California

Home/California California State-to-state migration of people and income, 2022–2023 filing years At a glance (2023) Cost of living 112 12% above the U.S. average Median home value $695,400 national $303,400 Home prices, 5 years +40.4% over the 5 years to 2023 Monthly rent $1,956 national $1,348 Homeownership 56% national 65% Unemployment 4.7% national 3.6% Household income $96,334 national $78,538 Median age 37.6 yrs national 38.7 The cost of living runs about 12% above the national average. The median home is valued at $695,400 (nominal). Home prices have risen about 40% over the five years to 2023. Median rent is about $1,956 a month. Unemployment averaged 4.7% in 2023 (national 3.6%). Median household income is $96,334. These figures describe all residents, not just tax filers, come from separate sources than the migration data on this page, and do not indicate why anyone moved. Between the 2022 and 2023 filing years, California saw a net loss of 106,205 tax-filing households and a net loss of 209,197 individuals. Against a population of about 38,965,193, that is a net outflow of about 5.4 per 1,000 residents. On net, the area lost $12.9B in associated adjusted gross income (AGI, nominal dollars). The largest inflow, about 24,970 households, came from Texas; the largest outflow, about 44,417 households, went to Texas. In the prior (2022) filing year, the area saw a net loss of 305,982 individuals. These figures cover federal income tax filers only and do not indicate why people moved. Net income (AGI) $12.9B nominal dollars Net households 106,205 tax returns Net people 209,197 exemptions 5.4 net people per 1,000 residents (population 38,965,193) Income (AGI) in and out Moved in$25.1B Moved out$38B Net -$12.9B (nominal) HowAmericaMoves.com California counties Net migration by county. Hover for figures; click a county to open it. Net outNet in(AGI $) Hover an area to trace its top 5 inbound (in) and outbound (out) moves. Net income (AGI) that moved in minus out, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).Net tax returns (filing households) that moved in minus out.Net people per 1,000 residents, so larger and smaller areas compare fairly. Hover an area to trace its top moves HowAmericaMoves.com Top origin states 1Texas24,970$2.4B2New York18,440$2.8B3Washington17,871$2.1B4Arizona16,283$1.2B5Nevada14,775$1.2B6Florida14,113$1.3B7Illinois10,407$1.1B8Oregon10,369$863.5M9Colorado9,699$877.2M10Virginia8,264$763.3M HowAmericaMoves.com Top destination states 1Texas44,417$4.8B2Arizona28,402$2.5B3Nevada26,210$2.7B4Washington24,625$2.7B5New York20,595$2.8B6Florida20,241$2.6B7Oregon16,765$1.5B8Colorado14,044$1.4B9Tennessee10,246$1.1B10North Carolina9,978$971.6M HowAmericaMoves.com Churn by state both directions at once The biggest two-way exchanges of filing households, 2022–2023. Moved in and moved out are gross one-way counts; net is the difference. Click a column to sort. Texas 24,970 44,417 -19,447 -$2.4B Arizona 16,283 28,402 -12,119 -$1.3B Washington 17,871 24,625 -6,754 -$668.6M Nevada 14,775 26,210 -11,435 -$1.5B New York 18,440 20,595 -2,155 +$7.5M Florida 14,113 20,241 -6,128 -$1.3B Oregon 10,369 16,765 -6,396 -$609.2M Colorado 9,699 14,044 -4,345 -$565.4M Illinois 10,407 9,063 +1,344 +$185.1M Virginia 8,264 9,309 -1,045 -$115.9M North Carolina 6,470 9,978 -3,508 -$448.5M Georgia 6,626 8,796 -2,170 -$290.7M Counts are filing households (IRS returns), matching the lists above; income is nominal AGI. A dash means the IRS published only one direction of that exchange (small flows are suppressed), so no net is computed. HowAmericaMoves.com Net migration by year Net 2012–2023: -$119.6B (-1,868,956 people) 20122023 HowAmericaMoves.com Net AGI and net people by year (nominal dollars) Year Net AGI Net people 2012 +$2.2M -19,901 2013 -$3.8B -47,458 2014 -$4.2B -59,111 2015 -$2.1B -44,162 2016 -$2.2B -92,872 2017 -$6.9B -179,388 2018 -$8B -151,536 2019 -$8.8B -167,563 2020 -$17.8B -261,273 2021 -$29.1B -330,513 2022 -$23.8B -305,982 2023 -$12.9B -209,197 Migration in context How big is this move, relative to the state? In the 2022–2023 filing year, about 209,197 more people left California than moved in (counting tax filers and their dependents) — a net loss of about $12.9B in income (nominal) — in a state of 39,181,667 people. Population 39,181,667 Census 2023 estimate Net migration rate 5.3 net people per 1,000 residents A Town Of 10,000 Would Net About -53 People. Net income per resident −$330 nominal dollars ≈ -$12.9B total across 39,181,667 residents. The rate lets you compare California with a stateof any size: it’s the net flow divided by population. The IRS counts tax filers; population counts all residents, so read the rate as a scale indicator, not a literal share of people. HowAmericaMoves.com Components of population change 2023 (Census) Where the state’s overall change came from. Census counts all residents; the IRS migration above is one slice of the domestic-migration component. Births +410,395 Deaths 303,116 Net domestic migration 343,891 Net international migration +292,113 Total change +56,320 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. Figures are people, not tax filers. HowAmericaMoves.com Income & cost of living What a dollar is worth here Prices around California run about 12% above the national average. In plain terms: $100 spent here buys about what $89 buys in the average American community. The figures below apply that to income, each compared to the U.S. average of $70,002 per person. Income per person $81,196 what people here earn (BEA 2023, nominal) 16% above the U.S. average Price level 112.2 100 = U.S. average prices (BEA price parity) everyday costs about 12.2% higher than average What that income buys $72,370 local income restated at U.S.-average prices 3% above the U.S. average Cheaper than U.S. avgU.S. average (100)Pricier Price parity shown at the state level (BEA does not publish a single figure below the metro level). HowAmericaMoves.com Where the cost comes from price parity by category Index where 100 = U.S. average for that category. Housing is usually what separates one place from another. Housing & rents157.8 Goods106.8 Utilities147.3 Other services104.4 Housing is measured from rents (including an estimated rental value for owner-occupied homes), so a run-up in purchase prices shows here only as it reaches rents. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer income above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who lives here The people of California American Community Survey, 2019–2023 (a 5-year average of all residents, not just tax filers). Median age 37.6 years Median household income $96,334 per household (ACS 2019–2023, nominal) 23% above the U.S. median College degree 37% adults 25+ with a bachelor's or higher Poverty rate 12.0% residents below the poverty line Average commute 29 min mean travel time to work Broadband at home 93% households with any broadband Race and ethnicity (share of residents) White 35%Hispanic 40%Black 5%Asian 15%Other 5% White, Black, and Asian counts are people who are not Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. Shares are rounded and may not total 100. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Covers all residents, a separate universe from the IRS filer data. A 5-year estimate is an average over 2019–2023; compare years at least five apart, since consecutive windows overlap. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Housing what it costs to live here (ACS 2019–2023) Median home value $695,400 owner-occupied homes 129% above the U.S. median Median rent $1,956 gross rent per month 45% above the U.S. median Homeownership 56% of occupied homes are owner-occupied Home-price appreciation FHFA index, 2023 Past year +1.8% price change, 2022 to 2023 Past 5 years +40% price change, 2018 to 2023 A repeat-sales index (how much the same homes changed in price), so it tracks the market over time rather than the current level. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual all-transactions HPI; the county series is FHFA’s developmental index. New home construction building permits, 2023 111,760new housing units authorized in 2023 Single-family 52%Multifamily 48% Units authorized by residential building permits (new supply), summed from counties for the state and U.S. Permits are authorizations, not completions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, not recent sale prices. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023), nominal dollars. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Local economy & risk Jobs and natural hazards Unemployment rate 4.7% BLS 2023 annual average Labor force 19,514,618 18,593,621 employed Disaster declarations 9 major federal, 2023 most common: Severe Storm Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS) and FEMA. A disaster declaration marks federal assistance eligibility, not damage severity, and says nothing about why anyone moved. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Unemployment now 4.7% May 2026 ▼ 0.3 points vs May 2025 January 2024May 2026 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Monthly unemployment for this state, not seasonally adjusted. Updated every month, so it moves faster than the annual average above. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Who’s moving by income Net migration by income bracket Tax-filing households that moved into California minus those that left, by the adjusted gross income they reported, 2022–2023. Positive means more arrived than left at that income level. $1–$10k 8,782 In 21,727Out 30,509-$45.4M AGI $10k–$25k 16,585 In 44,336Out 60,921-$289.2M AGI $25k–$50k 21,461 In 63,075Out 84,536-$785.9M AGI $50k–$75k 13,009 In 37,736Out 50,745-$806.2M AGI $75k–$100k 8,989 In 24,866Out 33,855-$784.2M AGI $100k–$200k 19,293 In 42,003Out 61,296-$2.7B AGI $200k+ 15,705 In 24,492Out 40,197-$7.6B AGI Among the highest earners ($200k+), California ranks #51 of 51 states for net household migration (-15,705). Source: IRS Statistics of Income, state-level gross migration file (returns with negative AGI are excluded, so this won’t exactly match the totals above). Income is what filers reported, not a reason anyone moved. Compare all states by income bracket. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Goods trade What California ships and receives Physical goods shipped between California and other states, 2022. This is freight, not the migration of people or income shown above. $751.5B Ships to other states +23% since 2017 $644.8B Receives from states +34% since 2017 +$106.7B Net balance Top goods shipped out Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $331.9B Pharmaceutical products $232.3B Mixed freight $157.0B Textiles, leather, and articles of textiles or leather $107.6B Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils $104.8B Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel $93.5B Top goods received Electronic and other electrical equipment and components, and office equipment $232.6B Pharmaceutical products $199.6B Mixed freight $142.0B Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel $95.5B Motorized and other vehicles (includes parts) $88.0B Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils $86.0B Biggest trading partners (both ways) Goods trade runs in both directions: states swap different goods, so a partner is often near the top of both columns. Net is ships minus receives (positive means California ships more to that partner than it gets back). Partner Ships to Receives Net Total Texas $68.3B $51.2B +$17.0B $119.5B Arizona $53.3B $31.9B +$21.4B $85.3B Florida $51.0B $22.0B +$28.9B $73.0B Illinois $39.0B $29.8B +$9.2B $68.8B Washington $39.5B $26.2B +$13.3B $65.8B Oregon $25.5B $38.9B -$13.5B $64.4B Ohio $19.0B $44.2B -$25.3B $63.2B Nevada $34.7B $19.6B +$15.2B $54.3B Goods shipped every five years by the Census Commodity Flow Survey (a sample, so figures are estimates and the smallest flows are withheld). Value is nominal. The totals and partner table above count trade between California and other states; the goods lists count everything the state ships or receives, including within-state shipments. Compare all states. