By: Jessica Jones
Introduction
“Californians Account For Most Texas Migration: Report”1
“As leaders spar over homelessness in Austin, California becomes a punching bag” 2
“Millennial investors in California are fleeing to these three tax havens” 3
These are just some of the headlines that I found when conducting research on California migration patterns in Texas. As a Californian native and a new Austin transplant, I was curious to learn more about California migration patterns to Texas. This paper is focused on two research questions. First, why are Californians coming to Texas? Second, how are Californians changing Texas, i.e. what effect, if any, are Californians having on a spatial and social scale within the Lone Star State?
Migration Patterns
According to a Pew Stateline article, the State of Texas outpaced other states in population growth, increasing its population by 367,215 people since 2018, with a total population of 28,995,881 in 2019. 4 Popular media promotes a narrative that Californians are migrating to Texas in droves. The data tells a slightly different and more complicated story. According to the 2020 Texas Relocation Report, ~86,000 people moved from California to Texas in 20185 , or ~34,500 households. 6 The report goes on further to state that California ranks as the highest state with outmigration flows to Texas, with Florida and Louisiana ranking second and third. 7
Tax return data indicates that “14 out of every 100 tax filers moving to Texas in 2017– 2018 came from California, up from about 10 in 2012.” 8 Of interest is that tax return data indicates that in-state migration patterns are also causing a population shift in Texas. In 2017-18, “other Texas counties contributed more to Travis County’s influx than other states did.” 9 Jones 2 | P a g e Data indicates that California migrants come primarily from large California metropolitan areas and relocate to Texas metropolitan areas. According to an Austin-based real estate firm, California migrants come primarily from LA, San Jose, San Francisco, the Riverside-San Bernardino- Ontario, and Oxnard-Ventura metro areas.10 2017-18 data indicates that Harris and Dallas counties reported the highest influx of California migrants at 14% and 10% respectively. 11 Meanwhile, Travis County, Tarrant County and Bexar County all report California migrant rates above 5%. 12
Data indicates that Travis County experienced a gain of 1,000 households and “a total inflow of about 48,500 tax returns,”13 between 2017-18. According to the City of Austin’s demographer, Ryan Robinson, it is a myth that Californians are the sole cause for a huge population spike in the City of Austin. 14 Mr. Robinson states in a 2019 interview that, “Yes, there are Californians moving here, but [migrants are also coming]…from Florida…from Washington State…from the metro Chicago area…from New York… from overseas…[and from] international immigration.”15
Contrary to popular belief, the analysis of Californian migration data indicates that the population influx that Texas is experiencing is not solely from California alone, as other states, in-state migration, and international migration also play a role. However, migration is more than numbers. The next section will identify reasons why Californians are leaving the Sunshine State for the Lone Star State.
Section One: Why are Californians Migrating to Texas?
The reasons why California migrants move can be complex, varied, and deeply personal. Yet, by looking at data some trends come to light. For the first section of this paper we will review two major factors of why people may move from California to Texas: cost of living (including medical care, housing costs, child care, taxation and job patterns), and climate migration trends. The second section of this paper will look at how Californian migrants are changing Texas.
A. Cost of Living
According to 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer California Supplementary Survey, “72% of Californians say cost and availability of housing is a very serious issue for California.” 16 Additionally, the survey indicates that “53% are considering moving due to high cost of living.”17 This is an increase of 4% as compared to 2018 data. 18 Meanwhile, data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study of living wages, the Living Wage Calculator, indicates that California outpaces other states regarding cost of living expenses. 19 The MIT Living Wage Calculator breaks down living wage estimates based on what an individual, working full-time, would need to earn to support themselves or their families. 20 Figure 1 indicates some stark difference in cost of living expenses between California and Texas. For the purpose of this paper, I will highlight the following cost of living differences: medical care, housing costs, child care and taxation.
