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Why Are People Leaving California for Tennessee?

Allie Bernstein, '27


In 2022, approximately 83,000 people moved to Tennessee according to the Tennessee State Data Center. The largest state contributor came from California, making up over 22% of the 83,000. I personally moved to Tennessee in July of 2023 from California, and practically everyone has made the same comment to me: “You’ll find a Californian everywhere you go around here.”

Many Tennesseeans are left with the question, why are so many people leaving California and choosing Tennessee? What does Tennessee have that California lacks? Those who have never visited California before may picture it as one big carefree beach filled with volleyball, the ocean, and a classic valley accent. Unfortunately, the flip side to that paradise is crime, politics, and the cost of living.

Crime in California has been steadily increasing year by year. 2022 showed reports of a 6.1% increase in violent crime, a 6.2% increase in property crime, and a 10.2% increase in robberies. My entire life, prior to moving to Tennessee, consisted of growing up twenty minutes south of San Francisco. The many times I traveled through the city were not always very pleasant. Stores there often have metal barricades on the windows to protect from robbers; there are people high on illegal substances who scream at anyone who passes by, and the homeless tents take up the whole sidewalk. In fact, 50% of the entire homeless population in America is located in California. (Statistic from Kayla Jiminez, USA Today)

Secondly, politics can be isolating. The state of California has an estimated population of 40 million, and out of registered voters, there are only around 5 million Republicans. Regardless of your own political stance, it is obvious that there is an extreme lack of political diversity. Oftentimes, students in school feel pressured to support specific politicians or beliefs, while if they reveal their own, they may be chastised. In my own experience, there was one student at school who was a known republican. For a while after the storming of the capitol on January 6th, this student was harassed by his peers who accused him of supporting the storming and even of participating, although that would have been impossible given the circumstances. Teachers did not step in or make an attempt to stop the comments.

Lastly, the cost of living. If you had a salary of $100,000 a year, coming from California to Tennessee, you would be 36% wealthier after moving. Also, the overall housing market in Tennessee is 41% cheaper than California’s. Most of the time, this isn’t the primary reason as to why people leave California and move to Tennessee, but it definitely seems to be a helpful incentive. Contrarily, this benefit may not last for as long, due to so many Californians moving to Tennessee. In Nashville alone, home prices have overall increased by 5% in the past year. While there are many reasons to leave California, let’s examine the reasons to choose Tennessee, as it is the 16th most populous state in America. Tennessee has the perfect balance of vibrant cities and scenic mountain towns. Coming from California, I lived by beaches and the bay my whole life, so I wondered if I would find Tennessee beautiful too. After almost two months of living here, I notice how the trees are taller, the plants are colorful, and the air is pure. In exchange for littered beaches, I found gorgeous lakes. Tennessee’s nature feels more organic in a sense, while California’s feels slightly more manufactured.

Tennessee has some of the best healthcare facilities. “Several excellent hospitals in the state include the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, CHI Memorial Hospital, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Baptist Memorial Hospital, and Ascension St. Thomas Hospital West.” (White, Marian. 10 Reasons to Move to Tennessee.) Part of having a great life is having a good quality of health. Whether someone moving to a new place is a senior citizen that’s retiring, or a family with young children starting fresh, healthcare is extremely important and valuable to take into consideration. Given that Tennessee has some of the best healthcare opportunities, it’s a no-brainer as to why more and more people are moving to Tennessee.

Lastly, Tennessee has amazing schools. When it comes to college, everyone knows Vanderbilt University, arguably one of the best universities in Tennessee. Other distinguished universities include the University of Memphis, University of Tennessee, University of the South, Maryville College, and Belmont University. Tennessee also has many highly ranked school districts spread throughout the state. This is an area that many current California residents are critical of. The colleges in California known to be amazing academically are extremely hard to get into, such as Stanford with an acceptance rate of under 4%. Many private high schools in California, specifically in the Bay Area, are highly overpriced. The average tuition for a private high school in the Bay Area costs approximately $50,000. California lacks affordable and realistic schools, whereas Tennessee offers schools in all ranges when it comes to pricing and acceptance rates.

Overall, it seems that most people leave California for Tennessee because they want a better quality of life. Many local Tennessee residents argue that former California residents are raising prices. Although that is a valid argument, I believe that you cannot control or dictate how or where anyone chooses to improve their own lives. If you had the choice to move somewhere more beautiful, affordable, less dangerous, with better education and healthcare, what would you do?


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