Fewer Residents Leave, More People Move Into California

The exodus out of California has slowed to a relative trot.

The number of Californians leaving for other states last year fell 3 percent to 817,669, while its arrivals from other states grew 10 percent to 475,803, the Orange County Register reported, citing U.S. Census figures

The result: the Golden State had a net outflow of 341,866 residents — the largest gap in the nation. Next came New York at 244,137, and Illinois at 115,719 residents.

The number of outgoing Californians shrank compared to 2021, while new residents from other states grew. California’s outflow shrank by 23,396 in a year, the second biggest shrinkage behind New York’s. Population mobility has a significant impact on the residential housing market.

Texas had the largest increase in outflow at 46,714 residents, followed by South Carolina and Oregon.

California took in 475,803 from other states, trailing only Florida at 738,969 and Texas at 668,338. Arrivals to the Golden State grew by 42,401 from 2021, exceeded only by Texas at 76,943, and Florida at 64,229.

Interstate moves became popular during the pandemic, with 10 percent more U.S. residens crossing borders last year compared to the average for 2015-2019, according to the Register.

California departures grew 24 percent during the pandemic, while arrivals dropped 6 percent.

At the same time, California has above-average population retention compared to the U.S. as a whole. Some 2.5 percent of the nation switched states last year. But the California’s outflow of residents last year was 2.1 percent of its population.

Eight states had a smaller share of its residents leave last year, including Texas, Michigan and Ohio at 1.7 percent, followed by Florida at 2.3 percent of its population.

At the same time, California’s ability to draw new residents as a share of its population ranks last, at 1.2 percent of all residents, followed by New York at 1.5 percent and Michigan at 1.6 percent.

— Dana Bartholomew