B. Cost of Living: Medical Care
According to Figure 1, medical care expenses for a single individual are ~$214 more expensive in Texas than in California. 22 Meanwhile, data based on average hospital charges from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ranks California as number one, charging the most for the 100 most common diagnoses and treatments, while Texas ranks as number six out of the top ten states with the highest hospital charges. 23 Additionally, according to a Business Insider article, on average California employees have a lower employee premium contribution and deductible at $7,016 than Texas at $8,239. 24 In sum, medical care expenses vary depending on what data source is reviewed, and costs vary by procedure, and by hospital. Therefore, when comparing medical care costs, it is hard to pinpoint whether California or Texas offers more affordable medical care.
C. Cost of Living: Housing
Texas based Real estate companies and home builder associations gear advertisements to Californians on Texas’ housing affordability. For example, Milestone Community Builders promotes on their website the following message: “Californians moving to Texas will find they can purchase what they would consider $1 million houses (at least!) for under $400,000. Not only that, property taxes are surprisingly low. Instead of cramming a family of four into a two-bedroom in California, you can easily move to a home in Texas that has more square footage and acreage without breaking the bank,” (Milestone Community Builders)25 .
Based on Figure 1, housing costs are $5,315 or ~38% cheaper in Texas for a single adult than in California. 26 Based on 2019 data from the California Association of Realtors, median home values in California spiked up 6% from the previous year and averaged $605,280 for a single-family home. 27 Meanwhile, based on 2019 data from Texas A&M University Real Estate Center Texas Housing Insight Report, estimated median home prices were on average $235,800 in Texas. 28 As to be expected, renting prices also vary dramatically between California and Texas. In 2018, median gross rent was ~30% cheaper in Texas, at $998, as compared to California at $1,429. 29 It is important to note that home prices within Texas vary dramatically, with highest median home prices found in Austin at $337,200. 30 Despite this, housing in Texas is on average much cheaper than you would find in California.
By analyzing 2018 American Community Survey data, we can see another side of the cost of living challenges in California versus Texas. In 2018, 31.8% of homeowners in California were identified as having 30% of their income go toward housing costs. 31
While, only 20.6% of homeowners in Texas were identified as having 30% of their income go toward housing costs. 32 Meanwhile, when renter data is analyzed, 25.6% of Californians pay 30-49% of their income on housing costs as compared to 23.3% of Texans. 33
Housing affordability is tied with housing availability. 34 Census data from 2010-17 indicates that the State of Texas added more housing units than any other state, with 955,000 units as compared to California who added 497,000 units. 35 This difference is dramatic, where the Honorable Chuck DeVore cites that, “Texas expanded its housing supply by 10.3 percent for every household during the period, more than double the rate of California (3.9 percent) or New York (3.0 percent). ” 36 With greater housing availability, Texas is a wellspring for more affordable housing costs which may be a big motivating Californians to move to the Lone Star State.
D. Cost of Living: Child Care
According to Figure 1, child care costs for one child per year are $2,845 or 34% cheaper in Texas than in California. 37 The Economic Policy Institute finds that infant care takes up ~24.9% of median family income in California38, while infant care takes up ~15.7% of median family income in Texas. 39 Not surprisingly, preschool costs vary dramatically between California and Texas. For one year of preschool in California, families spend on average ~$11,47540, while Texas families spend ~$7,062 per year41 . With these figures in mind, the affordability of child care in Texas may be one of the many draws for Californian migrants.
E. Cost of Living: Taxes
“As with most of the tens of thousands of Californians who have moved to the Lone Star State annually in recent years, we did so for opportunity borne of greater freedom: lower taxes, greater private property rights and less government to tell you what to do,” (The Honorable Chuck DeVore, 2019) 42 .
This quote is a perfect encapsulation of how taxes and the role of government are stereotypically viewed in Texas. Numbers such as California being #1 while Texas ranking #51 in progressive taxation commonly flood the headlines. 43 As seen in Figure 1, annual taxes are on average $1,377 or 32% cheaper in Texas than in California. 44 While it is generally assumed that taxes are lower in Texas, the data indicates a different story for different income brackets. 45 According to Figure 2, Texas sales/excise taxes and property taxes financially impact families that are in the lowest income bracket, lowest 20%, or make $20,900 or less, more than do similar taxes in California. 46 The data from Figure 2 also indicates that those who are middle class and those who represent the top 1% are hit financially harder in Texas by sales/excise and property taxes than in California. 47 Based on this data, we can assume that not everyone benefits equally from Texas’ highly promoted lax tax structure.
