Texas lured the most people away from California — and these other states

• Between 2022 and 2023, about 612,000 people moved to Texas, new census data shows.
• Most Americans who moved to Texas came from California and Florida, followed by New York and Illinois.
• Americans continue to seek affordability and job opportunities in the Lone Star State.

Arielle Francois never planned on moving to Texas.

In 2022, the 20-something content creator relocated from Miami to Dallas for a program at PMG, the media company, where she now works as a digital marketer.

Earlier this year, she told Business Insider's Madison Hoff that living in Dallas gave her more visibility as a creator, which has resulted in "more opportunities" for her there compared to South Florida. She also said she paid less than $2,000 in rent a month for a nice apartment, which she felt was more affordable than options in Miami.

Hundreds of thousands of people seeking a better life have moved to Texas in recent years.

Census data released on October 17 reveals that nearly 612,000 moved to the Lone Star State between 2022 and 2023. The data comes from the American Community Survey, which asked respondents if they had moved in the past year.

California is the state that lost the most residents to come to Texas. Nearly 94,000 Californians moved to Texas, compared to over 102,400 the previous year.

Florida, where Francois was living before, is Texas' next-biggest feeder state. Between 2022 and 2023, more than 50,500 residents left Florida for Texas.

Texas remains a hot spot for movers overall

Texas ranked second in US migration from 2022 to 2023, trailing only Florida, which gained almost 637,000 residents during the same time period.

After California and Florida, the next-most movers to Texas hailed from Oklahoma, which experienced a slight increase in migration to Texas, with over 29,700 people moving in compared to 24,300 last year. Then came New York, with just over 29,610 who relocated to Texas.

Other states contributing over 20,000 movers to Texas apiece include Louisiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Washington.

Texas has something for everyone

Some transplants are attracted to the state's reputation for affordability — thanks largely to its relatively lower cost of living and absence of state income tax. While others are drawn to its business-friendly environment and abundant job opportunities.

Many people are also moving to Texas for its smaller towns, sought out for their down-to-earth communities.

Take California native Michelle Clifford, a 33-year-old sales manager who bought a home with her husband in Celina, Texas, this year.

Celina, located north of Dallas, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. Yet, it has managed to maintain its close-knit vibe. This, combined with an abundance of relatively affordable and spacious homes, has contributed greatly to its population growth.

"We were drawn to Celina because we have friends from California who moved here," Clifford told BI in July. "More importantly, it was about doing something completely different. We've experienced city life and wanted to embrace country living and own some land."

It's not just everyday people looking for a fresh start in Texas —celebrities are also among those relocating.

Consider supermodel Bella Hadid, who moved to Fort Worth, Texas, this year to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City and live with her professional horseman boyfriend, Adan Banuelos.

Hollywood actor Emma Stone and comedian Joe Rogan have also fled Los Angeles for Austin in recent years.

This trend reflects a broader shift in wealth realignment in the US, where even the nation's wealthiest opt for places where their money goes further, the climate is more inviting, and life feels more relaxed.

Where people from Texas move to

There are also plenty of people who leave Texas in search of greener pastures.

Between 2022 and 2023, there were about 478,600 departures, less than the 612,000 who moved in. This gap was even wider between 2021 and 2022, when over 668,300 people moved to Texas and 494,000 left.

The biggest number headed to California.

Between 2022 and 2023, about 38,700 people moved from Texas to California, a slight decrease from the 42,300 who did so the previous year.

Additionally, about 37,800 people relocated from Texas to Florida, about 32,200 Texans moved to Colorado, and 31,500 headed to Oklahoma.

Other popular destinations for former Texans included Georgia, New York, and Louisiana, each welcoming more than 18,000 residents from Texas.

Home prices and politics have driven some Texans out

Texas may have its appeal, but it also has some drawbacks.

Over the past year, BI has spoken with many residents who have left the state, citing rising home prices and property taxes, extreme heat, and a divisive political climate as reasons for their departure.

Flora Batts, a retired Medicaid program coordinator, moved to Pennsylvania this year after living in Austin for over 60 years.

Batts, 65, told BI in May that she and her husband were leaving because "Big Tech" companies like Dell and Tesla have transformed Texas' capital over the past decades, driving up costs for everything from food to housing.

"Michael Dell kicked the door down and let everybody in," she said. "All that tech money changed Austin and drove up the cost of living."

Batts and her husband purchased a three-bedroom, two-bath home on two-thirds of an acre in the small town of Erie, which is located just over an hour and a half northwest of Cleveland.

She said that they wouldn't have been able to afford a similar home in Austin.

Texan native Ty Joerger, 25, and about a dozen of his friends moved from Texas to the Pacific Northwest over the past two years.

While he has a "laundry list" of reasons for leaving Texas, he told BI in July that a common concern among him and his friends was the political climate, especially as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

"My friends and I shared a pretty similar sentiment: That we didn't feel safe in a state that had more and more aggressive legislation targeting us," he said. "As a gay man, I didn't feel like I could be myself."

Joerger now lives in Seattle, where he said he feels safer and better accepted.

"I lived in Texas all my life, and I'm so glad I moved to Seattle," he said. Joerger added that despite his criticisms, he still loves the Lone Star State but hopes it can improve "before I would even encourage anyone to move or live there."