KARINA NOVA: This is California,
and to some, it's no longer their home. I did think that I was
gonna stay here forever. Every single one of these houses
was completely burnt. My California dream is...
it's done. NEWSCASTER:
In the span of two years, California's population
has dropped by more than a half million
people. NEWSCASTER #2: Oracles' stunning
announcement that after decades in
Silicon Valley, it's moving its headquarters
to Austin, Texas. And new this morning, Tesla says
it's officially moved its corporate headquarters
to just outside of Austin. NEWSCASTER #3: There's a good
chance you may know someone who left the state
over the past two years. NOVA:
A Golden State exodus and a Lone Star State
explosion. But is it true? Join us as we meet some
Californians making the move to see if the grass in Texas
is really greener. I was assaulted twice
on the BART. I've never had a house this
large in my life. It is definitely a lower cost of
living in Texas. MAN: The home that I once
remembered and knew back in the 1980s and the 1990s,
a lot of that's gone now. Are you in my Facebook group?
Move To Texas From California? I'm Karina Nova. "California Dreaming"
is all about looking at the challenges
facing the Golden State and the people trying to come up
with potential solutions. We all know our state faces
some major challenges, and those may not be
solved overnight. For most Californians, the
positive aspects of our state far outweigh the challenges
we face. But for a small group of
Californians, the problems are enough
to push them to leave the state they love. Making things better often takes
some critical self-reflection. So today, we're gonna do that
with these former Californians in an effort to learn how
we might be able to make things better
for the rest of us. Whether it's people moving
or companies moving, it feels like there are more
people trading the Golden State for the Lone Star State. But is that really true?
The short answer is yes. The number of Californians
moving to Texas has gone up in the past
few years. But actually it's been steadily
increasing since 2009. And in 2018,
that number jumped. If you added up all the people
who moved to and from Texas within the United States,
34% came from California. Now, people from Texas have
also been moving to California, but that number has stayed about
the same over the past 10 years. So when we compare the estimated
net flow of people between the states
from 2017 to 2019, Texas has a 2-1 advantage. For the last three years, we had
to turn to other sources that helps us
fill in the blanks. moveBuddha is a relocation
website. It calculates cost for people
planning to make a move from state to state
and gives insight into moving trends
before they happen. Their most popular searches
over the last few years were from cities in California
to Texas. And that's not all. Looking at Texas driver's
license applications where people listed California
as their last residence, the numbers have been
steadily increasing for the last 10 years. Okay, so I think it's
safe to say that Californians are
moving to Texas. But let's put the numbers
in context. Of the almost 40 million people
living in California, the total number of people
leaving the state each year makes up less than 1%. But it's true the majority
of those people are indeed heading
to Texas. Let's meet some of them. I think Texas is attractive
for the same reasons that Arizona and Nevada
are attractive, which is that home prices
are lower, and there's plenty of
job opportunities. When I was the mayor
of Ventura, the thing that I treasured
the most was that most of the people
who lived in town also worked in town. It was a complete community. And one of the things I tried
to do as mayor was to protect that and ensure
that that could continue. That requires building more
housing so that young families can
afford to live there. And that really
hasn't happened. So one of the things
I greatly fear about Venture and elsewhere
in costal California is that it's not a place for
everybody anymore, and especially not a place
for young families. It's a place basically where
older, affluent people now live. And I think something has really
been lost there. Those are the people who are
moving to places like Texas. NOVA: Generally speaking,
home prices in Texas cost less than half of homes
in California. U.S. Census Bureau
numbers show that the middle and lower
classes are leaving California at
a higher rate than the wealthy. Many who have left
in recent years say they simply couldn't
afford to stay. My name is Jennifer Balek,
and I am from Ventura County. I am the mom to six kids. We are a blended family.
A big Balek bunch. And we moved to Texas
in April of 2021 to try to, um,
live the American Dream. We were not doing that
in California. Being a big family, we really
needed the space to house everybody comfortably
without, you know, being super squished. So it was really, um... not even a thing for us
to be able to buy out there what we needed to provide
for our family. So I feel like the California
Dream was the American Dream in my grandparents'
and parents' era. Um, that's just not possible
for our generation to live that American Dream
in that state anymore. It's so expensive that
you're struggling every month just to get by and, you know,
pay your rent and your mortgage and put
food on the table. Um, so I really just
feel like it's unattainable there
right now. Welcome back. We've heard how housing
affordability is closely tied to more
Californians leaving the Golden State. But when you combine housing
goods and services altogether into real purchasing power
for people, California is 15% more expensive
to live in than the overall
United States. I have my own food truck. Unfortunately is was getting too
expensive. The reason why I left
California, honestly, is just the cost.
The cost of living, the cost of running a business,
regulations. MAN: ♪ Happy birthday ♪ It is, right now,
3:00 a.m. in the morning. I got to check in by 4:00.
