Moving To Amarillo? Here’s Where They’re Coming From.

So you say you're looking for a new place to live huh? Tired of the city, wanna go somewhere else. Well, there are others out there who feel the same way. The wild thing about it? While you're trying to get OUT of Amarillo, there are a lot of people looking to come INTO Amarillo.

Recently, we highlighted where people are headed as they leave Amarillo. But as people move away, people move in. I mean, they had to sell their house to someone right?

Let's take a look at where our new Amarillo friends are coming from. We found a study that Stacker did recently that broke down the top 50 places people are leaving to come to Amarillo. One of the main takeaways is they're headed here from the larger, metro type of areas. Apparently, they want to get away from all the hustle & bustle of it, and that's something you can certainly do in Amarillo. Some of the cities that popped up on the list were Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles.

Before I delve into the top five places, I wanted to highlight a few that caught my attention. No shade to Amarillo, but I don't know that I'd leave these particular places to come here for various reasons.

PENSACOLA, FL.

Look, Pensacola sits right there on the edge of the ocean. To give up the sandy beaches, warm water, and beautiful temperatures year-round for the wind and dust that can be Amarillo, would be tough. There has to be a different reason as to why they're leaving to come here because I'd be shocked if it was simply because they wanted to. Maybe they're just trying to get away from hurricanes.

FORT COLLINS, CO.

This one completely baffles me on several levels. I lived in Fort Collins for nearly 10 years over a couple of different stints. It's an absolutely beautiful place where the mountains feel like they're within touching distance. The atmosphere and culture are so laid back and the people are all just super nice. Not to mention they have Colorado State University in the city with plenty of things to do. I don't know that I would CHOOSE to leave FTC for Amarillo. This one HAS to be people moving here for work.

SACRAMENTO, CA.

Look, I may be a bit biased on this one simply because I love Northern California, so take this with a grain of salt. However, Sacramento is a perfect place to be in Northern California if you ask me. Just far enough away from the hustle of San Francisco and Oakland, but close enough to drive in and catch a ball game or take in the city for a day. Seems like a pretty ideal place to me.

Ok, let's delve into the top five places people are moving to Amarillo from. I get a feeling some may shock you.

#5: BEAUMONT-PORT ARTHUR, TX.

I don't know much about Beaumont if I'm being honest, so I can't speak about the city itself. I know Beaumont is a smaller city than Amarillo, about half the size of us from a population standpoint. It seems to me the appeal of Amarillo for previous Beaumont residents would be the fact that Amarillo is a bit larger of a city and probably has a few more amenities to it than Beaumont. It could also be a moving here for a job thing.

#4: ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Here's the first one that surprised me in the top five. I've been to Albuquerque. It's a beautiful city, with plenty to do, and it doesn't feel too busy to me. Sure, it's a metropolis and that can't be overlooked. I mean, there is definitely a big city kind of feel to it. However, Albuquerque to Amarillo is a big change. Definitely going to be slower and smaller here, and maybe that's the appeal.

#3: CORPUS CHRISTI, TX.

Another entry on the list where people are moving away from the beach and headed for the Panhandle. I reiterate, I don't know that I'd be choosing to leave the beach to go anywhere that doesn't have one nearby, but maybe when you grow up in a place, you just need to get away. I know Corpus is a popular vacation destination, and that could be factoring into people wanting to leave. I mean, I'd be tired of people constantly cycling through my city like that.

#2: SHERMAN-DENISON, TX.

Another Texas to Texas move in the top five, I go back to my comments on Beaumont. I don't know much of anything about the Sherman-Denison area, but it is smaller than Amarillo and could be another candidate for just wanting to live in a bigger city with more around it.

#1: SAN ANTONIO, TX.

Checking in at number one on the list is hands down my BIGGEST surprise. 457 people from San Antonio moved to Amarillo over a four-year span, and to be honest, I can't figure out why. San Antonio is a great city with so much to do. You've got the San Antonio Spurs there, the Alamo Bowl pits a couple of college football's best teams against each other once a year, and the Riverwalk. My goodness, the Riverwalk. It's beautiful, relaxing and peaceful...well, when you go there early in the morning when the shops are still closed at least. I don't know why people would leave San Antonio for Amarillo, I'd think it would be the other way around, but I have been proven wrong. What am I missing here?

You can check out the entire list here.