Posted on 04/20/2006 1:59:51 PM PDT by Heartofsong83
Census: Americans Are Fleeing Big Cities By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer Thu Apr 20, 12:15 AM ET
WASHINGTON - Americans are leaving the nation's big cities in search of cheaper homes and open spaces farther out.
Nearly every large metropolitan area had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004, with a few exceptions in the South and Southwest, according to a report being released Thursday by the Census Bureau.
Northeasterners are moving South and West. West Coast residents are moving inland. Midwesterners are chasing better job markets. And just about everywhere, people are escaping to the outer suburbs, also known as exurbs.
"It's a case of middle class flight, a flight for housing affordability," said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "But it's not just white middle class flight, it's Hispanics and blacks, too."
The Census Bureau measured domestic migration — people moving within the United States — from 1990 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2004. The report provides the number of people moving into and out of each state and the 25 largest metropolitan areas.
The states that attracted the most new residents: Florida, Arizona and Nevada. The states that lost the most: New York, California and Illinois.
Among the 25 largest metropolitan areas, 18 had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004. New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — the three biggest metropolitan areas — lost the most residents to domestic moves. The New York metropolitan area had a net loss of more than 210,000 residents a year from 2000 to 2004.
Richard Florida, a professor of public policy at George Mason University, said smaller, wealthier households are replacing larger families in many big metropolitan areas.
That drives up housing prices even as the population shrinks, chasing away even more members of the middle class.
"Because they are bidding up prices, they are forcing some people out to the exurbs and the fringe," Florida said. "Other people are forced to make moves in response to that. I don't have any sense of this abating."
The metropolitan area that attracted the most new residents was Riverside, Calif., which has been siphoning residents from Los Angeles for years. The Riverside area, which includes San Bernardino and Ontario, had a net gain of 81,000 people a year from 2000 to 2004.
Riverside has grown to become the 13th largest metropolitan area in the nation. It's a short drive to several mountain ranges, and it's within driving distance of the beach. Locally, it is known as the Inland Empire.
"When you look at housing prices in Southern California, along the beaches and coastlines, you're able to obtain a very large home for a much lower price" in Riverside, said Cindy Roth, president and CEO of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.
Homes in Riverside aren't cheap. The median price — the point at which half cost more and half cost less — was $374,200 in 2005. But they are less expensive than Los Angeles, where the median price was $529,000.
Other areas that attracted a lot of new residents also have relatively inexpensive homes, even if they are not the cheapest in the country. Phoenix, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth round out the top five metropolitan areas.
This is news? It's only been going on for about 50 years or so.
I am seen the same up here in Canada. In the Toronto area, for instance, you have to travel up to around Barrie - 60 miles away from downtown - to really get into conservatism...
It's accelerating now.
The schools are night and day. So much more parent involvement out here. Wright county, I think, is the most Republican county in MN. God's country!
Beautiful yard--mind my asking where it is?
Nice spread you have there. Count me as envious. ;)
You mean like when they move to a farming community and then demand that the farmers not use manure on their fields because they don't like the smell?
BINGO!
This trend has only been going on for about 60 years.
The problem with many fleeing big cities to the rural areas is that they recognize, via their pocketbook, that they cannot live comfortably amongst liberalism (unsustainable)but still adhere to liberalism philosophically. They move to more conservative locals and immediately want to make it like the places they left. In fact, they quickly communicate with their liberal support systems and initiate liberal political processes, much to the dismay of locals who have openly invited them to share their lifestyles as good neighbors should. Before you know it, taxes are increased, private property is in danger, liberal organisations dominate the news, organized neighborhood organisations (dominated by politically savy liberals) have rights local individual citizens are denied and life becomes like the hell the liberals left.
See Post 6!
You phrased it much than I did though!
I just moved from Miami to Ocala, FL and feel like I moved back to America! Problem is, a lot of Northeasterners are moving down here as well. Ocala is growing quickly and jobs are plentiful.
How will the drive be when gasoline is $5 a gallon? Somewhere there is a tradeoff between housing and transportation.
Area / 2000-04 annual rate per 1000 / average annual number
San Francisco-Oakland-Freemont / -14.7 / -60,984
New York-Norther New Jersey-Long Island / -11.4 / -211,014
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy / -9.5 / -41,851
Los Angles-Long Beach-Santa Ana / -9.3 / -177,780
Not exactly the conservative hot beds. These are significant because the represent regional declines, not just people moving to the suburbs which is common in most major cities.
What kind of jobs are plentiful in Ocala? Check-out at the Publix?
I traded my view of Puget Sound for a view of Lake Ray Hubbard. The people, politics, and climate are all a 100% improvement.
Thanks. We must have crossed message at the same time. Mine needs to go another 3,000 miles...
We make the same points. I see it and live it every day. The libs from California and the Northwest are like a flush of bad weeds flourishing in fertile soil with no natural defenses.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.