{"id":13770,"date":"2023-10-05T05:51:58","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T12:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/?p=13770"},"modified":"2024-07-09T02:07:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T09:07:27","slug":"things-to-consider-when-moving-from-california-to-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/things-to-consider-when-moving-from-california-to-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Things To Consider Before Moving To Texas From California, From Housing And Jobs To Local Atmosphere"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas seems to have been the talk of the town lately. The local economy is booming, with a 3% GDP growth rate<\/a> in the first quarter of 2023, performing better than the nation as a whole for the fourth quarter in a row. All the state’s major cities manage to combine vibrant job markets with quality housing and rich entertainment scenes. It may come as no surprise, then, that in-migration is flying high with the local population now passing the 30 million threshold.<\/p>\n

Among the most popular interstate migration routes, California to Texas is the busiest, rivaled only by New York to Florida. According to our most recent research into CA-to-TX migration trends<\/a>, roughly 300 people a day make the switch, resulting in roughly 111,000 annual relocations.<\/p>\n

Most people move for employment, for the prospect of a more relaxed lifestyle or for economic reasons. While many people achieve this very successfully, moving is rarely straightforward and knowing what other side issues might arise is always helpful. We wanted to shed extra light on what Texas looks like for former Californians and how the Lone Star State differs from the Golden State in some essential aspects, including housing costs and jobs. We looked at the latest data and we also talked to people who have walked the walk.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of things you should know \u2013 with both pros and cons \u2013 before making the switch from the Golden State to Texas:<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. Homebuying<\/span><\/h2>\n

Undeniably, housing is one of the big factors drawing Californians to the Lone Star State.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Pro: More affordable house prices in Texas<\/span><\/h3>\n

Texas has a clear edge over California in this case \u2013 based on listing prices, its homes are, on average, cheaper by $282K than Californian ones, that\u2019s 70% less. And the savings are even more spectacular on some specific moving routes. If you\u2019re swapping San Jose for Dallas, you get to save over $1M, with home prices in the counties anchoring these two cities resulting in a pricing difference of roughly 258%. Going from San Mateo County to Travis County, where Austin is located, saves Californians close to $1.3M in home prices, a saving of 243%.<\/p>\n

\"Family

Family home in North Austin, Texas<\/p><\/div>\n

All the 25 most popular moving routes from California to Texas yield significant savings for potential homebuyers.<\/p>\n

Not only are homes cheaper in Texas, but you might well be able to find something exactly to your taste. That\u2019s partly because Texas has had a housing construction boom in the last decade, with five Lone Star State cities emerging as the most active real estate markets<\/a> in the decade between 2012 and 2023. Based on the issuing of permits, Houston came first for single family home construction (55K permits), while other cities such as Fort Worth (50K permits), Austin (37K permits) and San Antonio (34K permits) also saw their residential inventory swell for potential homebuyers.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Con: It can get competitive in Texas as most big cities are trying to accommodate more residents<\/span><\/h3>\n

Texas\u2019s real estate market is booming, with substantial demand, and that also impacts prices. The median price of a house in Texas spiked by 54% in the past five years, even more than in California where it went up 42%. Also, with the high influx of people moving to Texas, expect to see a more competitive housing market<\/a> than in other states, even though it is currently experiencing a lull as a result of higher interest rates and a general economic landscape that can disadvantage homebuying.<\/p>\n

Another thing to consider is whether you qualify for a mortgage with a down payment. What does that look like? In a previous study on savings made by Californians moving to Texas<\/a>, we considered a 20% down payment, a 6% interest rate, and a maximum of 25% of the household income used to cover mortgage payments. While most Californians moving to Texas<\/a> have incomes that meet these requirements, those relocating from LA county to Travis county might need to stretch their budgets as they miss the 25% mortgage-to-income threshold by roughly $20K.<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. Renting is more affordable in TX than in CA<\/span><\/h2>\n

Moving from California to Texas also spells good news if you\u2019re a renter: You can save over $1,000 in rent on a lot of the moving routes, spending 25% or less of your income on your rental payments.<\/p>\n

When you move from Los Angeles County to El Paso, rent differences amount to over $1,500\/month. Similarly, if you\u2019re moving from San Diego to San Antonio, you\u2019d pay $1,400\/month less in rent. Except for the Los Angeles and Collin counties moving route, Californians pay over 50% more rent in the Golden State compared to their new Texas counties.<\/p>\n

<\/span>3. Home sizes<\/span><\/h2>\n

While knowing that you can get a home for less in Texas is appealing, you might also want to know how that translates to the living space you will be enjoying.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Single family homes are larger in Texas<\/span><\/h3>\n

Paying less for your single family home is a truly attractive perk, but getting more living space seems like an even more inviting benefit. Texas homes are generally 17% larger than their Californian counterparts, but the differences grow more significant as you look into specific routes. If you move from Los Angeles County to Collin County, you get the most spectacular space gains, amounting to over 1,000 square feet. Two other moving routes \u2013 Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties to Collin County \u2013 can also net homes for new Texans that are 1,000 square feet larger than their Californian counterparts.<\/p>\n