The most common state-to-state move in the US is California to Texas: 77,161 people in 2024, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (margin of error ±9,059). Florida drew the most movers from other states — 573,876 — with Texas close behind at 556,156. California lost the most, with 661,205 residents moving to other states. The figures come from the 2024 ACS 1-year state-to-state migration tables, released January 21, 2026.
State totals below are MoveMath’s sums of the table’s state-by-state flows between the 50 states and DC; they exclude moves from abroad and to or from Puerto Rico.
Largest single state-to-state flows (2024)
| From | To | Movers | Margin of error (90%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Texas | 77,161 | ±9,059 |
| New York | New Jersey | 56,799 | ±8,244 |
| California | Nevada | 53,289 | ±6,970 |
| California | Arizona | 52,383 | ±6,890 |
| Florida | Georgia | 52,371 | ±8,290 |
| New York | Florida | 50,661 | ±6,714 |
Several of these flows overlap within their margins of error, so their order is not certain.
States that drew the most movers from other states
| State | Arrivals from other states | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 573,876 | New York (50,661) |
| Texas | 556,156 | California (77,161) |
| California | 406,873 | Texas (45,447) |
| North Carolina | 299,782 | Florida (33,591) |
| New York | 284,868 | New Jersey (36,002) |
| Georgia | 266,166 | Florida (52,371) |
States with the largest net losses
| State | Departures to other states | Largest destination | Net (arrivals minus departures) |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 661,205 | Texas (77,161) | −254,332 |
| New York | 415,304 | New Jersey (56,799) | −130,436 |
| Illinois | 282,434 | Indiana (25,727) | −82,438 |
| New Jersey | 214,516 | Pennsylvania (38,467) | −64,700 |
| Massachusetts | 182,315 | Florida (21,834) | −30,553 |
The largest net gains were Texas (+72,680), Florida (+67,630), North Carolina (+58,610), Arizona (+55,505) and South Carolina (+54,785). Florida and Texas also have large outflows — 506,246 and 483,476 people left them for other states — so gross arrivals and net gains tell different stories.
The biggest metro-to-metro moves
Metro flows come from the Census ACS 2016–2020 metro-to-metro tables, the most recent release. Census has not published metro-to-metro flows since; its guidance page cites a break in the migration-flow series. Each figure is an annual average over 2016–2020.
| Rank | From | To | Movers per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | Riverside, CA | 84,332 |
| 2 | Riverside, CA | Los Angeles, CA | 39,795 |
| 3 | New York, NY-NJ | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 35,254 |
| 4 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | Baltimore, MD | 32,189 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA | 30,099 |
| 7 | New York, NY-NJ | Miami, FL | 22,411 |
| 17 | Dallas, TX | Houston, TX | 17,235 |
| 25 | Houston, TX | Austin, TX | 15,222 |
| 35 | Los Angeles, CA | Dallas, TX | 12,069 |
Margins of error on the top five range from ±2,119 to ±4,394. Most of the largest flows are between neighboring metros. New York to Miami is the largest flow between metros that share no state.
How to read these numbers
- What counts as a move. The ACS asks people aged 1 and over whether they lived in the same home a year earlier and, if not, where. A “mover” from California to Texas is someone living in Texas at the survey who lived in California one year before (Census metro-to-metro guidance).
- One year vs five years. State flows are 1-year estimates for 2024. Metro flows are 5-year estimates, so they describe an average year in 2016–2020 and cannot show changes since.
- Margins of error. Every flow carries a 90% margin of error. Small flows can have margins nearly as large as the estimate, so rank only flows whose ranges do not overlap.
- Sums are approximate. The state totals above add individual estimates. Margins of error do not add the same way, so treat totals as approximate.
- Gross vs net. A state can rank high for arrivals and still lose people overall. California received 406,873 people from other states in 2024 and lost 661,205.
What a popular move does to a budget
Migration tables count moves; they do not say why people moved. What MoveMath can show is the budget effect of each move for a fixed household. For a single renter earning $70,000, with HUD Fiscal Year 2027 Fair Market Rent and 2026 taxes:
| Move | Pay needed in the destination | Moving page |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles → Dallas | $50,295 | LA to Dallas |
| Los Angeles → Austin | $48,631 | LA to Austin |
| New York → Miami | $52,465 | New York to Miami |
| New York → Dallas | $42,881 | New York to Dallas |
Each keeps the same money left over after taxes, rent, food, fuel, sales tax and an estimate for other spending. Taxes are a large part of the gap: at $85,000, a single Los Angeles renter pays $3,516 of California income tax and $1,105 of state disability insurance, both zero in Texas. Rent is the other part: San Francisco’s two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $3,697 a month, against $1,807 in Dallas.
For a full California-versus-Texas breakdown, read how much more expensive California is than Texas, or run your own household through the cost of living calculator.