texas transplants
Texas and California battle it out for most relocating residents, Census report says
The Texas/California pipeline works both ways, a new study reveals.
Texans love to joke about how many Californians are moving here, but a rising trend in Texas residents' relocation habits may have Californians saying the same thing about Texans soon.
A new U.S. Census report analyzing state-to-state migration has revealed new estimates regarding Texas' growing population in 2022. According to the report, more than 668,000 new residents relocated to Texas from out-of-state last year.
Not surprisingly, the highest number of new Texans hailed from California. More than 102,000 Californians made the move to the Lone Star State in 2022.
But in a fun population twist, California also received the most Texpats in 2022, the report showed, followed closely behind by Florida, then Oklahoma. Of the 494,077 people who left Texas last year, 42,279 went to California.
Why Californians move to Texas
Californians often seek out a lower cost of living by moving to the most "affordable" cities in the state. Houston has shown to be at the top of the priority destination list; Dallas usurped Austin as the No. 1 city for California movers earlier this year. And when a California transplant can save more than $646,000 by moving to Texas and buying a home in Houston, it's not hard to see the appeal.
Other reasons for the California-to-Texas exodus include the lack of income tax and the flexibility of remote work opportunities, they say.
While California took the lead with the most new movers flocking to Texas, Floridians are also choosing to pack up and leave their Sunshine State for the Lone Star State, the report says.
The top 5 states with the most residents moving to Texas in 2022 were:
- California – 102,442 new residents
- Florida – 41,747 new residents
- New York – 30,890 new residents
- Illinois – 25,272 new residents
- Louisiana – 25,192 new residents
Where Texans are moving
The Census report showed that less than half a million Texas residents relocated out-of-state last year, totaling 494,077 people.
"Texas had the country's lowest (11.7 percent) outmigration rate, with most of those who did move relocating to California (42,479) or Florida (38,207)," the report said.
The top 5 states where Texans moved in 2022 were:
- California – 42,279 Texans
- Florida – 38,207 Texans
- Oklahoma – 26,440 Texans
- Colorado – 25,466 Texans
- Georgia – 23,754 Texans
New Texans from abroad
In addition to state-by-state migration data, the report also provided estimates for how many new Texans came from abroad. Out of 237,051 new residents, the majority – 233,751 people – relocated from outside the mainland last year.
About 2,441 people moved from Puerto Rico, and 859 arrived from unspecified U.S. island areas.
Texas has been a magnet for international homebuyers for several years. The state has held its position as the third hottest U.S. housing market for international homebuyers for the fourth consecutive year in 2023. A total of 9,900 Texas homes were purchased by buyers from outside the U.S last year, spending a gigantic sum of $4.3 billion.
