Why Are People Leaving California? What the Data Shows

How many people are leaving California?

'Net domestic migration' is people who moved to California from other states minus people who moved from California to other states. It leaves out immigration from abroad. In the Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 series, California's net domestic migration was negative in every year from 2020 to 2024.

Two things are true at once. Far more people have left for other states than arrived from them in recent years, and the loss has shrunk since its 2021 peak. Population counts tell a similar story: the Census Vintage 2024 estimate put California at about 39.4 million on July 1, 2024, up from 2023, while the California Department of Finance's January 2026 estimate was 39,592,978, slightly below its revised January 2025 figure.

For the full series and how each source works, see the migration data page.

Where Californians move

The pattern is mostly regional: neighboring Western states plus the large Sun Belt states. Each has its own guide: Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Florida and Oregon. For a side-by-side view, read the best states to move to from California.

The main reasons people give

Migration statistics count moves; they don't record motives. Reasons come from surveys, which ask different questions and reach different people, so read any single number with care. Across the research we reviewed, the same themes recur:

1. Housing costs

Housing is the reason cited most often. California's home prices and rents are among the highest in the country, and the state's own analysts have long linked this to a shortage of homes relative to demand. For many households, a move is the only realistic path to owning a home.

2. Overall cost of living

Beyond housing, everyday costs like gas, utilities and childcare add up. Some movers keep a California-level salary through remote work while paying lower costs elsewhere. Our cost of living comparison guide explains how to compare honestly.

3. Work and remote work

Job changes are one of the most common reasons for any interstate move. Since 2020, remote and hybrid work has let more people choose where to live separately from where their employer is (remote work and leaving California).

4. Family and life stage

Being near family, retiring, or wanting more space for kids often triggers a move. Retirees in particular weigh fixed incomes against housing and tax costs (retiring out of California).

5. Taxes

California's top income tax rates are among the highest in the U.S., and several popular destinations have no state income tax on wages. For high earners, tax can be a real factor; for many others, property and sales taxes elsewhere narrow the gap. And no, there's no exit tax for leaving — see the California exit tax guide.

6. Politics, safety, and quality of life

Some people cite politics, crime, homelessness, wildfire risk or traffic. Others move *to* California for the same reasons in reverse. We cover this without taking sides in politics and the decision to leave.

Who leaves — and who arrives

California is still a large destination: hundreds of thousands of people move in from other states each year, and the state also gains residents from abroad. Movers out skew toward people looking to buy a first home, families with children, and retirees, while young adults and high-skill workers continue to arrive in some regions. IRS migration data adds an income view, but its methodology changed in recent years, so we don't compare across that break.

If you're thinking about leaving

• Shortlist destinations with the best states guide or our destination matcher.
• Price the move itself: the cheapest way to move out of state.
• Plan the steps: the moving out of state checklist.