Americans Flee New York and California in Droves Seeking Affordability, Quality of Life

Cost of living is the number-one reason driving New Yorkers to the Lone Star State, says a realtor.

In an aerial view, cars drive by the San Francisco skyline as they cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, on Oct. 27, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Fed up with skyrocketing rents and home prices, high crime, a continual influx of migrants, and other quality-of-life issues, New Yorkers and Californians poured out of those states in record numbers over the past year.

A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau named New York as the state with the highest population decline, with almost 102,000 people exiting the Empire State from 2022 to 2023. California was close behind, with almost 75,500 leaving.