The Golden State has seen a mass exodus of over 500,000 residents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to migration data from the US Census Bureau. The data reveals that residents have been leaving due to high housing prices, frequent natural disasters, and rising crime rates in urban areas.
The Daily Mail reported on Saturday that the largest declines in population were in San Francisco county, where the population dropped by 7.1 percent, and Lassen county, which saw a 7.5 percent decline. Lassen county was hit hard by the devastating Dixie wildfire in 2021.
REMEMBER: Democrats did this.
California exodus as 500,000 people flee Golden State in two years since the start of the pandemic as crime-ridden San Francisco sees biggest population drop, new US census data shows https://t.co/J5e8YuUUoa
— John Dennis (@RealJohnDennis) April 1, 2023
The affordability crisis in the housing market is one of the key factors driving the exodus, according to H.D. Palmer, the deputy director of external affairs at the California Department of Finance, who spoke to the Sacramento Bee. As prices continue to rise, more and more residents are finding it difficult to afford to live in the state.
"The primary reason for the exodus is the state’s high housing costs," explains the @latimes this morning. CA's decades-long failure to build enough housing has caused a shortage and affordability crisis that is driving families away from our Golden State. https://t.co/yijbIXzkDN
— California YIMBY (@cayimby) February 16, 2023
The exodus from California is a concerning trend that is likely to continue unless significant changes are made to address the housing crisis and natural disasters that have plagued the state in recent years.