About 47,885 people moved from California to Arizona in 2022–23, per IRS data. Most went to Phoenix and Tucson, which took 71% of those households. A Los Angeles median home ($999,652) compares with medians of $579,378 in Phoenix, $387,022 in Tucson.
Data verified October 11, 2026. Reviewed by Chris Harris, REALTOR® (Real Broker, LLC). Chris connects movers with licensed agents in their destination market.
California-to-Arizona is driven by proximity (Phoenix is 5–6 hours from LA), Arizona's flat income tax of 2.5% vs California's up to 13.3%, and home prices that are meaningfully lower than LA or SF. Phoenix has grown into a legitimate major metro with a diversified economy. The honest trade-off: Arizona summers are extreme (115°F+ days in Phoenix) and water supply is a long-term regional concern. The lifestyle and financial case is compelling for buyers who can manage the heat.
Where California movers go in Arizona
| Destination metro | Households | People |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 17,545 | 29,399 |
| Tucson, AZ | 2,647 | 4,146 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 2,337 | 4,097 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 1,519 | 2,557 |
| Yuma, AZ | 1,446 | 2,904 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 361 | 506 |
The metros below are the ones that receive the most California movers and have enough neighborhood sales data to price. Each section compares them with Los Angeles, California’s largest metro and its biggest source of movers. Other destinations in the data: Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ (2,337 households); Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ (1,519 households); Yuma, AZ (1,446 households). We do not have enough neighborhood sales data there to price them yet.
Source: IRS SOI U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–2023; state total from state-to-state outflows, metros from county-to-county outflows (pairs under 20 returns suppressed, so metro figures are a floor).
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Phoenix, AZ: about 29,399 people from California
The IRS counts 17,545 households (29,399 people) moving from California into the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro in 2022–23, 62% of everyone who left California for Arizona. The full city-to-city guide is Los Angeles to Phoenix.
What a Los Angeles budget buys in Phoenix
A typical Los Angeles home sells for $999,652; the Phoenix median is $579,378. Selling at one median and buying at the other leaves about $420,274 before closing and moving costs. Spend the full $999,652 instead and 15 of the 15 Phoenix neighborhoods we track with at least 5 recent sales have a median at or below it. The closest to that budget: Mesquite ($699,840), Camelback East ($674,765), Willow ($594,793), Cholla ($579,798). At 10% down and 7%, a $579,378 Phoenix home runs about $4,290 a month with taxes and insurance, against about $7,552 for a $999,652 Los Angeles home.
Neighborhoods closest to the Phoenix median:
| Neighborhood | Median sale price | Homes sold (3 mo.) |
|---|---|---|
| Cholla | $579,798 | 149 |
| Willow | $594,793 | 154 |
| Ahwatukee Foothills | $549,809 | 318 |
For the lowest entry price, the most affordable well-sampled Phoenix neighborhoods are Maryvale ($349,878), North Mountain ($377,869), Alhambra ($379,768).
Prices: Los Angeles Zillow Home Value Index 2025; Phoenix Redfin, Jan–Jun 2026. Neighborhood medians and sale counts: Redfin rolling three-month windows, Jan–Jun 2026; neighborhoods with fewer than 5 sales are left out.
Taxes: Los Angeles vs Phoenix
| Los Angeles, CA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 1%–13.3% (graduated; 13.3% top rate) | 2.5% (flat rate) |
| Effective property tax | 0.66% | 0.48% |
| Property tax on the median home, per year | $6,598 | $2,781 |
On each city’s median home, property tax works out to about $6,598 a year in Los Angeles and $2,781 in Phoenix. Phoenix’s rate is lower as well as its prices.
Income tax: Tax Foundation 2024 state rates. Property tax: Census American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates, median taxes paid divided by median home value, city level.
