New Poll Finds That More Californians Than Ever Are Considering Leaving The State
The poll also shows Republicans and those facing high housing costs are more likely to move out of state
By Evan Symon, October 24, 2019 5:48 pm
A new poll from UC Berkeley has found that over half of all Californians have given at least “some consideration” to move to another state.
While California has seen a jump in moving outside the state in recent years, the Berkeley poll has shown that nearly a quarter of all residents have given it serious consideration – the highest percentage ever polled. This number is on par with a Gallup poll from 2015 that showed similar numbers. As discussed in the Globe‘s series ‘Leaving California’, former Californians have been partially motivated to go because of high housing costs and the general cost-of-living.
The Berkeley poll also revealed the influence of political differences, as 85% of people identifying as a Republican blamed California’s political climate for wanting a move; 77% of Republicans thinking of a move also cited taxes being too high to live in the state anymore.
“This is a far cry from what California used to be only 30 years ago,” explained Stuart Conner, a pollster who tracks historical trends in Orange County. “Going into the 80’s, while California certainly did have a strong Democratic and liberal presence, especially in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, it was still considered to be red. This was Nixon’s state, and Reagan’s. But as California gained more seats and attracted more and more people who were liberal, Republicans became fewer and fewer. Today we only have a small handful of Congressmen who are red, and in Sacramento both the Senate and the Assembly are majority blue.”
“A lot of remaining Republicans don’t like what the state has become and they’re going. From the polls I’ve helped to conduct we’ve found that many of those moving go to Arizona or Texas, two states that are red as well as warmer year round.”
However the poll also found that younger people in California are more willing to stay, as they have an overall younger population, a trend of Democratic leanings, and large amounts of tech jobs that appeal to younger people.
The poll also revealed that half of all Californians considered California the best state to live in.
What does this say about the future?
“Based on Berkeley, Gallup, and polls we conduct, California is going to get more blue, with more Republicans moving out, barring some major demographic change,” said Conner. “We’ve seen it before, such as the Dust Bowl bringing many conservative voters to California, and the rise of the counter-cultural movement solidifying San Francisco as solidly blue in the 60’s and 70’s.”
“But right now the biggest movers are older Republicans and younger and middle aged people in the lower-middle class leaving California because of costs. It also shows, that if housing isn’t made more affordable or wages don’t go up, California may be seeing more people leave. That means possible lost congressional seats and a reduced overall tax base.”
“Only time can tell at this point.”
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We tried it and the grass ain’t any greener folks….
Stay and fight and vote out the Democrats! Fight their ballot harvesting and ballot box corruption!!!
This is a battle for the future of California…
Start by recalling Gavin” Trump Derangement Syndrome” Newsom immediately!!!
I am simultaneously happy and saddened by this series. I grew up in California in the 70’s-80’s and left in 1990 to serve in the U.S. Army. I met my Texas soldier wife and when we ended our respective Army tours, it was she who insisted that we relocate to Texas to attend university and raise a family. Early on, I was not thrilled to relocate to Texas for many, many reasons, and missed my beloved California for many reasons as well. Fast forward to today, and I absolutely know my wife was right all along. We did in fact earn our college degrees, found excellent careers, met wonderful friends, purchased a home, contributed and received from our community, and raised two men who have in turn graduated from university with no debt., and who also have excellent careers. Along the way, we have traveled extensively (we still travel to CA once or twice a year), have ample savings, enjoy a supreme quality of living, and are on schedule to retire comfortably before the age of 60. Having friends and family still in CA, many of whom have never experienced much other than CA their entire lives, I am puzzled as to why they still haven’t left. Fear I suppose, their own family and community ties, and obviously the spectacular weather. I am saddened to read so many stories about people struggling there, and a recent trip to the L.A. I was very saddened to see the dramatic and sudden increase in decay and homelessness, next to extreme wealth – which makes sense considering high population, rigid business regulations, and irresponsible financial expenditures (eg. public pension amounts, high speed rail to nowhere, prop 13 on business vs. residential to name a few). I remember as a child the constant propaganda about CA and how superior life there was to everywhere else, and it was certainly a great place to grow up, but today I would say CA has lost its luster, and so would the many ex Californians living in Texas that I meet. If you’re considering a move, just do it, you might broaden your perspective as I have done, and realize other places are just as golden.
There is something to be said for moving to where you are not under a constant threat of violence out of the blue from one of the protected progressive lunatics. Any thug can wheel a grocery cart of less than $950 out the door, and flip off the store manager on the way out because no one prosecutes petty theft anymore. If you try to hold him, you will be sued.
When you have lost your law and order, your public sanitation, and fair and honest elections, what is the point of hoping things will get better?