People are leaving California because of the high cost of living, expensive housing and politics.
Actually, turns out, that’s a myth.
According to a UC San Diego study there’s been no change during the pandemic and the percentage of Californians who say they plan on leaving.
Researchers found by a two-to-one margin that most people believe that California is a good fit for them. The study did show that finances are a factor, people with more money are more optimistic.
“People getting crushed are people in the middle, people at incomes from $50,000 to $100,000," said UC San Diego political science professor and co-author of the study Thad Kousser. "Folks who might be able to buy a house in another state but really struggle to be homeowners in California, that’s the group least optimistic about the direction of the state."
Another factor was age – younger Californians 18-24 years old are more positive about the state's future, but older residents are the ones less likely to leave.
"Senior citizens don’t say they are likely to leave California and that may be because they have very high homeownership rates compared to young Californians," said Kousser.
According to the study, the majority of Californians say they’re not going anywhere, but do think the state is too crowded and hope they’re neighbors move.
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