A Texas sign on a traffic sign. (gguy44 / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin June 20, 2026 at 8:30am
Texas made a significant gain over California as the Lone Star State attracts businesses and the Golden State loses them.
There are now 57 headquarters of Fortune 500 companies based in Texas, according to a report from Fox Business, surpassing the 56 total in California.
Just two years ago, California — the most populated state in the nation — had the lead.
Everything’s bigger in Texas — including not only the sheer number of large public companies calling the state home, but also the combined size of those companies.
The 57 firms based in Texas generated $2.8 trillion in revenue, while those in California drew in $2.7 trillion.
California loses Fortune 500 crown to Texas as billionaire tax threat looms https://t.co/9GB0vYOHPi
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) June 5, 2026
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the news, pointing to the business climate fostered by the state.
“Texas is the undisputed headquarters of headquarters,” Abbott said in a statement.
“The world’s leading businesses invest with confidence in Texas because of our welcoming business climate, predictable regulatory environment, and skilled and growing workforce. People and businesses are choosing Texas because Texas works.”
Fox Business noted that some of the companies moving their headquarters or legal incorporations to Texas from blue states over the past year include ExxonMobil, Chevron, Samsung Electronics America, and SpaceX.
Several major companies have left California to invest more in Texas.
One recent factor of the business exodus lies in a new California tax proposal that would charge a 5 percent one-time tax on the assets of wealthy families.
The households must have over $1 billion in assets — potentially impacting roughly 200 California residents.
Some wealthy business leaders have meanwhile started investing more time in Texas.
Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and David Sachs have moved to Texas, as has Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick lives in the Austin area.
“Americans are voting with their feet. They want places that are livable. They want places that are workable. They want places that are sustainable and affordable,” Texas REALTORS Chair Jennifer Wauhob told Fox Business.
“And so I think this migration, as we call it, is really turning into a long-term shift.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
