California · Infrastructure & Trust
Net Migration in California
Net inflow of U.S. residents moving from other states, per 10,000 residents; positive means more arrivals than departures.
-61 per 10K in 2024
#48 of 50 · Bottom tier (higher is better)
California is worse than the 50-state median (6 per 10K). That's a gap of 67 per 10K.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
2001 – 2024 · California only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About net migration
What this measures: Net inflow of US residents moving in from other states, per 10,000 residents. Positive means more arrivals than departures.
Why it matters: Net migration is the long-run revealed preference of where people choose to live, summing up cost, jobs, climate, and culture.
Watch out: Excludes international migration and births minus deaths. Total population change can move differently than this net domestic number.
Recent trend
| Year | California | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | -12 per 10K | -12 per 10K |
| 2015 | -21 per 10K | -12 per 10K |
| 2016 | -31 per 10K | -12 per 10K |
| 2017 | -35 per 10K | -7 per 10K |
| 2018 | -39 per 10K | -4 per 10K |
| 2019 | -51 per 10K | -3 per 10K |
| 2021 | -121 per 10K | 19 per 10K |
| 2022 | -86 per 10K | 4 per 10K |
| 2023 | -88 per 10K | 8 per 10K |
| 2024 | -61 per 10K | 6 per 10K |
California vs. neighboring states
Same metric (net migration), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Net Migration | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | -3 per 10K | #31 of 50 |
| Nevada | 52 per 10K | #6 of 50 |
| Arizona | 46 per 10K | #9 of 50 |
How California compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | South Carolina | 125 per 10K |
| #2 | Idaho | 83 per 10K |
| #3 | Delaware | 78 per 10K |
| #4 | North Carolina | 75 per 10K |
| #5 | Tennessee | 67 per 10K |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Illinois | -44 per 10K |
| #47 | Alaska | -51 per 10K |
| #48 | California | -61 per 10K |
| #49 | New York | -61 per 10K |
| #50 | Hawaiʻi | -65 per 10K |
Source and methodology
Source: Census PEP · Direction: higher is better · Unit: per 10K
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)