Additionally, when looking at the difference between California and Texas taxation, it is important to note that Texas is one of seven states that does not have a state income tax. 49 According to TurboTax, California has the highest income tax rate at 12.3%, or 13.3% for annual income exceeding $1,000,000. 50 Milestone Community Homebuilders advertises to Californians, citing that due to Texas’ lack of an income tax, Californians could save “thousands of dollars annually.” 51 Meanwhile, though Texas does not have an income tax it does has “above average sales taxes…and higher than average effective property tax rates.”52 Overall, the data on cost of living expenses indicates a much more complex field than originally understood. While in general the cost of living is much more affordable in Texas as compared to California, prices vary throughout the state and impact people differently depending on their income. Housing and child care costs are perhaps the most striking in comparison to California’s costs and may be the motivating factors driving Californians to Texas.
F. Jobs: Silicon Hills & Hill Country
Another attractor for Californian migrants to the Lone Star State may be job relocations and the way some Texas metropolitan areas are branding themselves. According to the Spectrum Location Solutions California Report, “…about 13,000 companies have left [Californian] since 2008,” and “$76.7 billion in capital and 275,000 jobs have moved out of [California].” 53 Newer data indicates that between 2017-19, 600+ companies moved out of California. 54 Texas is an attractive spot for many companies as the state does not require an income or corporate tax and offers cheaper rent and cheaper utility rates. 55 For example, "… average monthly rent in San Francisco is $3,870 compared to $1,200 in Dallas.” 56
While companies are attracted to the reduced costs in Texas, they may also be drawn in by Texas’ marketing and branding schemes. Travis County and the Austin area have been branded as the ‘Silicon Hills’ after ‘Silicon Valley’ in California. The Silicon Hills is home to 5,500 start-ups and tech companies which earned $950 million in 2017. 57 These tech companies specialize in “Semiconductor, Hardware, Software, Emerging Technologies, IT, IoT, AI, Manufacturing, Research and Development, as well as supply chains.” 58 In a similar vein, like California’s wine country, Texas is starting to brand its wine localities as ‘Hill Country’. According to the Texas Hill Country Wineries website there are “over 50 unique and visually stunning wineries scattered throughout the Hill Country, from Austin to Fredericksburg and Lampasas to New Braunfels.”59 Additional branding is happening with marketing the City of Austin as a ‘Start-up Hub’. 60 According to the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity, the City of Austin is a bigger startup hub than San Francisco, having “105.2 startups per 1,000 residents.”61 While some Californian migrants may be drawn by business, Texas’ overall lower cost of living standards, or Texas’ play on California brands, others may move to Texas after losing everything.
G. Climate Migration
Climate migration or ‘climigration’ is “permanent community displacement caused by gradual climate-induced biophysical changes, combined with repeated extreme weather events, which severely impact infrastructure, such as health clinics and schools, and threaten the livelihoods and well-being of the people residing in the community.”62 For the purpose of this paper I will highlight two fires that happened in California that were exacerbated by climate change and led to climate migration. On October 8th, 2017, the Tubbs Fire wreaked havoc in Sonoma County. The Tubbs Fire lasted for 23 days and led to 22 fatalities, the destruction of 5,600 structures and 36,807 acres burned. 63 64 After the fire, net domestic migration declined in Sonoma County, leading to an estimated drop of ~7,648 people. 65 The local newspaper, the Press Democrat, conducted a survey of those who left to see where people relocated to and to identify cost of living as one of the reasons why people moved away from California.66 Texas was identified as one of the places that displaced Sonoma County residents migrated to, attracted by the lower cost of living. 67 Mark Grozek relocated to Austin after the Tubbs fire, and was able to buy a house and start a new Chevrolet dealership business. 68 He cites that his reason for moving was for his children, “It isn’t so much the money as it is leaving something for your kids and leaving them in a better situation,” Groszek said.
