Ex-Californians attribute their relocation to high taxes and housing costs

Over half a million residents and myriad organizations have fled California in the last few years. While commonly brushed off as a post-pandemic problem, Brandon Ristoff from California Policy Center purports that “The Exodus” began plaguing our state long before COVID-19 did—due to residents’ cited insurmountable taxes and housing expenses. To receive daily updates of new Opp Now stories, click here.

A study by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has determined the type of people who are leaving California. While the media has been mostly focusing on the wealthiest people, the people who have actually left the state are typically lower and middle class people and tend to be under the age of 65…

What are the most common reasons people want to leave California?

In a 2019 Berkeley IGS poll, they looked at reasons why people are considering leaving the state. For younger people wanting to leave the state, the high cost of housing is their main complaint with California. For older people, they complain more about the state’s high taxes and the state’s political culture. The state’s political culture reason is the most common reason cited by conservatives.

This article originally appeared in the California Policy Center. Read the whole thing here.

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