New Census Data Reveals 700,000 Have Abandoned California In 2 Years

New census data reveal that California’s population has shifted nearly three-quarters of one million people in the past two years. 

According to the latest census data, California’s population has dropped by more than 500,000 between April 2020 and July 2022, with nearly 700,000 residents leaving the state. Nearly half the state’s population loss is attributed to Los Angeles, one of California’s largest cities.

“There is a fast, clear and sharp spike during the pandemic,” Paul Ong is the director of UCLA’s Center for Neighborhood Knowledge. He spoke about Los Angeles’ net population loss.  

Ong said that the exodus of Los Angeles was due to many factors, including rising housing prices and remote working. Ong also stated that people moved because of the pandemic. “away from the denser urban core, where COVID-19 risk was perceived as being higher.”

According to the state Department of Finance, California lost about 211,000 people from July 2021 to July 2022, with nearly half — 113,048 — from Los Angeles County. Los Angeles lost approximately 160,000 residents in the previous year, according to records.

This trend is consistent with a decline in California’s population over many years. The COVID pandemic has further exacerbated the problem. California’s decline in population is second only that of New York which lost about 15,000 more. However, net migration out California is greater than any other state. New York is second.

Experts attribute the exodus to the state’s high cost of living, especially when it comes to housing, as well as long commutes and overcrowding in urban areas. The reasons people are moving away from the state include pollution, crime and overcrowding. Los Angeles’ homeless encampments have also become more burdensome to residents. In December 2022, newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass officially declared a state of emergency over the city’s homeless crisis. 

The data shows that while California’s population shrinks, other states have seen population growth. Utah and other states have warned Californians against moving to their states. Gov. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said last week that Californians should “stay in California.”

The highest population increases occurred in Texas and Florida between April 2020 to July 2022. There were approximately 884,000 people moving to Texas, and 770,000 in Florida.

“While salaries in other regions and states are lower, the cost of housing is even lower,” Ong stated. “This means that they have a higher standard of living because of more disposable income and/or high chance of owning.”

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