a sample:

To a lot of Americans, Texas feels like the future. And I would argue that more than any other state, Texas looks like the future as well — offering us a glimpse of what’s to come for the country at large in the decades ahead. America is experiencing ever greater economic inequality and the thinning of its middle class; Texas is already one of our most unequal states. America’s safety net is fraying under the weight of ballooning Social Security and Medicare costs; Texas’ safety net was built frayed. Americans are seeking out a cheaper cost of living and a less regulated climate in which to do business; Texas has that in spades. And did we mention there’s no state income tax?

Alas, Time now has a paywall, and I am not going to pay $5 to read a single article. Did anyone else actually read the article?

The Time Idea blog lists the top ten reasons Cowen identifies:

• 1. Everyone’s moving there
• 2. The middle-class squeeze
• 3. Automation
• 4. The skills gap
• 5. Cheap land, cheap houses
• 6. Cheap living generally
• 7. Jobs
• 8. Low taxes
• 9. The rise of the ‘New Cowboys’