Best states to move to from California in 2026

Leaving California? Here are the states Californians are actually moving to. There are honest breakdowns on costs, taxes, and what the adjustment really feels like.

Why so many people move from California?

Over 700,000 Californians relocated to other states between 2020 and 2026. Not because they stopped loving California. They left because the math stopped working.

A median home in the Bay Area costs over $1.3 million. A similar house in Austin's suburbs is $450,000. California's state income tax tops out at 12.3%, whereas Texas has none. When the gap between what you earn and what things cost gets wide enough, geography becomes negotiable.

According to U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, California led the nation in outbound moves for the sixth consecutive year. The top destinations are: Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Nevada.

This guide breaks down the best states to land in, with honest numbers and the trade-offs nobody puts in the brochure.

What to look for when moving from California

Before getting into specific states, a few things worth thinking through:

Tax savings are real, but not always as big as they look. States like Texas and Nevada have no income tax, which is a genuine win. But Texas makes up a chunk of that revenue through property taxes.

The cultural adjustment is underestimated. California has a specific pace, vibe, and set of norms. Some states on this list feel like a natural fit for Californians. Others will feel like a different country. Neither is wrong, but it's worth knowing.

Housing affordability varies wildly by city. "Texas is cheap" was true five years ago. Austin in particular has caught up to a lot of coastal states. The cheaper options are now the second-tier states, like Dallas suburbs, San Antonio, smaller metros.

1. Austin, TX

The city that every Californian knows and half of them seem to have moved to already.

Austin has genuine appeal: a tech industry that rivals anything outside Silicon Valley, a live music and food scene that's actually good, warm weather, and a no-state-income-tax situation that translates to real money in your pocket.

Median home price: ~$625,000 (raised up significantly, no longer the deal it was)
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,850/month
State income tax: None
Vibe: Fast-moving, ambitious, outdoorsy, expensive

The honest caveat: Austin has gotten expensive. The same California tech workers who moved here to escape high costs have, to some degree, imported those costs. A dual-income family earning $150,000 will still save $25,000–$40,000 annually compared to LA or the Bay, but the days of finding a house in Austin for $300,000 are gone.

What Austin still has going for is the job market. It is exceptional for tech. The city genuinely has energy, and Barton Creek Greenbelt and the Hill Country nearby mean you're not trading nature for affordability.

2. Dallas–Fort Worth, TX

If Austin feels too expensive or too crowded, the Dallas metro is the more practical Texas choice.

DFW is massive (more than 7 million people) which means genuine diversity in neighborhoods, price points, and job opportunities. Corporate headquarters have been moving here for years. Major employers include American Airlines, AT&T, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, and a growing list of tech companies. The job market is broad in a way Austin's isn't.

Median home price: ~$316,000
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,300–1,500/month
State income tax: None
Vibe: Sprawling, corporate, surprisingly cosmopolitan

The trade-off is Dallas doesn't have Austin's cultural cachet. It's a big, flat, car-dependent city. Traffic on the 635 and I-35 can be brutal. And summers are brutal too: 100°F (~38°C) days from June through September are normal, with humidity to match.

For families, the suburbs of Frisco, Plano, and McKinney offer excellent schools and suburban comfort that translates well for people coming from places like Thousand Oaks or Irvine.

3. Nashville, TN

The Tennessee option has been drawing Californians steadily, and it's easy to see why once you spend time there.

Nashville isn't cheap anymore, - the wave of in-migration pushed home prices up considerably, - but it's still meaningfully less expensive than California metros, and Tennessee has no state income tax. The city has a genuine personality: music, food, a growing tech scene, and a quality of life that people describe as "ambitious but not frantic."

Median home price: ~$450,000
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,600–1,800/month
State income tax: None
Vibe: Southern, energetic, increasingly cosmopolitan

What catches Californians off guard is the humidity in summer (worse than most of California, better than Texas), winters that are mild but include real cold snaps, and a traffic situation in the city core that has gotten genuinely bad as the population has grown faster than the roads.

The suburbs of Brentwood and Franklin are popular with families coming from California due to good schools, lower crime, and a lifestyle that feels more familiar than downtown Nashville.

4. Raleigh–Durham, NC

North Carolina has been quietly one of the best-kept secrets in relocation circles, and Californians have started to figure it out. According to moveBuddha, Charlotte and Raleigh are now among the top destinations for California movers in North Carolina.

The Research Triangle, - Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, - is an intellectual and economic hub built around three major universities. Tech, biotech, pharma, and healthcare all have major presences here. The Wall Street Journal recently ranked Raleigh one of the top five job markets in the country.

Median home price: ~$446,000
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,400–1,580/month
State income tax: 4.5% flat (low and dropping)
Vibe: Smart, green, laid-back, family-friendly

The honest comparison to California: you will miss the weather. Raleigh has hot, humid summers and occasional ice storms in winter. But you will not miss the housing costs, the traffic on I-5, or the $13,000 state tax bill. Most California transplants to Raleigh report the adjustment was easier than expected.

