Out-of-State Migrants Flock to Seattle's King County

King County in Washington, home to the city of Seattle, saw a record number of newcomers in 2014. The previous record was set during the "Microsoft boom" of the early 1990s, referring to an influx of tech workers. Something similar may be happening again.

Gene Balk describes the unprecedented migration trend: "But don't expect any of those records to last very long, because 2015 is off to the fastest start of any year yet. In January and February, 10,616 out-of-staters have been issued licenses in King County, narrowly edging out the previous high of 10,128 set in 1998."

Predictably, plenty of newcomers hailed from California and Oregon. But there are also some surprises this time around. From the article: "In 2011, for the first time, more Texans than Oregonians relocated to King County. Since then, Texas has remained firmly in second place behind California. In 2014, 4,055 Texans moved here, nearly double the number from 1999." Another surprise: India has also become one of the most popular origin points for new Seattle residents.