Californians and Texans are beefing over which state is better to live in

California vs. Texas

Some said the family made a mistake leaving California in the first place. Others said the family’s experience didn’t reflect the reality of life in Texas.

We used AI to analyze sentiment in the reader comments on Alcynna’s story and found pro-Texas takes seemed to hold a slight majority.

“Texas is very diverse, and not all parts of Texas are the same,” one commenter said, adding that life in El Paso — where the family Alcynna spoke to currently lives — can be pretty different from the state’s other cities.

Of course, there were plenty of pro-California takes, too.

“As a 4th-generation Texan that moved to California, all I can say is Welcome Back!” wrote a commenter. “Yes, its cheaper to live in Texas, but you get what you pay for.”

The reactions got me thinking why this debate remains so heated. For many Americans, the California-versus-Texas question is shorthand for broader societal issues, like affordability, jobs, politics, taxes, culture, and housing.

I’m a New Yorker, but my in-laws are in Dallas. Every time we visit, they make their pitch for us to move there permanently. (Sorry, it isn’t happening.)

California or Texas, what’s your preferred state to live and why? Let me know what you think at srussolillo@insider.com.