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‘Nevada is the standout’: California’s affordability crisis continues to drive relocation

Nevada remains the top destination on a per capita basis for Californians leaving their state, according to a new report.

The Silver State received a net 81 Californians per 10,000 residents each year between 2016 and 2025, according to a new study from the California Policy Lab at the University of California Berkeley. Researchers analyzed anonymized credit bureau data.

During that time, 146 Nevadans per 10,000 moved to California each year and 226 Californians per 10,000 residents moved to Nevada, making it by far the biggest net recipient of Californians in the nation on a per capita basis, the report found.

“Nevada is the standout,” continues the report. “News reports often mention Texas, but that is misleading. The most accurate measure of popularity adjusts for state population and shows a clear pattern: proximity reigns. Californians most often leave for nearby states, and California also welcomes new residents from neighboring states most frequently.”

The price tag for the California dream has clearly gone up as many families are leaving in search of more affordable places, said Evan White, one of the co-authors of the study.

“The difference these moves make is stark. Their destination neighborhoods are half as expensive and they end up much more likely to own a home within just a few years,” he said.

The report also found that people who leave California are increasingly leaving from higher-income neighborhoods.

“These movers are, on average, in a weaker financial position than their neighbors, and may be moving to attain the quality of life they see their neighbors enjoying but they cannot afford,” said Brett Fischer, another co-author of the study.