Californians have left the state in search of a lower cost of living for decades, migrating to neighboring states that promise cheaper housing and fewer taxes. But a new study quantifies just how much Californians who leave can save in housing costs and even their likelihood of owning a home after they depart.

Those who moved away from the Golden State can expect to save an average of nearly $700 a month in housing costs, according to a new report from the California Policy Lab. Rent is on average about 30% more affordable - around $631 less - and median home prices are nearly $396,000 less.

For those California renters who dream of owning a home one day, people who left were 48% more likely to buy a home after seven years, the study found. Given that buying a home was likely a motivator for at least some exiting the state and that home prices were lower in their new destination, these findings aren't exactly surprising.

The research institute analyzed consumer credit panel data that tracked households from 2016 to 2025, while comparing that data with population and housing data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

More Californians who flee are leaving higher-income neighborhoods, though they may be less well-off than their neighbors. Those who left typically had twice as much student debt, around $5,500 more, and used credit cards 16% more than their neighbors did. "They see their neighbors who own homes and the lifestyle that they want to achieve, and they can't seem to attain that," Evan White, an author of the report, told SFGATE.

"We see this keeping up with the Joneses effect," White said.

Californians who departed tended to migrate to states in close proximity, with Nevada as the recipient of the highest net number of Californians. Annually, about 81 Californians per 10,000 residents left for Nevada.

Idaho had the next highest amount of inflow, followed by Oregon and Arizona. Texas and Florida, two states often cited as hubs for Californians who are leaving, ranked 11th and 20th, respectively.

Wyoming saw a notable bump in Californians moving in during the pandemic, with more than 26 extra net movers per 10,000 residents annually. The surge has since subsided, but the state gained about 9,050 more Californians since 2020.

Since 2016, most states have received a net increase in California residents, with the number growing 67% as of 2025.

White said while it's important to dig into the nuances of the people leaving California, overall, "some of the talk about people leaving the state is overblown."

Still, the state's population isn't growing like it used to, and policymakers should be concerned. "It's hard to turn the ship on some of these affordability issues," White said.

More on California

- Stinson underwater, Ocean Beach halved: California's beach reckoning is here- America's obsession with California failing- What it's like to live in a Calif. tourist attraction being swallowed by the sea- There's a quiet housing fix spreading across California- California remote workers are bringing their high salaries elsewhere- The unlikely (and unofficial) boundary between Northern and Southern California

This article originally published at Study tracked movers for years after they left California. Here's what it found..