The report – based on interviews with members of a large Facebook group called "Move to Texas from California" – found that some transplants are weighing relocation to Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas or Georgia. Some are even considering a return to California.
Marie Bailey – a 44-year-old realtor originally from El Segundo, California who leads the Facebook group – admitted she was "shocked" by the election results, especially by the loss of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The developments follow a midterm election cycle in which Democrats made gains across several states, including Texas, the Carolinas and Georgia, while also flipping both chambers of Congress in the District of Columbia.
Democratic Wins in Texas Cited as Catalyst
Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa won the Senate and gubernatorial races in Texas, respectively, according to the report [1]. Talarico's victory followed incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) being primaried by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the report stated. Paxton had warned voters of consequences in his race against Talarico months before the election [2].
Bailey said interest in Texas diminished "quite a bit" following the Democratic wins. She said many people she has spoken with are considering Florida as well.
"There's a lot of people who I believe are going to change course to Florida," she said, according to the report. "Florida is actually where I am going."
Breana Janel, another Californian transplant, once supported Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco in the Golden State's gubernatorial race. She said she "knew" Democrats "were coming for Texas," but thought she had more time.
Residents Cite Cost of Living and Politics as Reasons
Members of Bailey's Facebook group expressed frustration with the election results. The cost-of-living factor remains central. One couple told Bailey's website they sold a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Orange County and moved into a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Texas.
Researcher Says New Arrivals Tend Moderate to Conservative
Joshua Blank of the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) pointed out that people migrating from the Golden State to the Lone Star State "tend to be moderate to conservative in their views." His assessment challenges the presumption that those arriving from California must be much more liberal than the average Texan.
But according to Blank, research director of UT Austin's Texas Politics Project, any Californian with buyer's remorse about moving to Texas is "silly." He added that moving back would not be a good way to make decisions, according to the report.
"They don't have to move back," he said. "And if they do, I'm gonna tell them they're silly. It's not a good way to make decisions."
The report noted that experts doubt California transplants drove the Democratic shift in Texas. As the Los Angeles Times reported, some Californians who moved to Texas are actually concerned about the blue wave, contrary to assumptions about their voting patterns [3].
Some Weigh Return to California or Other States
Janel said she is considering Tennessee, the Carolinas, or Georgia, but noted those states would not be totally absent from Democratic influence. Meanwhile, Bailey expressed her desire to move to Florida, citing the Sunshine State's low costs as a factor in her decision. The report comes as Democrats across the country are seeking to capitalize on midterm momentum heading into the 2028 presidential race, with major gains in Congress boosting the party's position [4].
Key Facts at a Glance
The migration from California to Texas has been one of the largest state-to-state movements in recent U.S. history. Census figures show 77,161 people relocated from California to Texas in 2024 alone, making it the single busiest state-to-state move in the nation [5]. The same year, roughly 556,156 Americans settled in Texas from other states while 483,476 left, for a net gain of 72,680 [5]. More than one million Californians have moved to the Lone Star State in the last decade [5].
The affordability gap remains stark. Realtor.com found California's median listing price hovering near $700,000, more than seven times the state's median income, and graded its affordability a dismal 5 out of 100 [5]. Texas, with no state income tax and far cheaper land, was described as the obvious "escape hatch" [5]. For those now reconsidering their move, the report stated that families are looking to relocate to nearby red states for safer Republican sanctuaries after the explosive midterm results in Texas. [6].
References
- Texas blue wave leaves California transplants looking for a. https://nypost.com/2026/11/10/us-news/texas-blue-wave-leaves-california-transplants-looking-for-a-new-home/
- ‘The Stakes Are High’: Paxton Warns Texas Voters Of Consequences In His Race Against Talarico. https://100percentfedup.com/stakes-are-high-paxton-warns-texas-voters-consequences/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stakes-are-high-paxton-warns-texas-voters-consequences
- They fled California for Republican Texas. Then the blue. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-11-10/droves-of-californians-fled-to-republican-texas-blue-wave-puts-them-in-political-quandary
- Four midterms takeaways for 2028 White House race. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cq1m41n3v7mmo
- Exclusive | Did blue California exiles swing the Texas race? https://nypost.com/2026/11/04/real-estate/did-blue-california-exiles-swing-the-texas-race/
- Californians who fled to Texas to escape Democrats plot move to new red. https://dnyuz.com/2026/11/10/californians-who-fled-to-texas-to-escape-democrats-plot-move-to-new-red-state-after-blue-tsunami-im-so-pissed/
Explainer Infographic
Please contact us for more information.
