Story at a glance

  • Some 42,279 Texans moved to California in 2022.
  • More than 102,000 Californians decided to move to Texas in the same period. 
  • One major motivator when it comes to relocating is how much residents are paid.

(KTLA) — While it is known that many Californians looking to leave the Golden State often choose Texas as their new home, new statistics indicate that a growing number of Texans are making their home in California.

Data obtained from the United States Census Bureau by the Houston Chronicle on state-to-state migration shows that California welcomed 42,279 Texans as new residents in 2022, the most of any state. 

One major motivator when it comes to relocating is how much residents are paid. According to Forbes, the average salary in Texas for 2023 is $57,300, which ranks 24th in the nation. The average Californian’s salary is $73,220, which is the third-highest in America only behind New York ($74,870) and Massachusetts ($76,600). 

Forbes analysts say that the average annual salary across the U.S. is $59,428 — around $2,000 more than the average Texas resident — meaning that Texans “often require a handsome salary” to move out west, the Houston Chronicle said.

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While 42,279 Texans resettling in California in 2022 may seem like a lot of people, more than 102,000 Californians decided to move to Texas in the same period. 

Census data revealed that about 475,000 people moved to California from across the U.S. in 2022, but in the same period, 817,000 Californians left the state for somewhere else, leaving the Golden State with a net loss of around 342,000 residents.

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