CA: Droves say goodbye to Golden State

Mercury News ^ | 12/10/06 | Mike Swift

[NormsRevenge]

Wayne Brown gave up $40,000 in income to move from the Bay Area to Kansas. And he feels great.

It got to be too much last year for the college information-technology officer: the commute to downtown San Francisco that sometimes took two hours, the housing-price spiral and the high-wire borrowing that paid for it.

``I would find myself sitting in traffic,'' Brown recalled, ``screaming at people.''

When the Kansas job came up in early 2005, Brown and his wife, Teresa, sold two Bay Area homes and happily settled in a suburb of Kansas City. They have never looked back.

The Browns are an example of what demographers say appears to be an unprecedented phenomenon -- even in a good economy, more people are leaving California for other states than are arriving from the rest of the country.

Between 2004 and 2005, the migration flow into California from the other 49 states started flowing the other way. Data from the state Department of Finance shows that, for the first time this decade, more people left California in 2005 for another state than the number who moved in. Mary Heim, a finance department demographer, says this particular kind of outflow will continue for the foreseeable future.

Unlike the tens of thousands who left Silicon Valley following the tech bust earlier this decade, the new migration is about the quest for something besides a job: a better quality of life at a lower cost of living.

--snip--

... California's population of 37 million people is still growing, because of a surplus of births over deaths and because of foreign immigration.

[RobbyS]

They already have a goodhold in Austin.

[chiller]

Did that in '79. Well worth it. All I miss is the fall colors.

[LdSentinal]

With only one statewide office holder in the Republican Party?

Two now: Arnold and Steve Poizner.

[oceanview]

there is no where to run to anymore. sure, you can buy yourself some time. but there is no "utopia" in america anymore, whatever problems you have in the state you are fleeing from, its coming to your destination state in time. that's why I stay in NY.

[marajade]

I was born and lived in CA for nearly 30 years. My entire family still resides there. It is that simple.

[devane617]

Yep, Austin is like an island in Texas.

[marajade]

"Steve Poizner"

Insurance Commissioner. Whoa.

[goldstategop]

I'm one of those droves saying good-bye this week to the Golden State and I'm not looking back. Its just too expensive to buy a new home in California, the cost of living, the quality of life. I can do much better elsewhere. I'm the kind of guy who wants a champagne life on a beer budget. I can't have that here in this state.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[goldstategop]

Exactly. You can buy a bigger home in a safer neighborhood in other parts of this country for way, way, way less than you can in California. Apart from the climate, I don't see anything to keep me here.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Moonman62]

I was right.

[goron]

I moved from SoCal to AZ, drove their prices up by flipping properties, and moved to Austin.

I couldn't be happier. Austin is where its at, regardless of the liberals. Unemployment is less than 4%, there is a lot of entertainment, live music, culture, and young drunk women everywhere..

[CORedneck]

When I moved to Colorado about 11 years ago, it was pretty laid back but it has changed. Not so laid back today ! Like CA, Colorado is changing where only the well to do like corporate executives are the only ones to afford a decent lifestyle. Everyone else's lifestyle must take a dive. I find it is getting pretty expensive to go skiing. The amount of money I earn has hardly gone up but ski prices had almost doubled compared to 1999-2000.

Two years ago, I was in California in the L.A. area. I have a college friend that lives there and he and I agreed to meet on a Fri afternoon. I drove my old 91 Toyota Truck that has a few beauty marks from off roading. He told me to meet him at a restaurant off the 405, 190th and Vermont St. in Torrance. I was in shorts, sandals and t-shirt. Truck does not A.C. and it was a warm day. I parked in front of the restaurant and all the vehicles in the parking lot were high end cars such as Lexus, BMW's, Porsches. I got out of the truck and went inside. I got some pretty dirty looks not only from the head Maiter'd but also the clientele. About all of them were in dress clothes such as suits. Even with the dirty looks, no one said a word to me. I went over to the bar and the bartender was pretty cool with me. I ordered ice tea and my lunch from him. My friend showed up. After I finished, we went over to his office before we then headed to his house.

My one regret, I wish I took a picture of my truck parked among the high end vehicles.

[CORedneck]

Yep, same thing here in Colorado.......

Here in the South we are inundated with people telling us how they did things up North. Do the Californians do the same thing to you?

[Not A Snowbird]

the new migration is about the quest for something besides a job: a better quality of life at a lower cost of living.

That's why I left, and I'm a native Californian.

[Arizona Carolyn]

What can I say, ASU is in Tempe and I read some of their defeat Hayworth blogs, so I know what you mean about whacko's... what is coming out of the universities is downright scary. Too many 60's era, former hippies, professors.

[sheana]

We live in California now and are moving to Hawaii this coming summer, Big Island. People always say....but Hawaii is sooooooooo expensive! You are correct, we will be saving a bundle by moving there. No $600 a mnth electric bills, less property tax, etc.

[Arizona Carolyn]

You can always tell, here, when a Californian is behind us, they will try and run you down unless you step on the gas to get out of their way. They rule the roads donchaknow.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Didn't keep me there, my family all followed us to Arizona -- well, except my sister, she'll be along as soon as she gets her kids through college.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Where are you headed?

[mewzilla]

Ditto for NYS and MA. It's so bad both states could lose at least one House seat.