Surprising top state for Californians who leave: It's red and in the South

More people are moving out of California than moving in, according to a new state study. More people are moving out of California than moving in, according to a new state study. Photo: Yellow Dog Productions, Getty Images Photo: Yellow Dog Productions, Getty Images Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Surprising top state for Californians who leave: It's red and in the South 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

The rumors that more people are leaving California than moving here appear to be true, according to a new report from the state of California. From 2007 to 2016, about 6 million people left the Golden State while about only 5 million moved here in the same period.

What may surprise some people is that an overwhelming number of those fleeing California are heading to Texas, which accounted for close to 300,000 of the departures. Why do so many people leave for the Lone Star state? According to the study, cost of living appears to be a major factor since "families with kids and those with only a high school education predominate among those moving from California to its top destination states."

The three other top destination states are California's neighbors Arizona, Nevada and Oregon

RELATED: These Bay Area natives moved to red states in the Deep South. Here's how it's going.

Beyond the expense of living in California, there may be other factors for the move to Texas. When SFGATE interviewed some Bay Area natives for its "Grass Is Greener" series, Suzanne Kovach, who left for Texas after 61 years living here, gave three big reasons for moving away: "Crime, traffic, economy."

Kovach goes on to describe her Texas experience in overwhelmingly positive terms:

"I'm living in a house twice the size at a quarter of the cost. No daily gunfire. No daily traffic nightmares. People are friendlier and pace is more relaxed. Sense of community. I'm not the only former Californian here. I have met a bunch of others who feel the same sense of relief."

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On the report's flip side are those coming to California from elsewhere. The top state for people migrating here is New York, but the numbers, between 50,000 and 100,000, pale compared to the number moving away to Texas.

Also, while California had a net loss of people, "it has gained among those with higher incomes ($110,000 per year or more) and higher levels of education (graduate degrees)."