There have been plenty of California residents flocking to Florida over the past few years, but the latest moving report by PODS may explain why.
The moving and storage company tackled the issue earlier this year, looking at what could be causing Californians to flee their home state.
Recommended Videos
According to the report, California saw more people leaving than any other state between 2023 and 2024, losing nearly 240,000 residents in total.
“While it’s easy to say people are leaving California in droves due to changing working conditions, the truth is, California has been struggling with resident retention for nearly 25 years,” the report reads. “Once the gold child for a burgeoning population, California has experienced its slowest rates of growth ever recorded since 2000.”
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
In fact, the latest state-to-state migration figures show that California was one of the biggest sources of new residents in Florida, bringing in over 39,000 new people.
This placed it just below New York (71,138 migrants) and Georgia (44,469 migrants).
But why are people leaving California in the first place? PODS provides some possible answers:
- High Taxes: California boasts the highest state income tax rate at 12.3%, along with steep sales and gas taxes. This may have caused people to move to places like Texas and Florida, where no income taxes are imposed.
- Low Job Growth: California’s job growth rate has lagged behind the national average, bogged down by factors like a high cost of living, strict regulations, and challenges in key industries like entertainment and tech.
- Natural Disasters: While not a top reason behind people fleeing the state so far, incidents like the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles could be a factor behind future outmigration.
- Businesses Leaving: Over 400 businesses have left California since 2018, likely due to factors like high rent, high taxes, and high cost of living. When the jobs go, people go, too.
While Texas was the top spot for fleeing Californians, Florida came in at No. 2, according to the report.
Per the data, Florida’s cost of living — which has risen thanks to the explosion of new residents — is still 31% lower than California.
Meanwhile, Florida’s average home value hangs 50% lower, and its average rent for a one-bedroom apartment falls around 17% lower than the Golden State.
“Florida may get a lot of flack, but numbers don’t lie. The Sunshine State has been a go-to spot for relocations, including people leaving California. Floridians earn an average of 26 percent less a year than Californians, but the overall cost of living in Florida is also much lower. Another reason why people are leaving California for Florida is because Florida’s real estate market is booming. Even though values have almost doubled in the past decade, the average home value is still close to 50% less than what you’d find in California.
Florida offers up familiar sunny weather with mild winters and hundreds of miles of sandy coastline, so it’s easy to see why this Southern state has attracted so many people from California. Flip flops, t-shirts, and sunglasses are wardrobe mainstays in both states, so you won’t even have to shop for new clothes (unless you want to)!"
Alex Keight (PODS), "Why Are People Leaving California — and Where Are They Going?"
For those considering moving from California to the Sunshine State, PODS has provided a handy guide of what to expect.