- Many Californians have relocated to Texas, as higher housing costs drive them out of the state.
- California to Texas is a popular interstate relocation path, according to the Census Bureau.
- Have you relocated to Texas from California or are you considering the move? Let us know why.
In the face of rising costs, many Californians have headed east in search of a bigger slice of the American dream — and found it in the sprawling fields of the Lone Star state.
In fact, the path from California to Texas has emerged as a popular interstate relocation route in the US. In 2021, almost 108,000, people migrated from California to Texas, according to an analysis of the most recent Census data.
The saying is that everything is "bigger" in Texas but, for Californians, is it also cheaper?
Rogelio Saenz, a professor of demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told USA Today that in terms of affordability, the answer is a resounding yes.
"The steep housing prices and cost of living in California represent major reasons" for the movement, Saenz said. "One way to assess the difficulties in purchasing a home in California or Texas is to compute the ratio of the median household income to the median home value in each state."
Texas has held a longstanding reputation for its favorable income-to-cost ratio. The state boasts a median household income of $67,321 as of 2021, according to the Census Bureau. And in June, Redfin found its median home sale price to be $362,000, compared with the US median sale price of $425,177 as of June. The state's cost of living is 8% below the national average, according to RentCafe.
While California's median household income is considerably higher at $84,097, the Golden State's residents are looking at a median home sale price of $796,100 as of June. The cost of living in the state is also 39% higher than the national average. In most cases, residents are spending more than 30% of their income on housing — above what experts recommended budgeting for shelter.
The substantial funds needed to comfortably live in California are what inspired Ryan Petersen, an Orange County native, to relocate to the suburbs of Texas. In 2022, he and his wife, Erika Dominguez, moved to Dallas, after struggling to afford rent in California, USA Today reported.
"We were paying $2,400 a month for an 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment," Petersen, told USA Today, adding that in addition to his job at a startup company, he had to take up side hustles like driving for Instacart and DoorDash, as well as renting out one of the couple's cars on Turo to make ends meet.
In Dallas, the couple purchased a 2,800-square-foot home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an office for $500,000. Peterson, like many Americans, faced a competitive housing market, but felt like he got more bang for his buck in Dallas.
He believes he wouldn't have been able to buy something similar in California. "Like, wait, I can have that?," Petterson said, referencing his new home in Texas.
We want to hear from Californians who have relocated or plan to move to Texas in the near future. Tell us your reasons. Email reporter Alcynna Lloyd at [email protected] to share your story.