Where Are People Moving in Santa Clara, CA?

IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).

People moving in

38,998

People moving out

47,795

Net migration

-20,338

Santa Clara, CA is a net loser of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 38,998 people moved in and 47,795 moved out, for a net loss of -20,338. Net outflows can soften local rent and price growth over time, though the cause matters as much as the number.

Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving Santa Clara, CA’s flows in each direction.

Top counties people moved to Santa Clara, CA from

Origin countyReturnsPeople
Alameda, CACalifornia4,6347,373
San Mateo, CACalifornia3,8745,963
Los Angeles, CACalifornia2,3543,074
San Francisco, CACalifornia2,0612,813
King, WAWashington1,2141,725
San Diego, CACalifornia1,1911,655
Contra Costa, CACalifornia1,0021,540
Orange, CACalifornia9191,340
Santa Cruz, CACalifornia8691,264
San Joaquin, CACalifornia8611,535

Top counties people left Santa Clara, CA for

Destination countyReturnsPeople
Alameda, CACalifornia6,57811,226
San Mateo, CACalifornia3,8795,845
San Francisco, CACalifornia3,3353,924
Los Angeles, CACalifornia2,1712,938
San Joaquin, CACalifornia2,0604,541
Contra Costa, CACalifornia1,6553,245
San Diego, CACalifornia1,5842,368
Sacramento, CACalifornia1,5152,723
King, WAWashington1,4622,036
Orange, CACalifornia1,1011,786

“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

Are people moving to Santa Clara, CA or leaving?

Santa Clara, CA had a net loss of -20,338 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 38,998 people moving in and 47,795 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.

Where are people moving to Santa Clara, CA from?

The largest sources of new Santa Clara, CA residents are Alameda, CA, San Mateo, CA, Los Angeles, CA. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.

Where do people leaving Santa Clara, CA go?

People leaving Santa Clara, CA most often move to Alameda, CA, San Mateo, CA, San Francisco, CA. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.

What does Santa Clara, CA migration mean for housing?

Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside Santa Clara, CA's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.

How current is this Santa Clara, CA migration data?

It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.