The blimp in time that took two years of life as we knew it also ushered a mass exodus from the state of California. Between 2020 and 2022, U.S. Census data records show that a total of 508,903 people relocated from the state. California follows New York, the top state to experience a record-breaking population decline at 524,079.
Long commutes, pollution, crime, and high cost of living are the main reasons for people leaving the Golden State. Among the residents leaving in 2021 were also 153 companies, including Tesla, Oracle, Kaiser Aluminum, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and more.
More than 300 companies have left California since 2018, according to a report from Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Businesses are making the swift move to more business friendly states that have lower tax rates, labor costs, and utilities.
People gained more mobility over the pandemic as work culture transitioned from everyday commuting to remote-friendly roles. Additional funds from 401ks, padded unemployment benefits, and pandemic relief also aided people in their life-changing moves to different states.
Even with the mass exoduses from California and New York, these two states are still among the most populous states in the U.S. California recorded 39,029,342 people and New York recorded 19,677,151 people in July 2022. Hence why there is still issues with traffic, housing, and employment.
Meanwhile, other states are experiencing an influx of new residents as these popular states hemorrhage.
“Increasing by 470,708 people since July 2021, Texas was the largest-gaining state in the nation, reaching a total population of 30,029,572,” a statement from the U.S. Census Bureau reads. “By crossing the 30-million population threshold this past year (2022), Texas joins California as the only states with a resident population above 30 million.”
Florida recorded a whopping 706,597 increase in population over the two-year period. Other states that welcomed more residents include Tennessee and Arizona.
