California led the nation in the number of people leaving their state in 2023, according to recent figures. The Golden State competed with other states dominated by the Democratic Party, including New York and Illinois.
California’s cities saw significant numbers leaving this year, including San Diego, Santa Barbara and Sacramento.
The news is not new, however, as California lost a seat in Congress following the 2020 Census for the first time in the state’s history. A recent poll found that 29% of Californians planned to leave the state this year.
Census figures showed that the state lost about 75,000 people between 2022 and 2023.
As residents left California en masse, they have been moving to other states such as Florida.
The Sunshine State was the number one destination for Americans to move to this year, including major city centers such as Tampa Bay and Jacksonville.
According to information from the moving company PODS, Americans chose southern states to move to disproportionately. Other states, such as North and South Carolina were not far behind.
In the latest US census, New York & California recorded the largest population declines.
Americans are VOTING WITH THEIR FEET away from high-tax and overly regulated RADICAL LEFT-WING progressive states.https://t.co/wjMlkvbILk
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) December 28, 2023
Conservative critics cite a number of reasons for the significant exodus from California. The state regularly ranks as having among the highest taxes. The state also has a significant level of regulation, which is often seen by critics as one of the causes of the state’s economic difficulties.
In addition, California has suffered from a sharp increase in crime since 2020, especially in the major cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. San Francisco has seen a significant exit of major businesses, citing the cost of doing business, homelessness and crime in their reasoning.
The topic of outmigration was a major topic during the recent debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
Newsom was asked a question about why people were leaving his state by the thousands, but failed to give a cogent answer in response.
However, DeSantis spoke about meeting an individual who left California for Florida, revealing that the man in question was Newsom’s father-in-law.
