California might be one of the most beautiful states in the country, but no one wants to move there.
The Golden State was listed dead last on moving company U-Haul’s recent list of state growth, not simply because it lost more residents than any other state (you’d expect that of the most populous state), but because it also failed to attract new residents to replace the ones who left. The state has been losing hundreds of thousands of residents every year, but the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the migration, the study found. The Bay Area, particularly San Francisco, saw the most departures in the months after the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency.
New York City, supposedly the most glamorous city that the United States has to offer, experienced a similar exodus. More than 3.5 million New Yorkers left the city between Jan. 1 and Dec. 7 of last year, according to Unacast. But unlike California, New York was able to replace many of the residents who left with a new demographic of lower-income residents looking to make a change and swoop up (at reduced cost) the apartments being fled by higher earners fleeing to greener pastures.
Greener pastures and smaller government: The majority of people who left for good moved to states with lower taxes, better housing prices, and looser coronavirus restrictions. Californians headed for Texas, and New Yorkers left for Florida.
Maybe that’s why Republican-led states such as Texas are working hard to make sure these new residents stay. Texas recently announced that it was lifting all state-mandated coronavirus restrictions — not because the state’s officials don’t take the coronavirus seriously, but because they understand that residents can follow the proper protocols without direction.
“COVID has not suddenly disappeared,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “But state mandates are no longer needed.”
Florida has also been a top destination for people looking to return to life as normal.
“It’s a relief to be here,” said Connecticut-based consultant Boo Huth, 60, who traveled to South Florida in February. “It feels like we can finally breathe.”
In these states, restaurants are open, people are moving about freely outside, and the precautions requested by private businesses are reasonable. California and New York can’t say the same, and they’re losing people as a result. Perhaps this will change if the pandemic is finally declared over. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.