“I was comfortable, but I didn’t see that as the situation I wanted to see my kids in.[By moving] I was able to do a little bit better.”69
Another example of climate migrants coming to Texas is the 2018 Butte County, California fire. On November 8th , 2018, a fire known as the Camp Fire started in Butte County, California. The fire lasted for 17 days and caused massive devastation. The Camp Fire burned ~153,000 acres, leading to 85 fatalities70 and the “destruction of 18,800 structures,”71. Like Sonoma County, residents of Butte County relocated across the nation after the fire. Researchers at California State University, Chico mapped the postal code addresses of those displaced by the Camp Fire to identify where people had relocated to.72 Their research, see the map below, showed that survivors moved across the country, including relocation patterns to Texas ,with nine people moving to Austin73 .
Demographic data was also collected on those who moved after the Camp Fire74. The research found that individuals who were on average older, 45+ years, without children, and fell in the low-income to middle income category were more likely to move beyond miles outside of Chico, California.75 The Tubbs Fire and the Camp Fire are just two examples of California climate migration patterns to Texas. Of the limited data on relocation after recent California fires, we find that people have cited that they moved away from California to areas with lower costs of living, and those that moved away were on average, low to middle income, older, and more likely to not have children.
Section Two: How are Californians Changing Texas?
Migrants shape the physical space around them. Landscapes are ‘socially constructed’ places, influenced by politics, cultural and natural values. 76 As Paul Groth cites in his work, Frameworks for Cultural Landscape Studies, the physical “landscape denotes the interaction of people and place: a social group and its spaces.” 77 The migration of Californians to Texas has had an effect, though hard to measure, causing changes to the political, social, and physical landscapes within the Lone Star State.
A. Architecture
Mirjana Lozanovska noted in her work, Ethno-Architecture and the Politics of Migration, the creation of ‘ethnoburbs’, where migrants tend to move to areas where other people of similar origin/location/ ethnic group already reside. 78 While there is limited to no data on the ethnic backgrounds of California migrants who relocate to Texas, there is a noticed occurrence of the creation of ‘California burbs’ in Texas. California migrants tend to purchase housing on the outskirts of Austin, in areas like Pflugerville, Cedar Park and Round Rock. 79 According to one realtor, "Living 30 minutes outside of the urban core doesn't faze many of my clients — for a third of the price they're getting three times the property, so being just outside the city is a fair trade," Johnson says. "One of my recent clients was living in a $1 million townhome in San Jose and purchased a much larger home in Pflugerville for under $400,000."80
An example of one of these California Burbs is a master planned community called Steiner Ranch. This community “…borders Lake Travis and Lake Austin.” 81 According to Austin’s Demographer, Ryan Robinson, Steiner Ranch, “is a popular neighborhood for people relocating from LA and other parts of Southern California…the vistas, the rolling hills, and the lake give the Steiner area a look and feel that reminds me of parts of Orange County [California] and beyond.” 82 In addition to looking like a southern California neighborhood, the Steiner Ranch community is advertised and promoted as a community which caters to, “…people who enjoy golfing, boating, swimming, biking, fishing, and any other outdoor activities. It is an upscale area that feels very safe and has many included amenities, making it a great place to raise a family.”83 The chicken or egg question arises when looking at developments such as Steiner Ranch. Are Californian’s driving the production of communities like these, or are development firms designing and advertising these California-esqe communities to Californians to drive California migrants to the Lone Star State? With the amount of realtor websites blogging about why Californians should move to Texas, as well as the number of Californians relocating for work and for lower costs of living, it is probable to assume that demand is being pushed by both parties.
B. Cost of Living
Californians are being blamed in popular media for the increase in costs of living which may be leading to the increasing homeless problem in Austin. While there is no substantial evidence to support these claims, the argument can be made that Californians along with other migrants are driving up home prices which lead to increased costs of living. According to a 2020 Forbes article, Austin ranks number two out of twenty in “cities [that] displayed the most significant increases in living costs from 2017 to 2018.”84 The article goes on further to state that in 2017, Austinites needed to make on average $54,631 to ‘live comfortably’. 85 In 2018, just one year later this figure increased by over $18,000, where to ‘live comfortably’, Austinites must have earned on average $73,163. 86
In tandem with this, data from the Texas A&M University indicates that new and existing median home prices have been increasing since 2011, see , in Texas. 88 Additionally, home prices in Austin rose “5.9% year over year.”89 Overall, Californians are not the sole reason for this rise in housing costs, as data of migration patterns show that people from other states, in-state migration patterns, and international migration are causing increased demands on Texas metropolitan areas leading to, among many other things, a spike in housing demand and costs.
