The California exodus has continued. Here’s where most people leaving the Golden State moved to — and why.

Jeffrey VonderHaar, an owner of a medical equipment business, told BI earlier this year that he was planning to move from Calabasas, California, to a neighborhood outside Houston.

After 26 years in California, VonderHaar said he was leaving because the regulations, taxes, and high cost of goods made it increasingly difficult to run his business and manage daily living expenses.

“In California, there are so many rules and regulations that change constantly,” he told BI in February. “The taxes are never-ending.”

He said he found Texas to be significantly more business-friendly. While he intends to keep his business in California, where he doesn’t foresee much expansion, he is looking to grow his operations in Texas.

By moving to Texas, he and his family were also able to purchase a larger home on four acres of land for $1.275 million.

Michelle Clifford, a 33-year-old sales manager, shared with BI that in July, moving from California to Texas allowed her and her husband to purchase their first home, giving them and their children a lifestyle they once thought was unattainable.

The couple lives in Celina, a rapidly growing town north of Dallas. There, they bought a 2,400-square-foot home on an acre of land for around $600,000.

“I’ve been renting or moving almost every year since I was 18,” Clifford said. “To finally have something that’s mine is the most amazing feeling. Knowing that my daughters will have space to run around in Celina is the biggest blessing.”

Where people are moving to California from

While fewer people from other states moved to California between 2022 and 2023 than between 2021 and 2022, the allure of the Golden State remains robust.

The route from Texas to California was the most popular among movers from 2022 to 2023. According to census data, 38,732 relocated to California during this period.

The second most traveled route was from New York to California, with about 35,000 people making the move. Washington closely followed, which saw about 32,200 movers.

Both Nevada and Oregon contributed around 22,200 movers, while Illinois and Arizona each lost over 21,000 residents to California.