Since 2001, California's population deficit with Texas is more than 400,000; meaning that many more Californians have moved to Texas than Texans moving to California. Some fear the trend will eventually turn Texas blue, or at least purple.
Rice professor Steve Murdock is a former director of the Census Bureau and Texas State Demographer.
"It has to be managed as well as welcomed and the latter part is the one that we have to wait and see how it goes."
Professor Murdock says some of the major metro areas of Texas are outgrowing Los Angeles and New York.
"When you have greater numerical growth than places that are nearly twice as large as you are, that means you have some substantial growth going."
Professor Murdock says most of the growth has been in Dallas and Houston, but Austin is seeing a lot of growth, too.
"Austin is growing very rapidly and it's an area that's growing much faster than other places of its size."
Professor Murdock says we'll have to wait and see if the displaced Californians are turning the state blue or purple -- or if they've come here to escape high taxes and regulatory burden.