The “domestic migration” chart shows what happened to California years ago setting the stage for where we are today. The steep inward migration during WWII was essentially people coming here to work building war materiel, a large percentage of whom were Black. The shipyards, and aircraft plants drew them. Richmond, CA had a large Kaiser Shipyard turning out Liberty and later Victory ships. There was also so a Ford plant there turning out military vehicles. Richmond became a “black” city back then and it still is today, but unfortunately all that manufacturing left right after the war leaving the new immigrants with nothing to do, so they went on public assistance and continued to procreate. When you add to that the 5 million “illegals” we currently harbor from Mexico, it’s easy to see why the percentages are so high. But California is not a “poor” state. Real estate here is very high and it is in short supply (at least it is here in the Bay Area). That in and of itself is forcing some people to leave (some are cashing out their RE mother lode when they retire and move to Nevada or some other neighboring state where the cost of living is lower). Others are leaving because they can’t afford to live here. So California is “peachy” for some, but not for others. Personally, it doesn’t bother me that people are leaving, but unfortunately we are still growing with the wrong kind of people.
Municipal bankruptcies are becoming more common and that will increase. The state cannot bankroll these bankruptcies because it hangs on the precipice of financial disaster itself. I keep hoping that it’s financial circumstances will force it to change, but thus far the smoke and mirrors is hiding the truth. Failing everything else, the collapse will come, but unlike places like Detroit, it’s likely to take longer.
When you are at 20+% poverty rate and the extremely high real estate prices/values you cited, it comes darn close to the “third world” land I referred to, don’t you?