C. Politics: Don’t California my Texas
James and Nancy Duncan in their book, Landscapes of Privilege: The Politics of the Aesthetic in an American Suburb, cite that migration can cause “a perception of invasion.” 90 A Los Angeles Times article on Austin’s growing homeless issue, portrays the perception of invasion perfectly where U.S. Representative Chip Roy is quoted as saying, “As droves of Californians move to Texas for jobs, it appears they and their values are turning parts of Austin from merely ‘weird’ to potentially dangerous mirror images of failed California cities.”91 U.S. Representative Chip Roy is not the only one to be critical and wary of Californian values changing Texas. In 2019, the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, targeted his liberal opponent on his campaign website, citing that, “The liberal frontrunner for Texas governor has been fundraising in California, where far-left policies are welcomed with open arms…We can’t let California cash turn Texas blue. Add your name to send a message to California liberals: Don’t California my Texas.”92
Are Californian migrants changing politics in Texas? Data indicates that a multitude of factors are causing political shifts in a state that has had a four-decade legacy of supporting republican candidates. 93 The first big shift has been labeled as a ‘Texodus’, where domestic and in-state migration are causing Texas metropolitan hubs, (Dallas, Houston, Austin), to grow and rural areas to shrink in population. 94 95 These metropolitan hubs tend to be more liberal than their rural counterparts. 96 The second shift is the rise of Latino voters in Texas since 201497 , where Latinos represent “30% of Jones 16 | P a g e eligible voters,”98 in Texas. Another signal of political changes in Texas were the 2018 elections, which brought historic wins for the Democratic party in Texas. 99 The democratic party won “fourteen seats in the State Legislature and two seats in the House of Representatives.” 100 Finally, while data is limited as to migrants’ political party preference, it is important to point out that Californian migrants who come to Texas are not all liberal or self-recognized democrats. As Jef Rouner cites in his opinion piece in the Houston Press, “…it is utter nonsense to assume that every person coming here is some wide-eyed socialist hippie who dreams of high taxes and replacing Whataburgers with soy patties.”101
Overall, this report has identified California migration patterns in Texas. Data indicates that while California is the top state for domestic migration to Texas, it is not the only reason why the Lone Star State population is growing and shifting. When looking at why Californians may be flocking to Texas, there are many possible reasons, such as in general lower costs of living, job relocations, and branding and marketing campaigns. This report also examined how Californians were changing Texas, both physically and socially. While it is harder to pin changes solely on one migrant population, Texas is catering to Californians with master planned communities, housing costs are increasing as demand increases, and a political shift is underway which may cause the red state to turn a little more blue.
