According to the US Census Bureau, hundreds of thousands of people left California in 2022.
Thursday’s population estimates show that California has lost residents for the third year in a row, continuing a decade-long pattern of individuals leaving the state in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
The population decline was so severe that the state actually lost a congressional seat.
California's population has declined three years in a row.
We are the world’s 4th largest economy in spite of Gavin Newsom. pic.twitter.com/jNh7boJ9Wr— Kevin Dalton (@KevinForBOS) December 23, 2022
Of Course, Politics Matters
According to the Sacramento Bee, the state of California lost around 114,000 citizens (from 39,142,991 in July 2021 to 39,029,342 in July 2022) over those two years. In that year, there were more births than deaths. 125,715 people moved to the state from outside.
The departure of 343,230 residents to other states in the United States accounted for most of the population drop.
Officials in California’s state government are, of course, hoping to profit from this situation. H.D. Palmer, the state’s assistant director of external affairs for the Financial Department, admitted the drop, but anticipated future development.
He argued the figures are consistent with the long-term trend and the focus on emigration was motivated less by demography than by politics.
Politics has unquestionably had a major influence on this development, regardless of the reasons given.
The state government’s policies have contributed significantly to the state’s housing affordability issue. Many people in California were unhappy with the prolonged lockdown orders issued during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Some parts of cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have been transformed by their local government into dystopian hellscapes rife with homelessness and poverty.
It doesn’t help that the district attorneys within those cities care more about protecting criminals than they do about safeguarding law-abiding citizens. These and other laws have bolstered the perception that California is no more the place to be.
What an embarrassment for California and NY Democrats pricing their working class population out to the South. pic.twitter.com/R2Bdn7Bv8b
— Darrell Owens (@IDoTheThinking) December 23, 2022
Beyond the Rosy Weather
Many people who used to live in California are now relocating to places like Texas, Florida, some purple states, and others that do not have the same problems as the Golden State.
Looking at the difference in the standard of living in Texas and California, one can understand the sentiments of those who are considering making the move. The reality is that life in a state like Texas is a lot simpler than in the majority of Californian metropolises.
The state of California’s administration is the root of many of the state’s problems. Things look like they are only going to grow worse until the people become fed up and elect new leadership, which seems unlikely to happen any time soon.
With the spotlight shifting to state politics, it is not unexpected that individuals are leaving populous states like California and New York in droves. Maybe the much talked about divorce on a national scale is already occurring without any outside intervention.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
