Moving from California to Texas
What Your California Equity Buys in Texas
A straight comparison of price, space, taxes, and monthly cost, plus a closing cost credit when you buy in Texas.
Equity comparison
California versus Texas, side by side
- Median home value
- $725,800
- $296,900
- Median annual property tax
- $5,114
- $4,274
- Median monthly cost, owners with a mortgage
- $2,844
- $2,071
- Median rooms
- 5.0 rooms
- 5.4 rooms
Property taxes in Texas run higher as a percentage, which is why we compare total monthly cost rather than the tax line alone.
These are Census medians for current homeowners, not estimates for a new purchase. California’s figure is held down by Proposition 13 assessments and long-held mortgages, so a new buyer at today’s prices would pay meaningfully more than the California column shows. Both columns measure the same thing, so the comparison holds.
Sources
- Median home value: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2023, table B25077
- Median annual property tax: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2023, table B25103 (median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied units with a mortgage)
- Median monthly cost, owners with a mortgage: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2023, table B25088 (median selected monthly owner costs, owner-occupied units WITH a mortgage). Reflects what current owners pay, including long-held mortgages; not an estimate of a new buyer's payment.
- Median rooms: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2023, table B25018 (median rooms, all housing units)
Data as of 2026-09-02.
Why California homeowners choose Texas
Texas has absorbed more California homeowners than any other state for a decade, and the reason shows up in the equity math above. The same sale proceeds that cover a modest down payment in coastal California often buy a larger home outright, or close to it, across most Texas metros.
That does not make Texas the right answer for everyone. Property tax rates are higher, summer utility costs are real, and insurance has climbed in several counties. The point of this page is to give you the comparison honestly, then connect you with someone local who works these numbers every day.
Cost of living versus California
Across the major Texas metros, overall household costs run meaningfully below California averages, with housing carrying most of the difference. Groceries and healthcare land closer to parity than people expect, while transportation costs vary sharply depending on whether you settle inside a loop or in an outer suburb.
Budget for the shift in category mix rather than a single percentage. Households that move from a coastal California city typically see their housing line fall while their utility and vehicle lines rise.
- Overall cost index vs California
- About 35% lower
- Median housing cost
- About 55% lower
- State income tax
- None
- Average summer utility bill
- Higher than California coastal
Taxes: what actually changes
Texas levies no state income tax. For a household earning in the upper brackets in California, that alone is often the single largest annual change in take-home pay after a move.
The offset is property tax. Effective rates commonly land between 1.5% and 2.3% depending on county and local district, well above the California norm under Proposition 13. Homestead exemptions and, for owners aged 65 and over, tax ceilings reduce the bill, and those are worth reviewing before you choose a county.
Sales tax is charged at a combined state and local rate that reaches 8.25% in most cities. There is no state estate tax.
The housing market
Inventory in Texas is deeper than almost anywhere in California, and new construction is a genuine option rather than a rarity. Builders in the Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio metros frequently offer rate buydowns and closing incentives, which stack with the credit our partner agents provide.
Expect competition to concentrate in established school districts inside the inner suburbs. Outer-ring communities move more slowly and give a cash-strong California buyer real negotiating leverage.
One item to review early: municipal utility district assessments in newer developments add to the annual carrying cost and are easy to overlook when comparing listings on price alone.
Where people land in Texas
Moving to Dallas–Fort Worth
Deepest job market, broadest range of price points, strong suburban school districts.
Moving to Houston
Largest inventory and the lowest price per square foot among the big four metros.
Moving to Austin
Closest cultural fit for Bay Area transplants, and the priciest Texas market.
Moving to San Antonio
Lowest overall cost of living, steady appreciation, large military community.
Moving to Fort Worth
More house per dollar than Dallas proper with the same regional job access.
Moving to The Woodlands
Master-planned suburb north of Houston, popular with relocating families.
See what your California equity buys in Texas
Get your personalized equity report, an introduction to a vetted Texas agent, and a closing cost credit at your Texas purchase. Free, and there is no obligation.
Start your Texas move
Four short questions. We use them to decide which agent fits your move, and to build your equity report.