Top 10 Places Californians Are Moving To In The U.S.

California is an extremely popular state to live in, after all, it isn’t called the golden state for nothing. It has great weather, hundreds of miles of coastline, beaches, mountains, vibrantly bustling cities, and much more. But while California still boasts a population of about 39 million people, the United States census bureau says that more and more Californians are choosing to make a move out of state. 

In 2019, 190,000 people moved away from California. Even during the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic that plagued 2020, people were leaving expensive coastal areas with high costs of living and migrating to other states. What’s more, with so many individuals now working remotely, their options for moving are becoming more realistic.

Cost of living is a huge consideration for many of those who choose to relocate away from the golden state. It comes as no surprise that California is a very expensive state to live in. Of course, there are areas that are more affordable, but many California cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, are extremely costly. Housing prices are sky-high, as are taxes. In fact, California’s minimum statewide sales tax and its income tax rates are the highest in the entire United States. But California is still an extremely popular place to reside. There are plenty of people, millions in fact, who can afford to live in expensive areas of California, and millions more who deal with the high costs of living because they love the state and all it has to offer. 

There is a myriad of other reasons why Californian residents might desire a relocation, many of which have nothing to do with the state itself. Often, people move simply because they want to experience life elsewhere, or for family or employment reasons. But regardless of the reasoning behind high migration rates out of California in recent years, the big question is, where are Californians moving to?

Here are some of the top states that seem to be attracting Californians:

1. Texas

2. Arizona

3. Idaho

4. Washington

5. Nevada

6. Oregon

7. Florida

8. Colorado

9. New York

10. North Carolina

Some of these states hold an obvious attraction, while others might seem a little more perplexing. But there’s one significant appeal that almost all of them have in common… they’re cheaper. Of course, there are some cities where the cost of living is still high, and in the case of New York City, NY, equally as expensive, if not more so, than California. 

Each and every state has its upsides and downsides. A state’s appeal is largely in the eye of the beholder. If a Californian wants a little less sun and a lot more greenery, they might consider a move to Washington. Big fan of winter sports and mountain views? Colorado’s the place to be. For retirees, Florida is the number one option. But one thing is for certain, more and more people are choosing to leave the golden state in favor of living elsewhere.