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Number Of Californians Moving To Texas Up 36 Percent In A Year

(CBS SF) – Amid California's ongoing housing woes, the number of people moving from California to Texas has grown more than 30 percent in a year, according to a new report.

According to data from the Texas Realtors' association (.pdf), 86,164 people traded living in the Golden State for living in the Lone Star State in 2018, up 36.4 percent from 2017 and more than any other state. By contrast, about 38,000 people moved from Texas to California in 2018.

"For the sixth year in a row, more than half a million people chose Texas as their new home," Cindi Bulla, the chair of the realtor's association, said in a statement. Bulla cited the state's lack of state income taxes, "abundance of jobs," along with its "diverse, friendly spirit and culture."

Nearly 564,000 people moved into the state in 2018, according to the realtors, which averages out to more than 1,500 people per day. Other states topping the list include Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New York. Texas also added nearly 202,000 new residents who came from outside the United States.

Realtors said the metropolitan areas with the highest number of out-of-state movers to Texas were the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, the New York City area and the Chicago area. Dallas-Fort Worth added the most out-of-state residents (200,966), followed by the Houston area (176,110).

According to Census data provided by the realtors' association, the most popular destinations for Bay Area movers include the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas, along with the state capitol of Austin, where Apple and other Bay Area-based tech companies also have operations.

Texas' population grew by 1.3 percent last year, compared to 0.1 percent for California, according to Quartz,. Demographers predict California, long the most populous state, could have fewer people than Texas in 2045 or sooner if trends continue.

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