Destination for Californians: Texas is Top Relo

In Houston, It’s no secret that many Californians have recently chosen to give up the West Coast life and make a permanent move to homes in the Lone Star State.

Texas Realtors, in their 2024 Relocation Report, discovered just how popular that migration route is.

“Approximately 102,000 Californians moved to Texas in 2022, more than any other state-to-state relocation total in the U.S.,” says the document.

But it also reveals an interesting irony. “Not only was California the leading source of new Texans, but it was the top target for outbound Texans as well. Even so, the moving activity between the two states resulted in a 60,000-resident net increase to the Texas population.”

The report actually says a lot about Texas, information underscored by Jef Conn, chairman of the state Realtor group. “Texas continues to draw people from other states for a number of reasons,” he said. “Many new residents enjoy a lower cost of living in Texas or better job opportunities at companies that expand or relocate here.”

“Texas has vibrant large cities, charming small towns and rural areas with all the space you’d ever want. You can find pretty much any lifestyle you’re seeking here.”

After California, Florida was second on the list of states whose residents in large numbers opted for residences in Texas. The report says 41,000 Floridians purchased new Texas addresses. A total of 30,000 New Yorkers also took the Texas relocation trek. Illinois, Louisiana, Colorado and Oklahoma followed suit, each with roughly 25,000 residents moving to Texas.

Florida was the second-most-popular destination for relocating Texans, with approximately 38,000 leaving the state, followed by Oklahoma with more than 26,000 Texans making a northern jump to the Sooner State, said Conn.

Overall, about 668,000 people moved to Texas from other states in 2022, with a net population gain of nearly 175,000 new residents. Not only do people come to Texas from other states, but more than 3.3 million people moved within the state itself in 2022.

“While home prices have gone up, many people who move from other states can still afford more in Texas than the state they came from,” Conn noted. “They also benefit from the efforts Realtors in Texas have made to keep homeownership as affordable as possible.”

“We’ve beaten back proposals for a statewide transfer tax that dozens of other states levy, we helped pass a constitutional amendment that prohibits most private transfer fees, and Realtors were instrumental in the largest-ever property tax relief program that went into effect in Texas last year.”

“Still,” Conn said, “it’s important to weigh all the factors that go into a move from one state to another, and no one is better equipped to help people do just that than a Realtor.”

“California, here I come” is a song made popular a century ago when folks pulled up stakes and headed west to set down roots in a palm tree-festooned area that seemed to offer all the accoutrements of the American dream. Today’s theme of relocation is “Texas, here I come.”