Californian Invasion: The 10 States California Residents Want to Move to Most in 2026

California’s population loss has been a source of endless speculation in recent years. And all these Californians leaving the state are scattered nationwide, from New York to Texas. Where are Californians moving right now?

New moveBuddha data shows precisely where Californians are interested in moving to, right now

We crunched the numbers from moveBuddha data collected in the past 6 months, August 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026. This data includes searches nationwide by individuals located in California who are either planning to move or hire a moving company for their move. This data is much fresher than official Census data and gives hints of future moving patterns.

So where are Californians looking to move to right now?

• Texas is (again) the top destination for departing Californians, with 14.1% of the state's outbound interest (2,986 searches).  
• Florida is the #2 destination for Californians with 7.16% of interest.
• Washington, New York, and Arizona round out the top five destinations.
• State feeling the weight of new Californians the most? By per capita impact, it's Nevada with 30 inbound searches for every 100k residents.
• What's changed? Interest in Texas is up, while Florida's is down, and Washington state takes the #3 spot from New York.
• While The Golden State ranked dead last in moving interest in 2025, it has actually seen interest rise 14 percentage points since 2024 according to moveBuddha's end of the year report.

Table of Contents:

• Top States Seeing a California Influx
• States that Californians Aren’t Interested In
• Are People Still Fleeing California in 2026?
• Sources and Methodology

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The Top 10 States That Are Seeing The Biggest Influx of Californians, Right Now

Using moveBuddha moving search data, we've ranked the top 10 states Californians are interested in moving to this year.

#10 Colorado - Mountain Lifestyle & Prices

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 3.62%

California moves may have helped Colorado cross the 6 million population threshold, but growth has cooled. Last time we checked Colorado was Californian's 7th favorite state to move to, now it's #10.

Californians' top two Colorado destinations are Denver, with a third of mover interest, followed by Colorado Springs. Movers often choose the state for its outdoors-first lifestyle and strong job hubs, even as housing costs remain “California-adjacent.”

Learn More: Moving from California to Colorado

#9 North Carolina - Calis Love These Southern Boomtowns

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 4.11%

North Carolina continues to rank among the most popular states to move to, and is one of the fastest-growing states, adding nearly 146,000 residents (+1.3%) from July 2024 to July 2025.

Californians are most often searching for moves to Charlotte and Raleigh, where job growth and livability remain strong. And even after years of rising home values, homes are still cheaper than the average in Cali. Zillow shows Charlotte around $390K and Raleigh around $446K. In California, data from February 2026 shows that the average home is about $750K.

Learn More: Moving from California to North Carolina

#8 Tennessee - Low Tax, Fast-Growing Cities

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 4.11%

Tennessee has moved up two spots in the eyes of Californian movers. The top move-to destinations in the state are Nashville, then Knoxville: music, jobs, and a no-state-income-tax reputation keep the Volunteer State sticky, even as housing cools from prior highs. Nashville’s average home value runs about $426.1K (down 2.5% year over year), and Knoxville sits about $439.7K (down 3.0%).

Some long-time residents don’t like seeing all those California plates and are concerned Nashville is growing too fast. West Coast newcomers could be pricing locals out of the crowded housing and rental market.

Tennessee added 68,785 residents from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, with net domestic migration doing most of the work.

#7 Oregon - Headed to Portlandia

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 4.57%

Some are asking if Portland is the new California. That may be the case, but Californians moving into Oregon is not a new phenomenon; they are neighbors after all. But, Oregon's population barely budged according to the latest Census estimates, with a small increase of 8,200 people from July 2024 to June 2025.

Even with that slower growth, Oregon remains attractive for Californians who want a familiar West Coast vibe with a smaller-city feel. Portland still leads interest with about a third of the CA-to-OR traffic looking to move to the big city.

One thing that likely draws Californians to Oregon is housing prices. The average housing in Oregon isn’t cheap, but it’s comparatively much better than in California, which has some of the most expensive housing costs nationwide.

