Recently I came across a lot of posts in a neighborhood Facebook group I’m in and I noticed a trend: Californians are moving to Texas.

It seemed as if I would come across a post almost daily of people asking for “El Paso” recommendations because they just moved to the area from California.

It seems as if Californians are making the move to not only El Paso but Texas cities in general. A recent report from Storage Café unveiled that in 2021, a jaw-dropping 111,000 Californians packed their bags and headed for the landscapes of Texas.

Now, I don’t do math well, but that's a whopping 300 people moving to Texas every single day! *Gasps in Spanish* The report goes on to say that this is an 80% surge from what it was in 2012.

Valero Texas Open - Round Two
Getty Images
loading...

Who are these adventurers taking the Texas plunge?

It turns out that millennials are leading the charge because, according to the report, the appeal of Texas, with its promise of more affordable living and wide-open spaces, has never been stronger.

Why the sudden surge to become a Texan?

The pandemic is a HUGE factor when it comes to wondering why so many Californians decided to make the move to Texas.

“With remote work becoming the norm, Californians are breaking free from the high-cost city chains and flocking to the Lone Star state. Affordable cities like Austin and Dallas have become the new playgrounds for those craving a change of scenery.”

Other factors include the fact that Texas is a business-friendly environment and well, the cost of living is soooooo much more wallet-friendly in Texas compared to California.

In California, the average home costs $737,900, while in Texas, it's a wallet-friendly $302,333, according to Zillow.

IL
IL
loading...

Californians Are In For A Rude Awakening:

California and Texas are two COMPLETELY different states. If you’re a Cali person who plans to move to the Lone Star State, here are a few things Texans want to make sure you are prepared for before you make the move:

The Food:

“Team Whataburger, not In-and-Out!”

 

“Tex-Mex food. Them thinking it’s real Mexican food and complaining about it.”

 

Hybrid Storytellers via Unsplash
Hybrid Storytellers via Unsplash
loading...

The Language:

“We have our own lingo. Spanglish is HUGE here and we like saying “Ay yay” a lot.”

The Culture:

“Friendly neighbors.”

 

“We WILL invite you over for the Carne Asada and make you try Menudo, then tell you what it’s made out of AFTERWARDS.”

 

“Texans really love their high school football!”

 

“Homecoming mums!”

 

Courtesy: Christine Guerra
Courtesy: Christine Guerra
loading...

The Landscape:

“No bodies of water locally here in El Paso. It took a little getting used to. I moved here from the Bay Area where there was (of course) the Bay, the ocean, rivers, and the delta. I miss it, but I LOVE the desert landscape here.”

 

“The THORNS!!”

 

“There’s no beach in El Paso but we have Wet-n-Wild!”

 

KLAQ
KLAQ
loading...

The Weather:

“The heat.”

 

“Never knowing what season we’re in because we only have two: Summer and Winter.”

 

Texas Struggles With Unprecedented Cold And Power Outages
Getty Images
loading...

The Commute:

“Construction. Construction EVERYWHERE!! You’ll be seeing orange cones almost everywhere!."

 

“Specifically in El Paso...you can get from point A to point B in like 15 -20 min. Everywhere else Dallas area, Austin, Houston...good luck.”

 

Iris Lopez
Iris Lopez
loading...

READ MORE SUGGESTIONS HERE:

Borderland Jam 2023

📸LOOK: You Know You're in El Paso When You See...

Thank you to everyone who sent in their pictures of the images that say you’re in El Paso! 

Photos came from three categories: People, Places, and Things. Some were beautiful, some were far from masterpieces, but even then some of the poor quality photos captured the essence of life in the Borderland. Here are just a few of pictures that say, “You Know You’re In El Paso When You See…” 

Enjoy the views! 

Inclusion in this gallery is no indication of evaluation that the picture is in the running for any award or prize. 

Local Businesses El Paso Loves To Support

We asked on our Facebook page, "what's a small local business that you love to support?". We got MANY responses online & here are a few of the most liked ones we received.

El Pasoans Tell Us Where Their Favorite Murals in the City Are

On the 93.1 KISSFM Facebook page, we asked listeners to share where their favorite mural in El Paso is. We had a few just tell us the location and a few who shared actual photos.

We have made a gallery of those photos that were shared with us in the comment section of this Facebook question.

More From KLAQ El Paso