Texas is on track to become America’s most populous state as disgruntled liberals continue to flee California in droves.
The deep red state is set to claim the top spot by 2045, according to a new data from Realtor.com, as its population soars from 31 million to a predicted 42 million.
The Lone Star State is currently the second most populous state to California, which counts 39 million residents. The Golden State has been suffering population declines in recent years.
Residents cite its high cost of living and poor quality of life as factors in driving them away, and from 2019 to 2022 the population continually plummeted.
California’s population rose slightly, by 0.17 percent, in 2023, the most recent year of data. If it remains on the same growth trajectory, the state won’t reach pre-pandemic levels until 2032.
While California has struggled to bounce back from the pandemic, Texas has seen a boom as residents flock to cities such as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin.
‘In the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Texas economy has boomed, especially in high-demand industries like technology, education, manufacturing and construction,’ Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale said.
‘Texas has responded by building more and smaller homes to meet demand, helping the market settle and housing inventory climb back to pre-pandemic levels ahead of the nationwide recovery.’
Texas is on track to become America’s most populous state as disgruntled liberals continue to flee California in droves, as residents cite cost of living and housing as key reasons
Californians condemned soft-on-crime policies and rampant homelessness in the state as reasons for their migrations to red states
Realtor.com released the report as the company itself announced it was leaving its California headquarters and relocating to Austin.
The company said its migration to Texas ‘follows a rapid influx of businesses and new residents moving to Texas in recent years.’
The moves from California are fueled by a ‘search of more affordable housing, a strong labor market, and relief from wildfires that are growing more frequent and deadly’, the company said.
Texas’ population boom began over a decade ago, and from 2013 to 2023 the state’s population increased by almost 4 million, more than any other state.
From July 2023 to July 2024, the US Census Bureau said Texas gained another 562,941 people, and its annualized growth rate of 1.8 percent was the third highest in the time frame, only behind Florida and the District of Columbia.
One of the primary reasons Texas saw such a huge surge during the pandemic was due to the state’s lenient health restrictions at the time.
Realtor.com said its own data found that in 2019, roughly one in five people who bought a home in Texas did so from out of state.
This figure rose to one in three homebuyers by April 2023.
While California cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have been plagued by rampant homelessness and vagrancy in recent years, residents in stricter states such as Texas say they are not as burdened by the issue
In 2023, California’s state population rose 0.17%, marking the first year of growth since the mass exodus that began in 2019
California’s population declined in recent years amid the pandemic
While California cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have been plagued by rampant homelessness and vagrancy in recent years, residents in states such as Texas say they are not as burdened by the issue.
A survey by the outlet found that those who moved from California to Texas said they did so for housing, jobs and climate.
One of those who made the move, Jackie Burse, told Business Insider last year that she moved from California to San Antonio because she felt overpowered by the locals’ liberal agenda.
‘I’m a conservative and I feel like it’s difficult to have any opinions in California other than liberal,’ Burse told Insider.
‘Especially when you’re living in the cities.’
Burse said she is religious and feels more comfortable being open about her faith in Texas than in California.
‘For now, I don’t have any plans to leave Texas anytime soon. I’ve found a great church, made many friends, and feel safe here.’
Another person to make the switch, Janelle Crossan, said she moved with her son from Costa Mesa, California to New Braunfels, Texas, one of the fastest growing cities in the US, in 2020.
Critics point to the steady stream of people leaving California as an indictment on the state’s policies, which are set by Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow Democrats
Those that moved said they preferred Texas’ climate and standard of living, such as in the idyllic town of New Braunfels (pictured)
According to a 2023 report from the New Braunfels Economic Development Foundation, the city’s gross regional product reached $2.8 billion in 2021, nearly double the amount from a decade earlier as new arrivals flocked to the town
While in Costa Mesa, she paid $1,750 for a ‘crappy’ apartment in an unsafe area.
‘I never felt safe in my area. I felt like a prisoner in my apartment,’ she said.
Not only has she found a higher-paying job, she now pays $1,800 a month for a three-bedroom home she purchased – property taxes included.
‘Something as simple as moving across the country has made my life go in such a different direction,’ she said.
