Texas transplants are coming from these 10 states

• Over 668,300 people moved into Texas between 2021 and 2022, according to new Census data.
• Many are relocating to the state for its affordable cost of living and political atmosphere.

Deepening ideological rifts, housing affordability challenges, and remote-work policies have encouraged many Americans to relocate to states that better match their needs.

Texas, it seems, rises to the top of the list. Recently published Census data shows that Texas is the second-most popular destination for migrators, trailing Florida. Between 2021 and 2022, more than 668,300 people moved into the Lone Star State. During the period, about 494,000 people moved out of Texas.

Texas has maintained a long-standing reputation for its favorable cost of living, making it a magnet for transplants. RentCafe reports that the state's general living costs are 8% lower than the national average. The median home sale price is also lower, at $347,800 as of September — over $64,000 less than the US median sale price, per Redfin.

Californians are moving to Texas in droves

Of all states, Texas is receiving the most transplants from California — a state facing a severe housing affordability crisis and widening political division.

Census data reveals that more than 102,000 California residents migrated to Texas between 2021 and 2022, making it the most popular relocation route in the country. It was followed by people moving from Florida and New York.

Rogelio Saenz, a professor of demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told USA Today that housing affordability has been a top-driving force behind these relocations.

"The steep housing prices and cost of living in California represent major reasons" for the movement, Saenz said.

According to Redfin, California's median home price was $787,000 as of September, among the highest in the nation. And its cost of living remains 42% above the national average, per RentCafe.

Californians are also finding a better quality of life in the Lone Star State.

"People don't take themselves too seriously — they get to know you as a human being first, and I think it's so refreshing," Hailey Eustace, who lived in Austin, said of the city's burgeoning tech scene. "I'm friends with people from San Francisco who've moved to Texas and now they have more of a work-life balance. When you're in your thirties or older, you realize the value in that."

Texas' cultural and political identity is also attracting newcomers

Though higher home prices are encouraging Californians to move into Texas, political ideology has emerged as another motivator.

Take Jackie Burse, a self-identified Conservative and California native, who relocated from Orange County to San Antonio, Texas, in 2021. The divorced mother of two told Insider that California's Liberal atmosphere played a large role in her decision to relocate to Texas.

"We should have the freedom to speak our opinions or live our lives the way we want, whether we're Republican or Democrat," she said. "I think this is a value that Texans also hold dear."

Texans are also leaving the state for California

It isn't only that Californians are moving to Texas, Texans are also moving to California at high rates.

Between 2021 and 2022, around 494,000 people moved out of Texas. California was the top destination, with more than 42,200 Texans moving there, followed by Florida and Oklahoma.

Diminishing affordability has played a large role in the exodus — especially in Austin.

Insider previously reported that median home prices in Austin more than doubled between 2011 and 2021 — fueled in large part by housing demand brought on by the rise in remote work and the arrival of major tech companies — making it among the least affordable in the country. There's a glimmer of hope, though: Prices for less expensive homes in the area have declined.

But generally speaking, prices are still high. The city's median home price was $548,900, according to Redfin.

"You can feel the changing tides here," Nicole Nabulsi Nosek, board chair of Texans for Reasonable Solutions, previously told Insider. "People have come around to the fact that they're either leaving or they know that their own kids aren't going to be able to buy a home if things don't change."

Many Californians who arrived in Texas during the pandemic also realized the state's climate was less than ideal. Austin-based real-estate agent Danielle Fountain said she's seen people seek to leave the state because of the heat.

"When we started hitting 2022, what we started seeing was people had a whole year here in Austin and they realized they don't like the weather," Fountain told Insider in August. "It doesn't have what they wanted in California."

Have you moved to or from Texas since 2021 and have a story to tell? We want to hear from you. Reach out to reporter Alcynna Lloyd at alloyd@insider.com.