Californians in Texas Weigh Moving Again After Elections

Some California transplants are reconsidering their Texas move after Democrats won the state's Senate and governor races in the 2026 midterms.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Residential

Californians in Texas Weigh Moving Again After Elections

Live Poll

If you moved to a new state, would you move again over politics?

Californians who relocated to Texas are weighing whether to move again following Democratic victories in the state's Senate and gubernatorial races. Some are considering Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas, or Georgia instead.

Why it matters

The shift highlights how political results can influence relocation decisions for residents who moved largely to escape high costs in California. Affordability, which remains a central reason people leave California, is now being weighed against political concerns in Texas.

A 2025 RAND analysis found it costs more than 2.3 times as much to build multifamily housing in California as in Texas. Marie Bailey, a 44-year-old former El Segundo resident who leads a large Facebook group of Californians looking to move to Texas, is among those reconsidering, though the number of families planning to leave remains unreported.

The players

James Talarico

A Democrat who won the 2026 Texas Senate race, becoming a key figure in the state's shifting political landscape.

Gina Hinojosa

A Democrat who won the 2026 Texas gubernatorial race, marking a notable Democratic victory in the state.

Joshua Blank

Research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, who studies state political trends.

The details

Democrat James Talarico won the Texas Senate race and Democrat Gina Hinojosa won the gubernatorial race in the 2026 midterms. Breana Janel said she is considering moving to Tennessee, the Carolinas, or Georgia, fearing Texas will not flip back to Republican control and will look more like California within four years.

Midterm elections were held November 3, 2026.
An article on the results and relocation plans was published November 10, 2026.

Housing Context

The 2025 RAND analysis documented that building multifamily housing costs more than 2.3 times as much in California as in Texas, a gap that helped drive the migration now being reconsidered. Political shifts in Texas now add a second factor to the affordability calculus that originally pulled residents south.

Residents considering a move out of Texas should compare housing costs, construction availability, and state policy in destinations such as Oklahoma, Florida, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. Those already in Texas can weigh the affordability advantage against changing political conditions before committing to a long-term purchase or lease.

The takeaway

Affordability remains a powerful draw for relocating households, but political change can quickly reshape the calculus for those who moved for other reasons. Buyers and renters should weigh both housing costs and the broader policy environment when choosing where to settle.