The latest data released by the US Census Bureau shows that in 2023, for the third consecutive year, more people moved from California to other states in the US than those moving into California from other states.
In 2023, it is estimated that 442,000 people moved to California from other states, while approximately 690,000 people left California for other states, resulting in a net immigration outflow of 248,000 people from California last year.
However, compared to the data from the previous two years, the trend of population outflow from California has slowed down. In 2022, about 475,800 people moved from other states to California, while 817,700 people moved out of California, resulting in a domestic net migration outflow of 341,900 people. In 2021, there were 433,400 people who moved into California, while approximately 841,000 people left for other states, resulting in a domestic net migration loss of 407,600 people.
The top five destinations for residents leaving California are Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and Florida. Among those who moved from California to other states, 39% relocated to these five states.
Among the immigrants moving into California from other states, those from Texas, New York, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon were the most numerous.
The data also shows that in the three other most populous states in the US – New York, Florida, and Texas – New York also experienced a net outflow of domestic immigrants, while Florida and Texas saw net growth in domestic immigration.
According to the Census Bureau, in 2023, over a million people moved from abroad to the four most populous states in the US, including California. It is estimated that 315,700 people moved from foreign countries to California last year, including legal and illegal immigrants.
In 2022, there were 303,100 international immigrants who moved to California, while in 2021, 188,700 international immigrants relocated to California.
Earlier this year, California leaders pointed out that immigration is a significant factor in the state’s population growth.
According to a report from the state’s Department of Finance in April, California experienced population growth again in 2023 for the first time since 2020, partly due to the increase in the number of legal foreign immigrants moving into California.
The population in California grew by over 67,000 people in 2023, reaching 39.1 million.
The Department of Finance warned against comparing its figures with those of the Census Bureau, as they refer to different time points; however, the total of California’s natural population growth and international immigration has surpassed California’s net migration outflow to other states in the US.