South Carolina has passed Florida and Texas as the top state where Americans are settling down after ditching Democrat strongholds across the rest of the country. The wave of Americans bolting blue states has been a continuous trend ever since COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, with citizens saying that want better jobs and lower taxes. New IRS data tracked migration from 2022 and 2023 and showed that this trend has continued. And now, South Carolina has outpaced both Florida and Texas in influx per capita of new residents. Those residents are heavily bailing on states like New York and California over high taxes, crime and homelessness issues that have continued to plague major cities.
Rapid Population Growth Driven by Domestic Relocation
South Carolina has been considered a high ranked state for migration within America in later years, according to research. The Palmetto State added 59,000 residents from elsewhere in America in 2022 and 2023, effectively seeing one new person moving in for every 100 already living in the state. That migration has seen South Carolina rake in the tax revenue, with around $4.1 billion in new income from 29,000 new people filing taxes in the state. While South Carolina was highest per capita, as a smaller state, its still dwarfed by Texas and Florida in terms of new residents added in terms of people filing taxes. Its a trend that has continued since then, as The New York Post reported that people continued to flock to South Carolina in 2025 as well.
South Carolina Leading the Nation in Per-Capita Migration Growth
The outlet cited a HireAHelper report that tracks migration, claiming South Carolina added nearly 80 residents for every 10,000 people already living there. Texas saw 56,473 new residents file in 2023, with Florida adding another 55,349 in that same period. People are choosing to leave two of the most liberal-leaning, high-tax states during 2022 and 2023. California lost over 100,000 filers - nearly $12 billion in tax revenue - in these years under Governor Gavin Newsom. Gov. Kathy Hochul's New York wasn't far behind, with $10 billion in revenue lost from 72,000 people leaving the state. The trend has continued into 2026, with many businesses choosing to leave blue states behind for the south.
Dell Technologies has told shareholders it wants to move its legal home to Texas, where the computer giant was founded by Michael Dell in his University of Texas dorm room in 1984. The company's board has unanimously approved the plan to shift Dell's state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas - putting its legal home in the same state as its longtime headquarters in Round Rock. Shareholders must rubber-stamp it next month. It is a symbolic victory for Texas and another warning shot for Delaware, which collects roughly $2 billion a year in corporate franchise fees and counts more than 60 percent of the S&P 500 among its incorporated companies. Dell is the latest in a long line of Wall Street giants flocking to red states that have lower taxes and lighter regulation. Austin is already home to major tech companies such as Tesla and Oracle, while Apple, Google, Meta and Amazon also maintain major offices and operations in the city.
For many corporations, the biggest appeal of moving a headquarters to Texas comes down to cost savings and a more business-friendly environment. Texas does not impose a personal state income tax - a major selling point for executives and employees - while companies can also benefit from lower taxes, cheaper land and lower office costs than in blue states such as California or New York. The state has also built a reputation for lighter regulation and faster expansion opportunities. Companies looking to construct factories, warehouses, office campuses or data centers often find permitting and development easier and cheaper than in more heavily regulated states. Dell founders Michael and Susan Dell have also aligned themselves closely with the administration of Donald Trump in recent months.