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51 “5 reasons why Californians are moving to Texas.” (2018). Milestone Community Builders. https://www.mymilestone.com/blog/5-reasons-californians-moving-texas/
52 Garcia, Adrian. (2019). “Is a state with no income tax better or worse?” Bankrate. https://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/state-with-no-income-tax-better-or-worse1.aspx
53 Vranich, Joseph. “Why Companies Leave California.” Spectrum Location Solutions. https://spectrumlocationsolutions.com/california/
54 Hethcock, Bill. (2019). “Study: 660 companies moving facilities out of California with many bound for DFW.” WFAA. https://www.wfaa.com/article/money/business/study660-companies-moving-facilities-out-of-california-with-many-bound-for-dfw/287- fe6a0910-1a9a-4c1b-847b-b13224ba9fb6
55 Blankley, Bethany. (2019). “Texas No.1 destination for companies leaving California for the last 12 years.” The Center Square. https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/texas-no-1-destination-for-companies-leavingcalifornia-for-last-12-years/article_8e2f83cc-161d-11ea-8869-576046d73239.html 56 Blankley, Bethany. (2019). “Texas No.1 destination for companies leaving California for the last 12 years.” The Center Square. https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/texas-no-1-destination-for-companies-leavingcalifornia-for-last-12-years/article_8e2f83cc-161d-11ea-8869-576046d73239.html 57 Schroer, Alyssa. (2020). “Silicon Hills: The Hottest Scene in Texas Tech.” builtinATX. https://www.builtinaustin.com/2018/04/24/silicon-hills-guide-austin-tech-scene
58 “Silicon Hills.” Silicon Maps. https://siliconmaps.com/silicon-hills/
59 “Texas Hill Country Wineries.” https://texaswinetrail.com/
60 Robertson, Michelle et. al.(2019). “Honky tonk and vegan food: People who left the Bay Area for Austin tell us what it’s really like.” SFGate. https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Bay-Area-residents-moving-Austin-Texasrelocating-11284819.php
61 Robertson, Michelle et. al.(2019). “Honky tonk and vegan food: People who left the Bay Area for Austin tell us what it’s really like.” SFGate. https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Bay-Area-residents-moving-Austin-Texasrelocating-11284819.php
62 Maldonado, Julie, et. al. (2013). “The impact of climate change on tribal communities in the US: displacement, relocation, and human rights.” Climate Change. P.610-611. Web.
63 “Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County was caused by homeowner equipment, not PG&E, investigators say.” ABC7News. https://abc7news.com/tubbs-fire-cause-pge-bankruptcylawsuit-wildfires/5104955/ 64 “Tubbs Fire’s Scale of Destruction.” ESRI Story Map. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=cd71b2d738e0481a9b6a76 4f802d27d2 65 Espinoza, Martin. (2020). “Sonoma County population declines sharply since 2017 wildfires.” Press Democrat. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10563330- 181/sonoma-county-population-declines-sharply?artslide=14
66 Espinoza, Martin. (2020). “Sonoma County population declines sharply since 2017 wildfires.” Press Democrat. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10563330- 181/sonoma-county-population-declines-sharply?artslide=14
67 Espinoza, Martin. (2020). “Sonoma County population declines sharply since 2017 wildfires.” Press Democrat. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10563330- 181/sonoma-county-population-declines-sharply?artslide=14
68 Espinoza, Martin. (2020). “Sonoma County population declines sharply since 2017 wildfires.” Press Democrat. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10563330- 181/sonoma-county-population-declines-sharply?artslide=14
69 Espinoza, Martin. (2020). “Sonoma County population declines sharply since 2017 wildfires.” Press Democrat. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10563330- 181/sonoma-county-population-declines-sharply?artslide=14
70 Wootson Jr., Cleve. (2018). “The deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California’s history has finally been contained.” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/25/camp-fire-deadliest-wildfirecalifornias-history-has-been-contained/
71 Daniels, Jeff. (2019). “Officials: Camp Fire, deadliest in California history, was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/15/officials-camp-fire-deadliest-in-california-history-wascaused-by-pge-electrical-transmission-lines.html
72 Hansen, Peter. (2019). “Mapping A Displaced Population.” California State University, Chico. https://today.csuchico.edu/mapping-a-displaced-population/
73 Hansen, Peter. (2019). “Mapping A Displaced Population.” California State University, Chico. https://today.csuchico.edu/mapping-a-displaced-population/
74 Hansen, Peter. (2019). “Mapping A Displaced Population.” California State University, Chico. https://today.csuchico.edu/mapping-a-displaced-population/
75 Hansen, Peter. (2019). “Mapping A Displaced Population.” California State University, Chico. https://today.csuchico.edu/mapping-a-displaced-population/
76 Groth, Paul. (1997). “Frameworks for Cultural Landscape Studies: Chapter 1 Frameworks for Cultural Landscape Study.” New Haven: Yale University Press.
77 Groth, Paul. (1997). “Frameworks for Cultural Landscape Studies: Chapter 1 Frameworks for Cultural Landscape Study.” Pg. 1. New Haven: Yale University Press.
