There’s a reason California is easily the most populous state in the country, outdistancing No. 2 Texas by about 8. ... expensive state based on a cost-of-living index devised by the Missouri ...

And how do California’s big economic rivals fare by this cost metric? Florida was 11th most expensive, 3.4% above average.

Texas is no longer the No. 1 state Americans are moving to. Learn where Americans are heading, according to new data.

But this cost-of-living score is just one slice of ... ($53,700), Alabama ($54,400), and Georgia ($54,700). And California’s rivals? Texas ranked 23rd at $61,900, while Florida ranked 37th ...