Conservative Californians Find Stability in Texas

More Californians are moving to Texas, not only upset with the state's political climate, but cost of living too.

Contrary to popular belief in Texas, the Californians moving here are not looking to turn the state blue, they want a better life for their family.

“The cost of living in California on average is about 40 percent higher than it is in Texas,” says Chuck DeVore, vice president of national initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.  “Not only the cost of housing, the cost of energy, the cost of food, clothing and other basic necessities.”

DeVore is a former state assemblyman in California.  He's among the half million Californians who moved into Texas between 2005 and 2015.

UT-Austin and the Texas Tribune did a poll of expat Californians, looking at their political philosophy and found that by a little more than 2-1 they were conservative versus liberal,” he says.

Still, some 290,000 Texans moved to California during that time, likely lured there by Silicon Valley.

“There's only one Silicon Valley so that's where you're going go,” says DeVore.  Unfortunately, when people go there they're going to find that an enormous part of that big salary they're getting is going to go toward renting a very microscopic studio apartment you might have to share with someone.”


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