The Californian move to Texas has been the most talked-about shift in recent years. On the surface, it appears perfect California’s runaway housing prices, high taxes, and crowded cities push families out, and Texas attracts them with more spacious homes, reduced costs, and wide open spaces.
But the following is the hitch: once unpacking the boxes and Lone Star living begins, a whole lot of these transplantees discover that the relocation is preceded by an ample amount of surprises. From unexpected cost of living expenses to cultural readjustments, even the weather, Californians’ ideals for life in Texas aren’t always met.
Here are the biggest surprises Californians face when they trade palm trees for cowboy boots.
1. Home Prices: Cheaper, But Not Always Quite That
Suburban real estate is the driving force behind this grand exodus. In California, a modest suburban home can fetch a few million dollars without hesitation. Couples cash out, relocate east, and discover that they can buy a new sprawling home in Texas with more bedrooms, a yard, and even a pool sometimes for less than half the price.
On the surface, it’s like a winning lottery ticket. Californians gasp and “aww” at the square footage, the remodeled kitchens, and the simple reality that their mortgage doesn’t consume their entire paycheck. The cost relief is tangible.
But behind the euphoria is a cost many don’t calculate in the first place.
2. Property Taxes: The Hidden Bite
California’s Proposition 13 keeps property tax rates among the lowest in the country around 0.75% of assessed value. But Texas funds schools and roads pretty much through property taxes. The result? A tax rate averaging 1.6–1.8%, often more than twice that of California.
That difference will not look staggering until you crunch the numbers. On a $500,000 Texas home, the tax load can easily be $8,000 to $9,000 a year. For most households, that’s sticker shock after breaking free from California.
Others refer to it as an exchange of one tax for another. You will spend less at your home and on gas, but the cost of property taxes can quietly creep up and gnaw away at those savings. For Californians expecting Texas to be the state of endless bargains, this is often the initial economic wake-up call.
3. Everyday Expenses: Not Always the Bargain People Assume
Yet another widespread myth is that all things in Texas are less expensive. Sure, some are indeed lower gas, housing (pre-tax), and dining in smaller cities while others prove to be shockingly costly.
- Electricity: Texas’s deregulated energy industry allows you to pick your provider, but that also leaves the cost in a state of uncertainty. Air conditioning expenses in 100-degree summers can run wild and well over $300–$500 per month.
- Healthcare: Doctor appointments aren’t dramatically more costly than in California, and insurance remains pricey.
- Car Insurance: Because of higher car accident frequencies and weather-related claims, insurance is sometimes on par with California’s.
- Groceries: Basics like milk and bread may be slightly cheaper, but specialty items like the organic fruits and vegetables many Californians are used to may be harder to find and pricier.
- The bottom line? Texas is nowhere near as uniformly “cheap” as most expect. The thriftiness exists, but there are sacrifices.
4. Culture Shock: It’s All About the BBQ and Football
Money is only half of it. The cultural shift from California to Texas is more frequently the bigger adjustment.
- Politics and Ideology: California is very liberal, Texas is mythic conservative. Newcomers to both states may be shocked at the disparity, one that can manifest in everything from lawn signs during elections to local laws.
- Religion: Church is frequently at the heart of society in small towns, a phenomenon that may be unknown to Californians who hail from secular or ethnically diverse cities.
- Hospitality: Texans take pride in being friendly. Strangers wave at you, introduce themselves in the checkout line at the grocery store, and extend invitations to community events. It’s friendly and welcoming, but Californians sometimes have to acclimate to this level of openness.
- Traditions: Rodeos, county fairs, Friday night football, and barbecue cookouts are less activities to do than community rituals. Californians who are used to farm-to-table restaurants, sushi bars, and weekend beach trips will take time to find “their thing” in an environment that feels worlds apart.
They adjust readily and even embrace the change. They are outsiders for decades, especially in smaller towns where locals are afraid of “California coming with them.”
5. Weather Realities: Heat, Humidity, and Storms
The most astonishing surprise is possibly the weather. Californians are spoiled by soft, dry weather. Texas offers extremes.
- Summer Heat: Triple-digit temperatures are the norm, especially in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. Houston and Gulf Coast humidity can make an 85-degree day feel like a steam bath.
- Severe Storms: Tornadoes in North Texas and hurricanes on the Gulf Coast are very real threats. Storm windows, backup generators, or even safe rooms are costs many families pay ones that few Californians ever considered.
- Winter Surprises: While rare, surprise ice storms or snows can shut down entire cities, as happened with the 2021 winter blackout. Californians find it hard to imagine going without power for days during cold weather.
Adjusting to Texas weather requires more than buying sunscreen. It requires preparation, flexibility, and sometimes learning to enjoy indoor life in the summer months.
6. Transportation and Commute Agony
California has its mythical traffic, but Texas isn’t always a haven. Most Texas towns have limited public transportation, so a vehicle is a must.
- Long Commutes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin are huge. A 45-minute commute is average, and rush-hour traffic is comparable to Los Angeles in some respects.
- Car Dependency: Pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods are scarce and hard to come by, so even a quick errand to the store usually involves driving.
- Infrastructure Strain: With so many newcomers, freeways and roads are often in disrepair, which feeds yet another frustration.
While gas is cheaper than in California, the amount of driving cancels out the savings. Californians who are used to traveling light rail or on bikes between inner city neighborhoods find the car culture exhausting.
7. Community and Lifestyle Changes
Despite the challenges, one of the best things about Texas is community. Neighbors greet each other, there are block parties aplenty, and community events typically have huge turnouts. The low-key hospitality is genuine and can make settling in less stressful.
It takes effort to belong, though. Californians are stereotypically envisioned as outsiders who will “inflate housing costs” or tip the political balance. Trust is established by engaging in local traditions, volunteering, or even taking on small cultural cues driving a pickup truck or cheering for the home football team, for instance.
Years down the road, many of California’s residents find that Texas offers something they had no idea they were lacking: a slower pace of life and a more cohesive sense of community.
The Big Picture
So, is moving from California to Texas worth the hassle?
It differs. Housing is cheaper, but property taxes pinch. Cost of living is lower in some areas, but not all. Texas is culturally warm and friendly, but totally different. And weather? Let’s just say it’s not for the faint of heart.
Those Californians who thrive in Texas are generally those who arrive with realistic expectations and a flexible mind. They understand that there are going to be trade-offs with any move and are well willing to accommodate as opposed to trying to recreate California in a new state.
For some, Texas truly is the land of opportunity. For others, though, the underhanded cost and culture shock make it less desirable. Either way, the tide of migration isn’t slowing, and each family’s story puts another turn into this intriguing state-to-state phenomenon.