5. Phoenix, AZ

For Californians who want to stay close to the desert aesthetic they know, Phoenix is the obvious choice. It's close enough that a weekend trip back to visit family is easy, the climate is familiar (dry heat vs. California's coastal mild), and the cost of living is substantially lower.

Arizona has been drawing Californians for years. It's the second most popular destination after Texas, according to migration data.

Median home price: ~$427,000
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,400/month
State income tax: 2.5% flat (recently lowered)
Vibe: Sunny, sprawling, outdoor-focused, growing fast

The trade-off everyone knows - summer. Phoenix in July and August means 110°F(~40°C) days. It's a dry heat, which is different from Texas humidity, but it's still legitimately extreme. Most people adapt but it takes adjustment.

The suburbs of Scottsdale, Chandler, and Tempe offer the most California-like experience in terms of walkability, restaurants, and demographics.

6. Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas has a reputation problem because people have stereotype that it is "casino strip" and stop there. The actual city of Las Vegas and its suburbs (Henderson, Summerlin) are very livable, family-friendly, and have been drawing Californians for decades.

Nevada has no state income tax and no estate tax, which is a meaningful draw for higher earners. Housing costs are below most California states. The sun is almost guaranteed.

Median home price: ~$430,000
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,300/month
State income tax: None
Vibe: Surprisingly livable, suburban, very car-dependent

The honest caveat: Las Vegas has the same brutal summer problem as Phoenix. July and August are survivable but unpleasant. The entertainment industry that employs much of the city can mean boom-and-bust economic cycles. And the public transit is poor therefore the city is car-dependent.

For Californians in the entertainment, hospitality, or gaming industries, Vegas is a natural landing spot professionally. For everyone else, it's primarily a tax and cost-of-living play.

7. San Antonio, TX

The most underrated Texas city for Californians. San Antonio doesn't have Austin's hype or Dallas's corporate scene, but it has something both states lack: genuine affordability that hasn't been eroded yet by the wave of in-migration.

The city is the seventh largest in the United States, which means real infrastructure, real job market, and real amenities but without the premium pricing.

Median home price: ~$257,000
Average 1BR rent: ~$1,100–1,300/month
State income tax: None
Vibe: Relaxed, culturally rich (strong Mexican-American heritage), military presence, underrated food scene

San Antonio sits between Austin and the Hill Country, meaning day trips are excellent. The Riverwalk is genuinely pleasant. The food scene (particularly Tex-Mex) is one of the best in the state.

The trade-off: the job market is less dynamic than Austin or Dallas, particularly for tech. If you're a remote worker or in healthcare, government, or military, San Antonio works well. If you need a dense tech ecosystem, Austin is the better call.

How to choose

For tech workers - Austin or Raleigh–Durham. Both have deep tech ecosystems. Austin is the first instinct; Raleigh is the better deal if you look at the numbers.

For families prioritizing schools and safety - Raleigh suburbs (Cary, Apex), Dallas suburbs (Frisco, Plano), or Nashville suburbs (Brentwood, Franklin).

For maximizing tax savings - Texas or Nevada. No state income tax is a real and significant benefit.

For lowest upfront costs - San Antonio or Dallas suburbs. Still genuinely affordable relative to California.

For an easy cultural adjustment - Raleigh or Nashville. Both have enough transplants and enough urban culture that the shift feels manageable.

FAQ

What are the best states to move from California? According to U-Haul and multiple migration studies, Texas is the top destination, followed by Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Nevada. Within Texas, Austin, Dallas, and Houston are the most popular states.

Is it worth moving from California to Texas? Financially, for most households, yes. A dual-income family earning $150,000 typically saves $25,000–$40,000 annually by moving from a California metro to a Texas city, primarily through lower housing costs and no state income tax. The trade-offs are summers, higher property taxes, and a different cultural landscape.

What's the cheapest city to move to from California? San Antonio, TX is one of the most affordable large states in the country, with median home prices around $257,000 and one-bedroom rents around $1,100–1,300/month. Compared to LA or San Francisco, the savings are visible.

Which city has the best job market for tech workers moving from California? Austin, TX and Raleigh–Durham, NC are the top options. Austin has a dense concentration of major tech employers and startups. Raleigh–Durham has Research Triangle Park, one of the largest research and tech parks in the world, with employers including Cisco, IBM/Red Hat, and a growing biotech sector.

Do I need to worry about the tax savings being offset by other costs? In Texas and Nevada, property taxes are notably higher than California's. It is something many people don't factor in. Texas property tax rates run 1.8–2.2% compared to California's 0.76%. On a $400,000 home that's roughly $7,200–8,800/year in Texas vs. $3,000 in California. Still a net win when you factor in no income tax, but worth running the actual numbers for your situation.

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