Few Americans are moving to California, when you see the inflow in national terms.

Last year, California drew 422,075 people from other states. My trust spreadsheets review of new state-to-state migration data from the Census Bureau tells me those arrivals equal 5.6% of the nations 7.55 million interstate relocations. Thats less than half the states 11.6% share of Americans aged 1 or older.

Thats the third-largest inflow among the states. Tops was Florida at 636,933, and next was Texas at 611,942. But in the last 20 years, minus 2020s statistical lockdown, California arrivals have never been lower.

Its zero secret that California is a horrifically expensive place to live – scaring off many whod otherwise enjoy the states culture and climate. And theres a good slice of non-Californians who dont care for the states progressive politics.

So stalled arrivals isnt that surprising. The 2023 inflow was 11% below 2022, the largest one-year percentage-point dip in the past two decades.

Now interstate moves were off 8% nationally, but only 17 states fared worse for drops in newcomers than the Golden State, led by Connecticut, off 35%, and Montana, off 24%.

To be fair, popularity among the nations three biggest states sagged. The Texas inflow was off 8% – the 26th-biggest dip – and Floridas 14% drop was the 15th worst. Incidentally, Maryland had the biggest gain in newcomers, up 16%, followed by Hawaii, with a 4% increase.

But let me offer another number to show how little appeal the Golden State offers to most Americans.

Consider that the 2023 inflow translated to 1.09% of California population – thats a dead-last attraction rate in the nation. Thats less than half the nations 2.28% interstate relocation rate. Second-worst was Michigan at 1.36%.

Who draws best? The mercurial population of the District of Columbia, with 8.48% of residents being newcomers, then North Dakota at 4.44%. Texas was No. 41 at 2.03% while Florida was No. 23 at 2.84%.

The missing allure – not some exodus – is the Golden States true population challenge.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com