California takes the gold medal for state more people left than anywhere else in 2023

More people fled California than any other state in 2023 as the great exodus from northern cities to southern states continued post-pandemic.

Fueled by a desire for a lower cost of living and safer streets, Golden State residents decided to try to strike for gold elsewhere, including Florida, the Republican-governed rival state of Democratic California, according to data gathered by storage and moving company PODS.

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The California-Florida rivalry dates back to 2020, when Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and northern cities for imposing coronavirus restrictions that prompted many people to move to less restrictive states.

In a televised debate between the two governors on Nov. 30, DeSantis criticized Newsom for the movement of Californians out of state.

“You almost have to try to mess California up,” DeSantis said. “They actually, at one point, ran out of U-Hauls in the state of California because so many people were leaving!”

In other parts of the country, residents relocated to Texas, Tennessee, and the Carolinas as they also abandoned homes in New York and New Jersey.

“Last year’s PODS data revealed that Americans had a sweet spot for southern states — and this year’s data shows us that the draw to these warm states is still there,” PODS wrote in its 2023 report. “Our numbers indicate that cities and states with high costs of living, higher crime rates, and inclement weather are pushing Americans to move, while the cities and states that offer low tax rates, warm weather, and comparatively affordable housing are attracting movers.”

Florida drew more people from other states than anywhere else in the country. The Sunshine State’s Sarasota, Orlando, Ocala, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay each made the list of the 10 most popular cities.

Among cities, the Wilmington, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area was the most popular spot nationwide — likely due to its even cheaper cost of living than Florida for a warmer climate and coastal lifestyle.

“Remote work logistics and proximity to loved ones played a big role in 2022’s moving trends report, but where people are moving to in 2023 seems to be highly linked to economics,” the PODS report stated. “The monstrous housing rush of 2021 and 2022 has slowed, though prices still remain high, and rents in bigger cities are rising, too. And let’s not even get started on inflation and higher interest rates.”

Republicans have criticized parts of California as a haven for crime, poverty, and drug abuse. Los Angeles and San Francisco topped the list of most-departed cities in the country for a second year.

But this year, new California cities also topped the list of most move-outs, including San Diego, Sacramento, and Santa Barbara.

“The lure of California’s gorgeous coastlines and laidback lifestyle may be having a hard time competing against warm-weather states with lower costs of living, better access to nature, and less congested cities,” PODS stated.

A survey of 1,000 residents by Architectural Digest magazine this summer revealed that 29% of adults planned to move this year and that another 26% wanted to move but did not have concrete plans.

“Gen Z and millennials are on the move. About 39% have relocated or plan to in 2023, driven by affordability, jobs, and safety concerns,” Architectural Digest wrote in an analysis of results. “Gen Z (28%) and baby boomers (18%) would be willing to move to communities that share their beliefs and values.”

Moving data for the full year are not expected to be available from the Census Bureau until later next year. Statistics compiled by the federal government for recent years revealed that the number of people who have moved between states rose from 7.9 million in 2021 to 8.2 million in 2022.

Allied Van Lines ran a similar study on moves in 2022 and concluded Arizona was the most popular inbound state, followed by South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

States with Democratic governors topped the outbound list: Illinois, California, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

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In 2022, suburbs were more popular than cities, Allied Van Lines explained.

“Many of the current migration patterns in the U.S. can be traced back to the pandemic,” Allied wrote in its report. “Now that they no longer need to come into the office, people are free to live where they prefer. Whereas previously they had to stay in the city, now workers can choose to live further out, in communities with cheaper housing and better access to nature.”