The California exodus has continued. Here's where most people leaving the Golden State moved to — and why.

• Between 2022 and 2023, complete 690,100 group near California, according to caller census data.
• Movers were motivated by economical and individual reasons, including nan costs of surviving and location ownership.
• Just complete 422,000 group besides moved into nan Golden State during that aforesaid clip period, information shows.

Kellee Speakman, a autochthonal Californian, started dreaming astir life successful Texas successful 2022.

The 50-year-old simple schoolhouse coach and self-identified blimpish was disappointment pinch California's COVID-19 policies and intrigued by Texans proudly flaunting their "freedoms," Speakman told Business Insider earlier this year.

So, successful January 2022, Speakman and her family packed up and near Temecula, California, for nan Dallas-Fort Worth area.

But it only took 4 months for Speakman to commencement readying her return to California, citing Texas' higher-than-expected costs of surviving and politics.

"I was really depressed successful Texas. I was pensive astir location constantly," Speakman said.

The family was backmost successful nan Golden State by summer.

Speakman and her family were portion of some an exodus retired of California and nan influx into nan authorities successful caller years.

The Californian exodus continues

Let's get into nan numbers.

Census information released connected October 17 shows that complete 690,100 group near California for different authorities betwixt 2022 and 2023, while conscionable complete 422,000 moved into nan Golden State from elsewhere successful nan US. The data comes from nan American Community Survey, which includes responses to questions concerning moving patterns.

There were less nett migrations during this play than nan twelvemonth prior, successful which astir 818,000 group near while 475,800 moved in.

For Californians seeking greener pastures, Texas remains nan apical choice.

Nearly 94,000 erstwhile Californians relocated to Texas betwixt 2022 and 2023, a alteration from complete 102,000 who made nan move nan erstwhile twelvemonth and down from nan 108,000 who moved betwixt 2020 and 2021. In contrast, conscionable complete 38,700 group moved from Texas to California during nan aforesaid time.

Between 2022 and 2023, astir 54,200 group besides near California for Arizona, a diminution from 74,100 nan twelvemonth before. Nevada and Washington besides saw important liking from Californians, pinch each attracting complete 40,000 movers.

Meanwhile, nan number of group relocating from California to Florida dropped to 39,000, compared to 50,700 nan anterior year.

Californians look for affordability successful Texas

In nan past year, galore group moving from California to Texas person shared pinch BI their motivations for relocating.

Some pointed to governmental factors aliases occupation opportunities arsenic their main reasons, while others mentioned that rising costs made surviving successful California's awesome cities unsustainable, prompting them to look for a quieter, much affordable suburb successful Texas.

Jeffrey VonderHaar, an proprietor of a aesculapian instrumentality business, told BI earlier this twelvemonth that he was readying to move from Calabasas, California, to a vicinity extracurricular Houston.

After 26 years successful California, VonderHaar said he was leaving because nan regulations, taxes, and precocious costs of equipment made it progressively difficult to tally his business and negociate regular surviving expenses.

"In California, location are truthful galore rules and regulations that alteration constantly," he told BI successful February. "The taxes are never-ending."

He said he recovered Texas to beryllium importantly much business-friendly. While he intends to support his business successful California, wherever he doesn't foresee overmuch description , he is looking to turn his operations successful Texas.

By moving to Texas, he and his family were besides capable to acquisition a larger location connected 4 acres of onshore for $1.275 million.

Michelle Clifford, a 33-year-old income manager, shared pinch BI that successful July, moving from California to Texas allowed her and her hubby to acquisition their first home, giving them and their children a manner they erstwhile thought was unattainable.

The mates lives successful Celina, a quickly increasing municipality northbound of Dallas. There, they bought a 2,400-square-foot location connected an acre of onshore for astir $600,000.

"I've been renting aliases moving almost each twelvemonth since I was 18," Clifford said. "To yet person thing that's excavation is nan astir astonishing feeling. Knowing that my daughters will person abstraction to tally astir successful Celina is nan biggest blessing."

Where group are moving to California from

While less group from different states moved to California betwixt 2022 and 2023 than betwixt 2021 and 2022, nan allure of nan Golden State remains robust.

The way from Texas to California was nan astir celebrated among movers from 2022 to 2023. According to census data, 38,732 relocated to California during this period.

The 2nd astir traveled way was from New York to California, pinch astir 35,000 group making nan move. Washington intimately followed, which saw astir 32,200 movers.

Both Nevada and Oregon contributed astir 22,200 movers, while Illinois and Arizona each mislaid complete 21,000 residents to California.

Abby Raisz, Senior Research Manager astatine nan Bay Area Council Economic Institute, told CBS News successful November that occupation opportunities partially thrust nan influx of Texas transplants to California.

As companies move backmost to in-person work, Raisz said that galore labor who worked remotely during nan pandemic are returning to California. There has besides been a emergence successful caller tech jobs.

"It's not conscionable workers returning," Raisz said.

"It's caller jobs being created successful immoderate of these burgeoning industries for illustration AI," she added. "The Bay Area remains this epicenter of invention erstwhile it comes to tech."

The Californian boomerang

The wider group of movers to California betwixt 2022 and 2023 besides includes immoderate individuals returning backmost to nan state.

BI said pinch respective Californians who had moved away, only to regret their determination aliases observe that they were amended suited for life successful California.

Kimberly Wilkerson, a 46-year-old self-published writer and entrepreneur, relocated from Oakley, California, to Austin pinch her boy successful 2022.

She near California seeking a much favorable governmental ambiance and a amended chance astatine achieving nan American dream. However, aft 2 and a half years successful Texas, she had to return erstwhile her mother's wellness declined.

"I had a dream of moving my mother to Texas, but that wasn't going to beryllium possible," Wilkerson told BI successful September. "It was amended for maine to travel backmost to California. Having said that, I still want to spell back."

Dannielle Price, 47, moved from Riverside, California, to Texas for nan 2nd clip earlier this year.

She moved to Henderson, Texas, pinch her daughters successful 2021, hoping to bargain a home. However, owed to her children's struggles to set and nan harsh summertime heat, they returned to California conscionable months aft settling successful Texas.

After facing challenges successful uncovering suitable lodging successful California, Price decided to springiness Texas different chance this year, bringing her children and co-parent, Eiman Monam, 45, pinch her.

Despite settling into an flat successful Tyler, nan family still feels that Texas isn't nan correct fresh for them.

"We are decidedly not readying to enactment successful Texas. We conscionable want to get backmost location to California erstwhile our lease is up successful May," Price said. "We'd alternatively woody pinch nan precocious costs of surviving and person nan convenience. It's home."