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<\/p>\nErika Lee, 30, grew up in Diamond Bar, attended USC and started her career in Southern California.<\/p>\n
But then she pivoted to crypto and, in February, moved from an apartment in West Hollywood to San Francisco for a job at an artificial intelligence insurance startup.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t expect to like it so much,\u201d Lee said of San Francisco. \u201cI just thought it would be a good opportunity in an industry that is really thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee represents one aspect of a generational gap in California\u2019s latest demographic shift.<\/p>\n
Discussions about such changes often focus on the \u201cCalifornia exodus,\u201d or people leaving the Golden State in search of more affordable living, lower taxes and a change of pace.<\/p>\n
But new data show that the latest demographic shifts \u2014 within and out of California \u2014 have relocated people to very various destinations based on their age, and presumably their income level.<\/p>\n
Boomers, for example, are decamping to places like Arizona, Nevada and Texas, the data show.<\/p>\n
When it comes to much younger Californians, moving is actually hard to do. And when they do, it\u2019s to places like Oregon, Utah and Colorado.<\/p>\n
Fresno … the new L.A.? <\/p>\n
High-speed rail construction near downtown Fresno.<\/p>\n
(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
And then there are young Angelenos like Lee, who are staying in the state but moving to the Bay Area amid the AI boom. San Francisco is one destination. But another one, surprisingly, is Fresno, which offers a strong job market and significantly cheaper housing prices than in coastal areas.<\/p>\n
Since 2021, Fresno has seen \u201ca lot of relocation from the Bay Area and Los Angeles,\u201d said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.<\/p>\n
The change began with families relocating to Fresno but working remotely, he said. But now, younger people are also moving in, pushing the age of the average Fresno resident to 31, well below the statewide figure.<\/p>\n
\u201cCost of living is very affordable still,\u201d he said, and the average home price is $400,000. \u201cWe don\u2019t have traffic congestion, we are centrally located and near natural parks.\u201d <\/p>\n
New residents under 40 have been moving downtown, he said, something that hasn\u2019t happened in decades.<\/p>\n
Dyer has already heard concerns about Bay Area newcomers bringing their political beliefs to a place he called a \u201cvery moderate city in terms of our politics.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relocation boom has boosted demand for housing, with supply falling behind, the mayor said. The result has been higher rents and home prices, which Dyer worries have made Fresno less affordable for home-grown residents.<\/p>\n
Internet message boards are filled with comments about the experiences of ex-Angelenos living in Fresno. The consensus is that while it has less nightlife and fewer cultural institutions than L.A., there is fun to be had for those who look. And it\u2019s hard to beat the prices, especially compared to Southern California.<\/p>\n
\u201cI ended up getting married and [having] kids and we bought a house here. No way in hell you buying a house in [Southern California] with a front and back yard for under $1 million unless you move away from the city,\u201d one person posted on Reddit.<\/a> \u201cIt\u2019s a nice central location with the Bay Area or Sacramento a couple hours away and Southern California several hours away. We are in Long Beach or Sacramento often visiting family and do not miss the traffic in L.A.\u201d<\/p>\n The generational gap<\/p>\n Data from U-Haul suggest a generational gap in the migration: Older residents are leaving the state, while some young residents are moving around within it, hoping to build lives in California.<\/p>\n Among those leaving the Golden State, their final destinations were heavily dependent on their age, according to a year of U-Haul data from June 2025 to June 2026. The metro areas that gained the most people in the 12-month period were Las Vegas, Palm Springs and the Arizona cities of Lake Havasu, Phoenix and Prescott.<\/p>\n For baby boomers leaving the L.A. area, the top five destination states were Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oregon and Utah, excluding California, the U-Haul data showed. Boomers are defined as those born between 1946 and 1965.<\/p>\n Among Gen Xers departing LA, the top states were similar: Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Washington. Gen. Xers were born between 1965 and 1980.<\/p>\n Those leaving L.A. put down roots in Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Lake Havasu, San Francisco and Phoenix.<\/p>\n Millennials who left L.A. were much more likely to stay within the state. But among those who did leave California, they picked surprisingly different destinations: Texas, Oregon, Tennessee, Colorado and Utah were the top destinations. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996.<\/p>\n The top metro areas for millennials were largely within the state: San Francisco, Bakersfield, Sacramento and Riverside. <\/p>\n Gen Z Californians who left the state preferred similar destinations to their millennial counterparts: Texas, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona. Gen Z is defined as those born from 1997 to 2012.<\/p>\n The top metro areas for Gen Z were San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield, Houston and Dallas.<\/p>\n An L.A. local moves north<\/p>\n Lee is among those younger Angelenos who chose San Francisco over all other cities.<\/p>\n She said she\u2019s aware that Bay Area residents outside of the AI boom are wary of the industry\u2019s influence on the cost of living. She lives in a studio apartment and doesn\u2019t know whether she\u2019ll be able to afford a home in San Francisco.<\/p>\n Lee prefers the food scene and diversity of L.A. over that of San Francisco, and recognizes that Southern California is relatively cheaper \u2014 although both places are undergoing historic affordability crises.<\/p>\n Lee subscribes to the 9-9-6 philosophy that she said is common in her industry: working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week. This leaves her with little time to explore San Francisco\u2019s parks, museums and restaurants.<\/p>\n But the 9-9-6 culture is a temporary reality, not a life goal, she said, and she expects her time in San Francisco to last a few years. \u201cI don\u2019t know if one day I\u2019ll move back so I can be closer to my family.\u201d<\/p>\n Staying in California? It depends<\/p>\n