Learn More: Moving from California to Oregon

#6 Nevada - The Tax Break Next Door

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 4.65%

Californians’ moves to Nevada make sense, given the two states border each other. And like other states on this list, Nevada offers many incentives for new residents. A big one is a much lower tax burden. Nevada has no state income tax and a median property tax rate that’s one of the lowest in the U.S.

Nevada feels California’s inbound pressure more than any other destination, with the highest per-capita inflow in our data, 30 searches into the state for every 100k residents. That interest concentrates in Las Vegas, capturing half of the searches from moves into Nevada from California. Most of that interest comes from Los Angeles. In fact, Las Vegas is the 2nd-most searched city for moves exiting LA.

Learn More: Moving from California to Nevada

#5 Arizona - Sun and Sprawl

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 5.33%

Arizona is another natural destination for departing Californians, given the close proximity. According to the 2024 American Community Survey, 52,383 Californians moved to Arizona. The net count (minus AZ moves to CA) is 24,209, nearly half the state's total domestic net migration (55,505).

And the latest move, Buddha confirms that Arizona remains a top pick for Californians moving a home out of state, holding on to the #5 spot. Searches also show that movers will most likely end up in the Phoenix or Tucson metropolitan areas.  

Learn More: Moving from California to Arizona

#4 New York - The Big Apple or Bust

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 5.86%

More than half of California-to-New York search interest targets New York City (55%), making it more “NYC or nothing” than a statewide shift. And those searches are mostly coming from movers leaving Los Angeles.

But in big churn cities and states, those numbers don't tell all. The 2024 ACS estimates 31,367 Californians moved to New York, versus 24,927 New Yorkers moving to California, for a net gain of 6,440 for New York.

And in the past year, interest in moving to New York has fallen nearly 20 percentage points, though it still is a top destination for California outflow. 

Learn More: Moving from California to NY

#3 Washington - The Seattle Spillover State

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 6.55%

Washington is another Pacific Northwestern state that regularly sees an influx of Californians. The 2024 ACS shows that 43,938 moved from California to Washington, compared with 26,956 going back, for a net gain of 16,982 for Washington.

More recent moveBuddha searches show Seattle dominates, capturing about 40% of California-to-Washington interest, with roughly 74 move-in searches per 100k residents.

Many Californians heading to Washington may also be relocating for work. Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google all have offices in the Seattle area, along with aviation giant Boeing. Seattle is also home to major employers like Starbucks and Alaska Airlines, so new residents from California may be able to find employment opportunities easily.

Learn More: Moving from California to Washington

#2 Florida - The Coastal Competition

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 7.16%

California and Florida have traded residents for a long time, and the topic has been great fodder for debate between these states with starkly different politics. The latest 2024 ACS estimates 36,194 Californians moved to Florida, versus 15,988 Floridians moving to California, for a net gain of 20,206 for Florida.

While data has shown that moves into Florida are nowhere near as popular as they were a few years ago, moveBuddha search data shows Miami and Orlando are still pulling attention from Californians on the move.

Learn More: Moving from California to Florida

#1 Texas - Can 300 New Californians a Day Make Texas the Most Populous State?

Percentage of Californian moving interest: 14.1%

The Lone Star state is a top destination for departing Californians in 2026 by a wide margin - almost twice that of #2 Florida. Texas is the second-largest state by population, so the high ranking makes sense. But other data confirms that it's not just the volume, but Californians continue to flock to Texas in huge numbers.

Moving from California to Texas has become the most popular interstate relocation in the U.S., even beating New York to Florida. A 2021 study found that 111,000 Californians moved to Texas that year, averaging roughly 300 daily. The number of people moving from California to Texas was up 80% in 2021 compared to 2012. Yes, Texans move to California, too, but the number is much smaller. Nearly 33,000 Texans moved to California in 2021.

And the latest numbers show that the moves continue to flow: 77,161 Californians moved to Texas, compared with 45,447 Texans moving to California, for a net gain of 31,714 for Texas, according to the 2024 ACS.