Phoenix neighborhoods to start with
Matched to Los Angeles: the lifestyle tags most common among Los Angeles neighborhoods in our data are suburban, upscale, family. The Phoenix neighborhoods that share them most are North Phoenix ($517,320), Camelback East ($674,765).
| Neighborhood | Median | Sales (3 mo.) | School rating | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryvale | $349,878 | 382 | – | up-and-coming, mixed |
| Alhambra | $379,768 | 277 | – | mixed, trendy |
| Deer Valley | $434,849 | 526 | – | urban, mixed |
| South Phoenix | $453,342 | 827 | – | urban, walkable |
| Monterey Arcadia | $494,828 | 187 | – | urban, mixed |
| Ahwatukee Foothills | $549,809 | 318 | – | trendy, walkable |
| Willow | $594,793 | 154 | – | urban, walkable |
| Mesquite | $699,840 | 153 | – | mixed, trendy |
Phoenix’s citywide crime grade is F (FBI UCR 2025); the FBI does not publish it by neighborhood. School ratings appear only where one is on file. See every Phoenix neighborhood on the Phoenix neighborhoods page.
Tucson, AZ: about 4,146 people from California
The IRS counts 2,647 households (4,146 people) moving from California into the Tucson, AZ metro in 2022–23, 9% of everyone who left California for Arizona.
What a Los Angeles budget buys in Tucson
A typical Los Angeles home sells for $999,652; the Tucson median is $387,022. Selling at one median and buying at the other leaves about $612,630 before closing and moving costs. Spend the full $999,652 instead and 33 of the 33 Tucson neighborhoods we track with at least 5 recent sales have a median at or below it. The closest to that budget: Ventana ($906,250), Catalina Foothills Estates ($839,708), Sam Hughes ($579,798), Canada Hills ($489,750). At 10% down and 7%, a $387,022 Tucson home runs about $2,946 a month with taxes and insurance, against about $7,552 for a $999,652 Los Angeles home.
Neighborhoods closest to the Tucson median:
| Neighborhood | Median sale price | Homes sold (3 mo.) |
|---|---|---|
| Rancho del Lago | $385,000 | 32 |
| Vanderbilt | $379,438 | 27 |
| Tucson Mountains | $394,863 | 302 |
For the lowest entry price, the most affordable well-sampled Tucson neighborhoods are Tucson Green Valley ($128,955), Green Valley-Desert Meadows ($252,412), Green Valley Desert Hills ($260,000).
Prices: Los Angeles Zillow Home Value Index 2025; Tucson Redfin, Jan–Jun 2026. Neighborhood medians and sale counts: Redfin rolling three-month windows, Jan–Jun 2026; neighborhoods with fewer than 5 sales are left out.
Taxes: Los Angeles vs Tucson
| Los Angeles, CA | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 1%–13.3% (graduated; 13.3% top rate) | 2.5% (flat rate) |
| Effective property tax | 0.66% | 0.73% |
| Property tax on the median home, per year | $6,598 | $2,825 |
On each city’s median home, property tax works out to about $6,598 a year in Los Angeles and $2,825 in Tucson. Tucson’s rate is higher, so the tax bill shrinks less than the price does.
Income tax: Tax Foundation 2024 state rates. Property tax: Census American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates, median taxes paid divided by median home value, city level.
Tucson neighborhoods to start with
Matched to Los Angeles: the lifestyle tags most common among Los Angeles neighborhoods in our data are suburban, upscale, family. The Tucson neighborhoods that share them most are Tucson Green Valley ($128,955), Green Valley-Desert Meadows ($252,412), The Villages of Green Valley ($275,000).
| Neighborhood | Median | Sales (3 mo.) | School rating | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson Green Valley | $128,955 | 40 | – | family, suburban |
| The Villages of Green Valley | $275,000 | 25 | – | family, suburban |
| Coyote Corridor | $302,500 | 22 | – | walkable, mixed |
| Rancho Sahuarita | $329,875 | 162 | 6/10 | suburban, mixed |
| Gladden Farms | $365,610 | 63 | – | rural, quiet |
| Saguaro Springs | $404,809 | 58 | – | urban, walkable |
| Rancho Vistoso | $475,000 | 175 | 8/10 | upscale, suburban |
| Ventana | $906,250 | 32 | – | upscale, gated |
Tucson’s citywide crime grade is C (FBI UCR 2025); the FBI does not publish it by neighborhood. School ratings appear only where one is on file. See every Tucson neighborhood on the Tucson neighborhoods page.
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Sources. Migration: IRS SOI 2022–2023. Home prices: market medians (Redfin Jan–Jun 2026; Zillow ZHVI 2025 for Los Angeles where noted). Property tax: Census ACS 2023. Income tax: Tax Foundation 2024. Crime: FBI UCR 2025. Verified October 11, 2026.