What’s new
More Americans left California between 2023 and 2024 than any other state nationwide, according to new data released by the Census Bureau.
The Golden State lost a total of 239,575 residents to other states, the largest net domestic migration loss in the country over the past year. New York, another blue bastion in the country, suffered the second biggest loss, losing a total of 120,917 residents between 2023 and 2024.
Why it matters
The findings confirm an ongoing trend in the western United States, and specifically the Golden State, which has lost thousands of southern residents in recent years, especially during the pandemic.
According to research compiled by the Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), the population drain in California is mainly due to people’s desire to live in more affordable places: several studies have shown that the cost of housing alone is a major reason for people to leave the Golden State.
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California is among the top five states with the highest overall cost of living in the country, SIEPR reported. The median sales price for a home in the state, according to Redfin’s latest data, is $831,300, up 4.7 percent from a year earlier. That was nearly double the nationwide median home sales price of $430,010.
Most of those who have left California in recent years have gone to states like Texas and Arizona—a red state and a swing state, respectively. President Elect Donald Trump won both in November. Two-thirds of those who moved from California told SIEPR that they did not do so because of politics, but the political impact of their decision is undeniable. A quarter told the institute that they had moved expressly for political reasons.
What to know
Where California loses, Texas wins. The Lone Star State continues to welcome new residents and lead the nation with the largest net domestic migration gain between 2023 and 2024, totaling 85,267 new residents in the past year. Texas has several advantages that attract people that California does not: the state has no income tax, it is cut off from the Western Interconnection electrical system and has built more new homes, while the Golden State is still going through a homelessness crisis and a housing shortage.
Overall, the US population grew by nearly 1.0 percent between 2023 and 2024, surpassing 340 million in total. This population growth, the fastest the country has seen in a year since 2001, was mainly due to increasing international net migration, the agency reported. International net migration refers to any change of residence across US borders.
Newsweek contacted the Census Bureau for comment via email Friday morning.
What people say
“California is no longer the preferred destination that it used to be,” Hans Johnson, a demographer at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, told Los Angeles Times in April and discussed the issue of people moving from the Golden State.
What’s next
It’s not all gloom and doom for California. The state was among 47 including the District of Columbia to experience a population increase of more than 100,000 people between 2023 and 2024, adding a total of 232,570 residents over the past year. Despite falling behind Texas and Florida, the state still reported the third highest numerical increase in the country.
The Golden State had the second highest increase in the number of births over the number of deaths (what is known as natural increase) after Texas, 110,466.
Along with Florida (411,322) and Texas (319,569), California saw one of the largest gains from international migration, 361,057. Net international migration refers to any change of residence across US borders.
The Golden State was also the most populous in the nation, with an estimated population of 39,431,263 as of July 1, followed by Texas with 31,290,831 and Florida with 23,372,215.
Overall, the US population grew by nearly 1.0 percent between 2023 and 2024, surpassing 340 million in total. This population growth, the fastest the country has seen in a year since 2001, was mainly due to increasing international net migration, the agency reported.
Should it continue, California’s population decline could drastically alter the state’s job market and fiscal outlook, as well as cause the state to lose additional congressional seats.
Have you left California for another state in the past few years? We’d love to hear your story. Contact g.carbonaro@newsweek.com