Which cities in Texas do Californians love most? The biggest ones, of course. With Austin, Dallas and Houston earning the most searches.

In fact, San Francisco movers search to move to Austin, TX, more than any other city in the nation. While in San Jose, Austin is their #2 pick; in Dallas, Austin is #5; in San Diego, Austin is #3; and in Los Angeles, Dallas is #3.

And these three Texas cities are destined to be the most populous in the nation by 2100 according to our own analysis: Dallas, Houston, and Austin. If America’s future lies in Texas, ex-Californians will be there to make it a reality.

Learn More: Moving from California to Texas

The States Californians are Least Interested in for Relocation in 2026

Locals in many states, seeing a large influx of Californians, may not be happy about it. The new residents could be driving up real estate prices and, in some areas, changing local politics. It’s why you see bumper stickers in Nashville sometimes that say, “Don’t California my Tennessee.”

So, which states can claim to be safe from the Californian invasion? 

moveBuddha discovered the top 10 states that Californians weren't showing moving interest in 2026 are:

1. Vermont
2. Alaska
3. Rhode Island
4. South Dakota
5. Wyoming
6. Delaware
7. West Virginia
8. Mississippi
9. New Hampshire
10. North Dakota

Many of these states have smaller populations, so it makes sense they are lower in the rankings. Some states, like South Dakota, Wyoming, Delaware, and West Virginia have seen strong moving interest from Americans on the move in 2025, according to moveBuddha's end of the year report. But the data highlights that it's not Californians who are looking to move there. 

California Timeline: Are People Still Fleeing California in 2026?

Many have been obsessed with the "California Exodus" since the pandemic began. But is California still losing residents?

The short answer is yes, but not as fast. 

The pandemic was a catalyst for folks leaving California in 2020, but the trend had gained steam for a while. The Los Angeles Times reported the Golden State lost more than 700,000 residents than it welcomed between April 2020 and July 2022. California’s net out-migration numbers hit a record high of 407,000 between July 2021 and July 2022.

moveBuddha data backs up these numbers and shows that California has ranked near the bottom in American moving interest since 2020. However, in the last year, the numbers have shifted slightly. We have yet to see if California can sustain this cooldown in outflow. 

California’s exodus continues in 2026

The trend of California losing residents continues, despite many dreaming of living in the beautiful state. moveBuddha's 2026 Moving Survey shows that California is the #2 dream state to move to (Florida is #1). 

But the state’s Department of Finance admits California has struggled with yearly resident retention since 2000. One big reason is that California is just so expensive. California consistently ranks in the top five of the most expensive states.

In fact, since February 2021, California’s average home price has climbed 24.8% from $606,228 to $756,323, according to Zillow. While median household income rose only about 6.3% in inflation-adjusted (real) dollars between 2019 and 2024, widening the affordability gap and adding pressure to the state’s already high cost of living (FRED). 

Many companies are also leaving California and taking workers with them. A Hoover Institution report showed that 352 companies relocated their headquarters from California between 2018 and 2022. Expensive real estate, high tax burdens, and burdensome regulations are some reasons why.

The exodus from California has continued in 2026, according to the most recent moveBuddha data. All these Californians have to end up somewhere, and many of the places they’re relocating make sense.

Migration patterns are cyclical, and California may be on the losing end for now, but we can never tell when things may change.

Sources and Methodology

Data for this report spans from January 1, 2020, through Jan 31, 2026.

The data referenced for the states Californians are moving to right now comes more specifically from August 1, 2025 through Jan 31, 2026 and includes searches nationwide by individuals who were either planning to move or hire a moving company for an upcoming move. We referenced the Census American Community Survey 2024 release and Zillow data for additional insights. 

More information about our move data and in-to-out ratio equation can be found in our annual Migration Report.

Data for moves exiting California:

Nick Pipitone

Nick Pipitone is an experienced writer and content producer with a background in real estate, technology, and urban design. He specializes in interviewing sources and breaking down complex topics into simple language to produce a great story. When not working, he’s probably cheering on (or booing) one of his favorite Philly sports teams.