78 Lozanovsak, Mirjana. “Chapter 13: Migration and ethno-architecture.” Canvas.
79 Raney, Nicole. (2016). “Californians really are moving to Austin- and where they live will surprise you.” CultureMap Austin. https://austin.culturemap.com/news/realestate/07-07-16-redfin-report-san-francisco-residents-move-to-austin/
80 Raney, Nicole. (2016). “Californians really are moving to Austin- and where they live will surprise you.” CultureMap Austin. https://austin.culturemap.com/news/realestate/07-07-16-redfin-report-san-francisco-residents-move-to-austin/
81 Egan, John. (2016). “How many Californians are moving to Austin? The numbers will surprise you.” CultureMap Austin. https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-2-16- californians-moving-to-austin-census-data/
82 Egan, John. (2016). “How many Californians are moving to Austin? The numbers will surprise you.” CultureMap Austin. https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/12-2-16- californians-moving-to-austin-census-data/
83 Gerson, Emily. (2019). “Profile of the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood in Austin.” Tripsavvy. https://www.tripsavvy.com/profile-of-austins-steiner-ranch-neighborhood255096
84 DePietro, Andrew. (2018). These 20 Cities’ Cost of Living Rose The Fastest in 2018.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2018/10/12/2018-cities-cost-ofliving-rising-fastest/#1b614b33d408
85 DePietro, Andrew. (2018). These 20 Cities’ Cost of Living Rose The Fastest in 2018.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2018/10/12/2018-cities-cost-ofliving-rising-fastest/#1b614b33d408
86 DePietro, Andrew. (2018). These 20 Cities’ Cost of Living Rose The Fastest in 2018.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2018/10/12/2018-cities-cost-ofliving-rising-fastest/#1b614b33d408
87 Figure 3 take from: Gaines, James, et. al. (2020). “Texas Housing Insight.” Texas A&M University Real Estate Center. https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/technicalreport/Texas-Housing-Insight
88 Gaines, James, et. al. (2020). “Texas Housing Insight.” Texas A&M University Real Estate Center. https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/technical-report/Texas-HousingInsight
89 Gaines, James, et. al. (2020). “Texas Housing Insight.” Texas A&M University Real Estate Center. https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/technical-report/Texas-HousingInsight
90 Duncan, James & Nancy. (2004). “Landscapes of Privilege: The Politics of the Aesthetic in an American Suburb.” P.3. Routledge.
91 Hennessy-Fiske, Molly. (2020). “As leaders spar over homelessness in Austin, California becomes a punching bag.” Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-17/la-na-austin-texas-californiahomeless
92 “Don’t California My Texas.” (2019). Abbott Governor. https://www.gregabbott.com/petition-poll/dont-california-texas/
93 Taladrid, Stephania. (2020). “The Dream of Turning Texas Blue Depends on Latino Voters.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/thedream-of-turning-texas-blue-depends-on-latino-voters
94 Gass, Henry. (2019). ‘Texodus’: Why the Lone Star State might turn blue for real this time.” The Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2019/0912/Texodus-Why-the-Lone-Star-Statemight-turn-blue-for-real-this-time
95 Tate, Kristin. (2020). “Why Republicans may lose Texas.” The Hill. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/479998-why-republicans-may-lose-texas
96 Ramsey, Ross. (2018). “Analysis: In Texas elections, size matters.” The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2018/01/29/analysis-texas-politics-size-matters/
97 Taladrid, Stephania. (2020). “The Dream of Turning Texas Blue Depends on Latino Voters.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/thedream-of-turning-texas-blue-depends-on-latino-voters
98 “In Texas, youth groups hope to turn the state purple in November. (2020). The World. https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-02-18/texas-youth-groups-hope-turn-statepurple-november
99 Taladrid, Stephania. (2020). “The Dream of Turning Texas Blue Depends on Latino Voters.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/thedream-of-turning-texas-blue-depends-on-latino-voters
100 Taladrid, Stephania. (2020). “The Dream of Turning Texas Blue Depends on Latino Voters.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/thedream-of-turning-texas-blue-depends-on-latino-voters
101 Rouner, Jef. (2020). “Don’t California My Texas” is So Stupid.” Houston Press. https://www.houstonpress.com/news/why-dont-california-my-texas-makes-no-sense11435296