Why RV Living Is Booming in Texas (And How to Get Started)
Something significant is happening on Texas roads and in Texas RV parks. More rigs. More families. More remote workers, retirees, and first-timers trading mortgage payments for monthly site fees and trading commutes for campfire evenings. Texas isn’t just popular for RV travel — it’s become the premier state in the country for full-time and long-term RV living. Here’s why, and exactly how to get started.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The RV boom is real and it’s backed by hard data. Texas led the entire nation in total RV registrations in 2025 — recording 33,766 new RV registrations and over 57,400 used RV registrations, according to industry tracking firm SSI. That’s more than any other state in the country, and it represents a 4.7% year-over-year increase in new registrations and 3% growth in used registrations.
Nationally, the picture is equally striking. An estimated 11.2 million U.S. households now own an RV — a record high, up 62% over the past two decades. Another 9.6 million households plan to purchase one within the next five years. RV shipments in Q1 2025 jumped nearly 14% compared to the same period in 2024. The industry’s momentum is real and it’s accelerating.
What’s fueling this? It’s not just one thing. Several powerful trends have converged at the same time, and Texas sits at the intersection of all of them.
Who Is Moving Into the RV Life?
One of the most important shifts in the RV world is who’s doing it. The stereotype of the retired couple in a Class A motorhome is giving way to a much wider picture. The median age of an RV owner has dropped to 49, and nearly half of all RVers are now between 35 and 54 — families, remote workers, and adventure-seekers who aren’t waiting for retirement to hit the road.
Among the groups driving Texas’s RV boom:
- Remote workers and digital nomads — trading a fixed address for a full hookup site with reliable WiFi, following good weather instead of office schedules.
- Retirees and “Winter Texans” — eliminating mortgage and property tax burdens while enjoying Texas’s mild winters, often staying 4–6 months at a time.
- Traveling professionals — nurses, construction workers, and contractors who work short-term assignments and need flexible, comfortable housing without long leases.
- Young families — road-schooling their children, stretching travel budgets, and prioritizing experiences over possessions. The median age of a first-time RV buyer is now just 32.
- Housing cost refugees — people priced out of traditional housing markets who find that full-time RV living in Texas offers genuine quality of life at a fraction of the cost.
How to Get Started: A Practical Step-by-Step
If RV living in Texas sounds right for your life, the path from “thinking about it” to “actually doing it” is more straightforward than most people realize. Here’s how to approach it:
Choose Your RV Type
Travel trailers are the most affordable entry point ($14,000–$50,000) and the most popular category nationally, making up over 85% of RV shipments. Fifth wheels offer more space for long-term living. Class A and Class C motorhomes provide full self-contained mobility. Match your rig to how you plan to use it: weekend travel, full-time living, or somewhere in between.
Establish Texas as Your Domicile
For full-timers, Texas is one of the three most popular domicile states (alongside South Dakota and Florida) precisely because of the zero income tax and RV-friendly regulations. You’ll need a Texas driver’s license, vehicle registration, and a mail forwarding service. Organizations like Escapees RV Club and Texas Home Base are built specifically for this purpose.
Find the Right Long-Term RV Park
Not all RV parks are built for extended stays. Look for full hookups (50-amp, water, sewer), reliable WiFi, laundry facilities, security, and a community of other long-termers. Monthly rates, site size, and location relative to your work or family all matter. Call ahead — parks that cater to long-term guests often have better rates than what you’ll find on booking platforms.
Budget for the Full Picture
Monthly site fees are just one expense. Budget for: RV loan payment or depreciation, insurance ($800–$2,000/year for comprehensive coverage), fuel, propane, maintenance and repairs, and health insurance if you’re self-employed. An honest monthly budget typically runs $1,500–$3,000 for a full-time RVer — still well below Texas housing costs in most cities.
Get Your Rig Road-Ready
Before any extended trip or permanent transition, service your rig thoroughly: check slide seals, roof condition, water lines, holding tank valves, tire condition and pressure, and all electrical connections. Invest in a quality surge protector for shore power — it protects your appliances from park electrical issues and pays for itself quickly.
Build Your Support Network
The RV community is genuinely one of its best features. Join forums like RV Life and iRV2. Connect with other full-timers at your park. Find a reliable RV service center near your home base — in Waco, that means being close to dealers and service shops along the I-35 corridor, one of the most RV-traveled highways in Texas.
A Word About Texas Summers
Texas weather demands honesty: summers are genuinely hot, and your RV’s air conditioning system will work harder than it ever has before. Central Texas regularly sees temperatures above 100°F from June through September. Before committing to a Texas summer in your RV, make sure your rig has adequate insulation, that your AC unit is properly sized (or upgraded), and that the park you choose has reliable 50-amp power — not 30-amp — to handle the load. This is a real consideration, and parks that offer full 50-amp service are genuinely worth the premium in Texas heat.
The flip side: Texas winters are spectacular for RV living. Mild temperatures, clear skies, and far lower demand at parks mean better rates and more site options from November through March.
North Crest RV Park — Your Central Texas Home Base
1123 N Lacy Drive · Waco, TX · Family-Owned 32+ Years
If you’re exploring long-term RV living in Central Texas, North Crest RV Park offers everything that makes a long stay genuinely comfortable — not just tolerable. Located right off I-35 in Waco, it’s the closest full hookup park to downtown, and it’s built for rigs of all sizes with brand-new cement slab pads and full 50-amp service.
Whether you’re a traveling nurse on a 13-week contract, a retiree wintering in Central Texas, or a remote worker looking for a well-connected home base near Waco’s growing amenities, contact us directly to ask about long-term rates. We’ve been doing this for over three decades — we know what extended-stay guests need.
The Road Ahead
The RV industry is entering 2025 and beyond on a trajectory of steady, sustainable growth. The pandemic-era surge has normalized into something more durable: a genuine lifestyle shift, driven by housing costs, remote work flexibility, and a generation of people who genuinely prefer experiences over property. The RV park industry alone is projected to reach $10.9 billion in 2025 revenue, growing at roughly 1.9% annually through 2030.
In Texas, that means more parks, more long-term residents, and more infrastructure purpose-built for RVers who aren’t just passing through — they’re putting down roots, just in a different way than previous generations did. If you’ve been thinking about RV living, you’re not chasing a trend. You’re arriving at exactly the right moment.
Ready to Start Your Texas RV Life?
North Crest RV Park has served long-term and short-term guests in Waco for over 32 years.
Full hookups, big rig pads, and an I-35 location that puts all of Central Texas within reach.