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Taxes the state collects What California collects in taxes Total state taxes $217.7B FY 2023, nominal Per resident $5,556 total state taxes ÷ population Largest categories (share of total) Individual income tax$96.4B 44% General sales & gross receipts$53.6B 25% Corporation net income tax$29.9B 14% Motor fuels sales tax$8.7B 4% Motor vehicle license$8.1B 4% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections. This is what the state government collected (not local taxes), not a measure of any individual’s tax burden. How the data works. HowAmericaMoves.com Elections National maps → How California has voted. Certified returns, popular vote only. This is a separate dataset from the migration figures on this page. President, 1976–2024 Year Democratic Republican Other Margin Total 2024 9,276,179 6,081,697 504,802 D +20.1 15,862,678 2020 11,110,250 6,006,429 384,202 D +29.2 17,500,881 2016 8,753,788 4,483,810 943,997 D +30.1 14,181,595 2012 7,854,285 4,839,958 344,304 D +23.1 13,038,547 2008 8,274,473 5,011,781 275,646 D +24.1 13,561,900 2004 6,737,355 5,501,496 144,827 D +10.0 12,383,678 2000 5,861,203 4,567,429 537,224 D +11.8 10,965,856 1996 5,119,835 3,828,381 1,071,253 D +12.9 10,019,469 1992 5,121,325 3,630,574 2,379,822 D +13.4 11,131,721 1988 4,702,233 5,054,917 129,915 R +3.6 9,887,065 1984 3,922,519 5,467,009 115,513 R +16.2 9,505,041 1980 3,082,943 4,522,994 977,001 R +16.8 8,582,938 1976 3,742,284 3,882,244 179,242 R +1.8 7,803,770 U.S. Senate races all states → Year Winner Democratic Republican Other Margin 2024special Adam B. Schiff 8,837,051 6,204,637 — D +17.5 2024 Adam B. Schiff 9,036,252 6,312,594 — D +17.7 2022special Alex Padilla 6,559,308 4,212,450 — D +21.8 2022 Alex Padilla 6,621,621 4,222,029 — D +22.1 2018 Dianne Feinstein 11,113,364 — — — 2016 Kamala D. Harris 12,244,170 — — — 2012 Dianne Feinstein 7,864,624 4,713,887 — D +25.0 2010 Barbara Boxer 5,218,441 4,217,366 564,286 D +10.0 2006 Dianne Feinstein 5,076,289 2,990,822 474,039 D +24.4 2004 Barbara Boxer 6,955,728 4,555,922 541,592 D +19.9 2000 Dianne Feinstein 5,932,522 3,886,853 804,233 D +19.3 U.S. House seats won district maps → 2024 D 43 R 9 2022 D 40 R 12 2020 D 42 R 11 2018 D 46 R 7 2016 D 39 R 14 2014 D 39 R 14 2012 D 38 R 15 2010 D 34 R 19 2008 D 34 R 19 2006 D 34 R 19 2004 D 33 R 20 2002 D 33 R 20 2000 D 32 R 20 2024 results by county Republican wonDemocratic wonIndependent / other Which party received the most votes, as a solid color.Winning margin as a share of all votes cast.Change in margin since 2020, in percentage points.Total votes cast, all candidates. HowAmericaMoves.com Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab county returns (CC0). Margins are the popular-vote gap as a share of all votes cast. Counties in California (58) Alameda CountyAlpine CountyAmador CountyButte CountyCalaveras CountyColusa CountyContra Costa CountyDel Norte CountyEl Dorado CountyFresno CountyGlenn CountyHumboldt CountyImperial CountyInyo CountyKern CountyKings CountyLake CountyLassen CountyLos Angeles CountyMadera CountyMarin CountyMariposa CountyMendocino CountyMerced CountyModoc CountyMono CountyMonterey CountyNapa CountyNevada CountyOrange CountyPlacer CountyPlumas CountyRiverside CountySacramento CountySan Benito CountySan Bernardino CountySan Diego CountySan Francisco CountySan Joaquin CountySan Luis Obispo CountySan Mateo CountySanta Barbara CountySanta Clara CountySanta Cruz CountyShasta CountySierra CountySiskiyou CountySolano CountySonoma CountyStanislaus CountySutter CountyTehama CountyTrinity CountyTulare CountyTuolumne CountyVentura CountyYolo CountyYuba County Get the next update for California The IRS releases new migration data once a year. 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