Texas has exploded in popularity over the past several years, with the state becoming a common migration destination for relocators all over the country. However, data from multiple new reports shows that most of these new Texans are still coming from California.

According to an analysis of Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) data from Texas REALTORS®, over 100,000 Californians made the move to Texas in 2021 — which translates to roughly 300 new Texans on a daily basis. That accounts for approximately 18% of all moves into the state in that year. Meanwhile, only 33,000 Texans moved to California in 2021.

“These migration trends highlight Texas as a popular destination for those seeking new horizons,” said Marcus Phipps, chairman of Texas REALTORS®. “The state’s strong economy, business-friendly environment and quality of life continue to attract people from across the United States and beyond. And with the historic property tax relief recently passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, Texas is an even more appealing place for newcomers to call home.”

Data from moveBuddha corroborates this story: over 13% of all people moving out of California were most interested in moving to Texas in the first half of 2023. Conversely, California is the state pulling in the least moving interest so far this year. While the pandemic was a major catalyst for this population trend, California has also experienced a mass exodus of businesses in the past several years, making life in Texas seem more prosperous by comparison.

Furthermore, California-to-Texas has become the most popular migration route in the country, even beating out New York-to-Florida. The most popular route appears to be San Francisco to Austin, although Bay Area Californians are also moving to San Antonio, Dallas and Houston as well.