This comes as no surprise to Dr. Mark Dotzour, chief economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

"Good weather and low cost of living has always made Texas one of the most attractive spots in the country for retirees," Dotzour said. "The cost of housing in Florida and California has gotten so extreme that it makes sense that Texas becomes even more desirable to retirees from all over the country, not just from the midwest. And the exploding cost of insurance in Florida has really increased the cost of retirement there."

Despite those costs, Florida held at number one, drawing 16.6 percent of retirees in 2005.

Texas, which was the number four destination based on 2000 data, attracted 6.8 percent of America's migrant retirees in the 2005 data, up from 4.8 percent in 2000.