California vs Kentucky: which way are people moving?

Name: California vs Kentucky: which way are people moving?
Creator: Moved Where

Toward Kentucky. In 2022–23, 1,795 more people moved from California to Kentucky than the other way.

Compare

with

Year

Kentucky → California2,253 people

Arrivals' income: $67.5k avg income reported on the second-year tax return

California → Kentucky4,048 people

Leavers' income: $76.3k avg income reported on the second-year tax return

6,301 people moved between the two, one way or the other.

Has it always been this way?

No. California came out ahead every year until 2013–14. Since 2014–15, more have moved to Kentucky.

Net between the two · households (tax returns)

Net moves between California and Kentucky (Net between the two · households (tax returns))
Year	Value
2013–14	+32
2014–15 †	−29
2015–16	−62
2016–17 †	−321
2017–18	−359
2018–19	−299
2019–20	−738
2020–21	−1,030
2021–22	−1,153
2022–23 †	−853

IRS processing changes in 2014–15, 2016–17 and 2022–23. The 2014–15 turn lands on one of those years, so part of it may be the method.

The two states overall

California

Net change, all states: −200,547
Moved in · moved out: 389,700 · 590,247
Arrivals' income · leavers' income (reported on the second-year tax return): $95.5k · $102.1k

California page →

Kentucky

Net change, all states: +5,861
Moved in · moved out: 86,522 · 80,661
Arrivals' income · leavers' income (reported on the second-year tax return): $60.5k · $65.7k

Kentucky page →

People, 2022–23, moves between states.

Every year, in full

Moves between Kentucky and California, 2013–14 to 2022–23. Tap a column to sort.

Swipe for households and income →


	People			Households		Avg income per household (income reported on the second-year tax return)
2013–14	2,750	2,861	−111	1,500	1,468	$53.5k	$60.2k
2014–15 †	1,969	2,209	−240	1,158	1,187	$51.5k	$56.7k
2015–16	2,559	2,940	−381	1,470	1,532	$53.8k	$48.0k
2016–17 †	3,454	4,467	−1,013	1,896	2,217	$52.4k	$133.1k
2017–18	2,357	3,384	−1,027	1,417	1,776	$86.7k	$59.5k
2018–19	2,377	3,350	−973	1,436	1,735	$55.8k	$64.3k
2019–20	2,240	4,067	−1,827	1,305	2,043	$63.8k	$68.4k
2020–21	2,223	4,585	−2,362	1,354	2,384	$58.7k	$79.0k
2021–22	2,174	4,801	−2,627	1,354	2,507	$75.9k	$90.6k
2022–23 †	2,253	4,048	−1,795	1,362	2,215	$67.5k	$76.3k

† Processing-break years. Read changes across a † row with care.

Cite this comparison

Moved Where. “California vs Kentucky: which way are people moving?” movedwhere.com/compare/california-vs-kentucky. Data: IRS Statistics of Income migration data, 2022–23.