Relocating from California
You did not leave California for a subdivision
If you are trading the coast for Austin, trade up to a real neighborhood. Clarksville, in the heart of 78703, is history, trees, and walkability two miles from downtown, at a price that still makes Californians look twice.
The move from California to Austin is one of the most well-worn paths in the country, and most of it ends in a new-build subdivision twenty-five miles from anything. That is not the trade most people picture when they leave the coast. They picture more life, not more driving.
Clarksville is the version of Austin that rewards the move. Founded in 1871 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it sits just west of downtown: a tree-canopied, walkable neighborhood of restored cottages and architect-led homes, with the West Lynn dining corridor at one edge and Lady Bird Lake at the other. It is where Californians who did their homework tend to land.
The trade you are actually making
What you leave, what you gain
State income tax
Among the highest top rates in the country on everything you earn.
State income tax
None. Texas has no personal state income tax, full stop.
What your equity buys
A modest footprint on a tight lot, often at a coastal premium.
What your equity buys
A restored historic home or architect-built infill, with room to breathe.
The commute
Hours a week surrendered to the 405 or the 101.
The commute
Minutes to downtown from Clarksville, most of it under live oaks.
Space and nature
You pay dearly for a yard and a shade tree.
Space and nature
A mature oak canopy and a real front porch come standard here.
The pace
Always on, always crowded, always a reservation away.
The pace
A walkable village ten minutes from a global tech capital.
An honest note on taxes: Texas trades income tax for a higher property tax rate than California. With no tax on what you earn, plus a homestead exemption on your primary residence, most high-earning households relocating from California still come out ahead, but you should run your own numbers before you move.
Why Clarksville, specifically
Central Austin, not the far edge of it
Not the suburbs you will be shown
Most relocation searches funnel Californians into far-out master-planned subdivisions. Clarksville is the opposite: a founded-in-1871 neighborhood two miles from downtown, with history, trees, and walkability you cannot build new.
Central, not a 45-minute drive
You did not leave California traffic to find it again in Austin. Clarksville sits just west of downtown, so work, the airport, dining, and Lady Bird Lake stay close.
The lifestyle you actually moved for
Coffee and dinner on West Lynn, trails at Pease Park, a quiet porch under the canopy. The walkable, unhurried life that is hard to find at a California price.
Homes with character
Restored 1900s cottages, hill-country modern infill, and boutique condominiums, not beige repetition. Architecture with a point of view, which Californians moving here tend to want.
Schools and family footing
Clarksville feeds top-rated Mathews Elementary and a strong Austin ISD path, with respected private options like St. Stephen's nearby.
Value that holds
Historic protection and genuine scarcity keep Clarksville resilient. For equity you are moving across state lines, that durability matters.
What your California equity buys
The same money, a different life
Ownership in Clarksville spans a real range, from a boutique condominium to an estate. Here is where your equity can land.
Prices move with the market. See the current picture in the Clarksville market report.
Buying from 1,500 miles away
Distance is not a disadvantage
You should not have to fly in blind or make an offer sight unseen. The process is built so a Californian can buy the right Clarksville home with one well-planned trip.
- 01
A call before the flight
We talk timeline, budget, must-haves, and how Clarksville fits against the rest of 78703. You arrive knowing the map, not guessing at it.
- 02
Video tours and off-market first looks
I walk homes for you on video, including quiet off-market opportunities that never reach Zillow, so distance is not a disadvantage.
- 03
One focused trip
We compress your in-person visit into a tight, high-signal tour of the real contenders, so a single trip is enough to decide with confidence.
- 04
A remote-ready close
Texas closings are routinely handled remotely with a mobile notary. You can buy your Clarksville home without living here yet.
Many of the best homes here sell quietly. Off-market Clarksville homes are a real advantage when you are buying from out of state.
Planning your move from California?
Start with someone who lives it
Tell Luke where you are coming from, your timeline, and what you want your life in Austin to feel like. He will send a straight read on Clarksville and 78703, including homes you will not find on Zillow, and map out the move from first call to keys.
Luke Allen · TREC #788149 · Austin Marketing + Development Group
Good to know
Moving from California, answered
- Why are so many Californians moving to Austin?
- Californians move to Austin for a lower overall tax burden (Texas has no state income tax), more home for the money, a strong job market led by technology, and a central, walkable lifestyle. Many who want history and walkability rather than far-out subdivisions settle in close-in neighborhoods like Clarksville in 78703.
- What is the best Austin neighborhood for people moving from California?
- For transplants who want to stay central, walkable, and surrounded by character rather than new-build sameness, Clarksville and the broader Old West Austin area (78703) are a natural fit. Clarksville is a historic neighborhood founded in 1871, minutes from downtown, with a mature tree canopy, the West Lynn dining corridor, and strong schools.
- Does Texas have a state income tax?
- No. Texas levies no personal state income tax. Texas does rely more on property tax than California does, so the honest comparison is no tax on your earnings against a higher property tax rate. For most high-earning households relocating from California, the overall burden still comes out lower, but you should run your own numbers.
- How does the cost of a Clarksville home compare to California?
- It depends on where in California you are leaving, but relocating buyers consistently find their equity goes further in Clarksville. Ownership in 78703 starts in the high $300s for a boutique condominium and rises to multimillion-dollar estates, with restored historic homes and architect-led infill in between.
- Can I buy a home in Clarksville remotely from California?
- Yes. The process is built for it: a planning call, video tours and off-market first looks, one focused in-person trip to see the real contenders, and a remote closing handled with a mobile notary. Many relocating buyers purchase before they have fully moved.
Keep reading: why Clarksville, the neighborhood guide, schools, or, if you are a physician, Clarksville for doctors.