Our plane leaves at 5:00. And this week, we are going to
find out is, number one is location: Where we can park our
food truck. We're in San Antonio, Texas,
right now. We came to the food park
to come and check it out. It's called The Point. Uh, it's pretty neat,
honestly. So far our move
has been excellent. I can't complain. We did the move from
Paris, California, to San Antonio, Texas,
in 46 hours. I lived two hours away
from Disneyland. I used to go to Disneyland
one day and spend $1,500. I was already nervous
the next day because I spent
too much money. How is it that I see families
coming from Texas, from other states,
and they're spending a whole week in
Disneyland? Imagine what the cost it is
to stay at the hotel. And they can afford to stay
there all week. And I live 60 miles,
and I can barely afford to go there once a year? So there's obviously-- There's something wrong there,
you know? So that's the reason why I say
my California Dream is... it's done. Hey, it's Marie here. and it is Friday,
February 11th, and I'm here to meet clients that are just about to go
under contract. They've been waiting
a few weeks. They've been on the waiting list
for several weeks, and the builder actually is
locking the doors because so many people want
to come in because they've heard that their
contracting. So it was a big deal to get
my clients in here today. Um, and all the construction
going on, you guys can see. Just everywhere. Hey there. It is Thursday,
February 3rd. Very cold today in Texas. It's one of those days where
it's snowing. Um, so when I start working,
I usually go and check the Facebook group
Move to Texas From California, and we add members
into the group. We actually don't add every
single person to the group. The reason that we do that
is because we've had a lot of trolls in the past. There's actually, like,
people that tried to get our group
taken down because some people think
that Californians are here to change Texas, and that's actually
not the case. NOVA: With so many Californians
moving to Texas, some worry the political makeup
of the state is going to change. But maybe those worries
are overblown. In fact, some people are moving
to Texas because of their conservative
values. Hi there,.
My name is Simon Black, and this is my wife
Brigitte Black, and we were originally
from California. We had lived there
our entire lives, 46 years. I was born in Berkeley, and my wife here was born
in Walnut Creek. SIMON: It seems that the
environment, politically in California, has just been
a one-party rule. Republicans have done
absolutely nothing to change anything in any way,
it seems to me. They've been cowardly
about it. BRIGITTE: I joined
a conservative group, and I'm meeting a lot of
like-minded people and new friends. And it's very sad
in Contra Costa County. You can't even be
conservative. You kinda have to hide
if you're conservative almost. I mean, my friend just joined
a group in Contra Costa County, and she said it's literally
a secret group. NOVA: From politics to housing
prices to safety. Another reason why
some people say they are leaving
the Golden State. My family is originally
from South Korea. We immigrated in 1972
when I was a baby, and we lived in Los Angeles
most of our life. Uh, we own grocery markets. Unfortunately my parent's
grocery stores were burned down in
the L.A. riots, two of them, near Koreatown. And so that was, you know, quite a traumatic experience
for my family. You know, a lot of things
happened in between, but, you know, we stayed
true to California. The Golden State. California is, you know... an utterly beautiful state. I mean, there's no
denying that. Everybody that I know
that has moved from California to Texas,
they all say, "Yeah, we miss the beach.
We miss the scenery." I used to go camping. I think I've hit almost every
national forest in California. And so, you know, it was hard
to give that up. So with that said,
you know, I definitely think that
the state is, um... is mismanaged. We moved primarily because
of the crime. And, for me, it was not only
the crime but also, you know, the amount of homelessness,
needles. I was assaulted twice
on the BART. Those particular assaults
I really do think it had to do with the same
kind of violence that I saw in the Bay Area
towards Asian Americans. What's the, uh--
What's the filming about that's going on
right now? Um, they're covering stories
of people who are moving to Texas. MAN: Yeah, a friend of mine
moved there a few years ago. Um, due to the fires. The landlord wanted to
take over the rental that he was renting to him
because his house burned down. So my friend was forced out
and... done with California. - Oh, wow.
- He picked Texas. You know, I think the fires,
you know, was just the first inkling
that something was, like, not perfect about
Sonoma County. REPORTER: Day five, working
in triple-digit heat, surrounded in dense
black smoke. Frightened residents left to
escape the firestorms sweeping through California's
wine country. Tens of thousands of acres have
been devastated by the fires. I've had to evacuate
my parents, you know, up in Wikiup,
for several fires. For one of them, they had to come stay with me for
about 10 days before they could
go back home. That part kinda wears on you
after a while. I did think that I was gonna
stay here forever. I actually thought, like, I would die in my house,
you know? [laughs] Something like,
I was never gonna leave. Um, after the Camp Fire, after doing some
volunteer work up there, um... that was very hard for me. I just couldn't... bear the grief anymore. It really broke my heart. [crying] It, um... It...totally shook
my sense of... having grown up in this
really safe community... All of this has been rebuilt. WOMAN:
All of this had burned down? KELLY: Every single one of these
houses was completely burned. I'm a sucker for
old houses, though. I love old Victorian-- This is, like, probably what
I'm gonna miss the most. This adjacent neighborhood was
always beautiful--old homes. Um, the brush has grown up
so much. It's just like another fire
hazard waiting. Look at all that. There's one that's
totally scorched. So we know they're moving,
we know why they're moving. But is the grass in Texas
really greener? Is that big move paying off, or are these former residents
having buyer's remorse? We circled back to them
a year later to see how they're feeling. [music] KARINA: So, is the grass
in Texas really greener? We talked to everyone
a year later to see how they're feeling. I miss my friends and my family,
that's the main thing. I mean... I miss...
I miss the ocean a little bit. I miss the ocean
but not enough to move back.
[laughing] - Yeah.
- I do miss, um, I do miss a little bit being able to drive to Reno. Now, we do have Oklahoma, which has a couple
of big casinos, but it's not quite the same
as it is going to Reno, because there is
a main strip there, there's lots of other casinos. Uh, South Shore Tahoe is
very beautiful. I do miss that a little bit. Also, as a 49er fan, diehard since I was eight, um, you know, I... I had met-- I've got
some other friends here that are also 49er fans,
but, of course, that's not-- that's not a majority, and I knew that
from the beginning. I do miss being in a place where everybody roots for
the same team or the most part. And, of course, the sunsets
over the Bay are very beautiful. You know, I kind of enjoyed
Highway 24 a little bit, driving through
Orinda and Lafayette. I do miss that.
But, again, we have the same house,
a 1,600 square footer that we had in Concord,
and that's, you know, I think about that, and then,
while I miss those other things, it doesn't bother me quite
as much when I think about it. I do also miss--
I do miss, um... Togo's Restaurants. They don't have any
out here, and there was a restaurant-- there is a restaurant
in Pleasant Hill, the-- the Back Forty,
Texas barbecue, which is actually
really good, and it's kind of hard
to find a balance. If I were to move back
to California... it's very, very small...
small, small open-ended. Number one, the whole state
would have to clean up. Get some of those
rotten politicians. Be tough on crime again,
like you should. People's attitudes would
just have to change. But for the most part,
I really am happy here. I don't have-- I have
very, very little desire to move back as a whole. We were a little afraid
that we weren't going to make
good friends here, but, uh, you know, I have
14 people coming to my birthday party
this weekend. So we were able to make friends
a lot quicker here. Yeah, we've been here, like,
a year and eight months now. My commute is
seven minutes to work. I have plenty of time
to spend with my wife and, you know,
help her with her business. My wife feels
completely safe here. And... that really was the-the major criteria
for moving here. JUAN PABLO CRUZ: The thing
that I miss about California, I miss my mom the most. My mom's there
in Riverside, California,
honestly. Um, my daughter. I have a daughter there
as well, too, in California. Being so close
to... to Tijuana, Baja California,
being able to take off
for two days, me and my wife,
go... go get our fix
on different food that we're missing
from there, already, and unfortunately
I'm 1,300 miles away now. And it's not that easy. The only way that I would
go back is if my mom wouldn't want to come here
to Texas with me. So, depending if my mom
really likes it here, and we can make
a life, um... I would stay here in Texas, but if not, I would move
back to California. Or, if there's
a ripe business opportunity back in California,
so it could be a "maybe." [guitar strumming] The girls are
doing choir and art, and my son has totally picked up
fishing, loves fishing. Wants to go
to the pond to go fishing
every single day. Um, so that's
kind of cool. Off the video games,
doing something outside. I love it, um... so, yeah,
they're super-happy too. They're all doing
really well in school. Yeah, we definitely have not
even contemplated moving back. We are just really
happy out here. We don't mind at all
if people talk about regretting moving;
not everyone is going to be happy
moving across country. Most people will talk
about the weather, because it's definitely
hotter in the summer. They will talk
about, um... you know, we do have higher
property tax percentage rates. It doesn't always mean
that the amount they pay is going to be more,
but we do have higher property tax
percentage rates. And then, of course,
people miss their families. KELLY BROWN: Now I've lived
in Texas for 14 months, outside of Houston. I really miss the beauty, the natural beauty
of Sonoma County. Um, I'm gonna
really make an effort this year to try
to meet more people so that I, you know,
I really give-- give it
my best shot there. Um, but if I don't... end up making
more friends there, I probably will come back just because, um, I care so much about
the people who are here. Um... I did not sell my house here, so I left
the option open. But I think that this will
always feel like home to me. I've only been in Texas
for 14 months, so... we'll see, you know. I... might go back.
[laughing] And I might stay there. BILL FULTON:
Texas and California are both great places,
and they have different pros and cons. I might-- I might stay here,
I might go back. And if you define
the American dream as living in a big house
on a big lot, yes, it's easier
to-to live in Texas. But California is
still a great place for people to pursue
their dreams, depending on
what they're looking for. KARINA:
We've heard the reasons, from housing
to politics to safety, as to why people are
leaving California. It's still not what those
headlines are claiming. A mass exodus? No. California is
still a place where people are
choosing to call home. [music]
