More residents left California than arrived in 2005, agency says

bjornson · #1 Posted: **Dec 11, 2006, 8:58 PM**

This is an Associated Press article the L.A. Times presented.

More residents left California than arrived in 2005, agency says
From Associated Press
12:27 PM PST, December 11, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO -- For the first time in a decade, the number of residents who left California for another state in 2005 exceeded newcomers who moved here, according to the newest figures from the state Department of Finance.

California recorded a domestic net loss of about 29,000 people last year -- the first negative flow of residents since the mid-1990s. The biggest recent loss was in 1994, when the sputtering state economy helped California lose about 350,000 residents to the other 49 states.

The most common destinations for the newest crop of departing Californians were Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Washington and Oregon.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the high cost of housing was the primary reason people fled the nation's most populous state, which has more than 37 million residents.

The number of Californians who could comfortably pay the mortgage on an entry-level home fell to 24 percent in the third quarter -- down from 44 percent in 2003, according to the California Association of Realtors. The statewide median home price in the third quarter was $563,190.

Stephen Gallant moved to Michigan this summer after nearly three years in the posh Silicon Valley suburb of Los Gatos, trading a $2 million house for one in a Detroit suburb that was about half the cost and double the size.

"It was all about lifestyle," said Gallant, former chief financial officer for Global Motorsport Group Inc.

"If I'm going to spend $1 million on a house as opposed to $2 million, that opens up a lot of purchasing power, the ability to go out and do other things," he said.

In previous decades, waves of departing Californians were primarily white. But the newest exodus includes unprecedented numbers of Hispanics, primarily Mexican-Americans.

The analysis by Hans Johnson, a demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California, found that about 320,000 more Hispanics left California than arrived from other states between 2000 and 2005.

Asians were the only ethnic group to have more people move into California than leave, according to Johnson.

The state gained nearly 33,000 Asians from elsewhere in the United States from 2000 to 2005 while losing 441,000 whites and 67,000 African-Americans.

In the past five years, the overall state population grew by 2.9 million people, including 1.2 million foreign immigrants, according to the California Department of Finance.

WonderlandPark · #2 Posted: **Dec 11, 2006, 9:09 PM**

This is domestic migration, there is still growth from immigrants from foreign nations. In that light, this isn't that suprising. And soon there may be one more Californian moving out of state, me, and for the reasons cited in the article, someday I hope to own a house and it is simply outrageous here.

Visiteur · #3 Posted: **Dec 11, 2006, 9:31 PM**

Yeah, this is completely natural. Generally, pop increases, but there will be some downs.

Buckeye Native 001 · #4 Posted: **Dec 11, 2006, 9:50 PM**

I'd like for the housing market to cool, but this is California we're talking about.

BTinSF · #5 Posted: **Dec 11, 2006, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjornson

In the past five years, the overall state population grew by 2.9 million people, including 1.2 million foreign immigrants, according to the California Department of Finance.

Given that, I wouldn't care if we did actually lose 29000 last year but, as others have said, it does appear the net loss counts only domestic population flows and California gains large numbers of immigrants every year for another net gain. If the 29000 loss number does count foreign immigration (the article seems unclear on that to me), it almost certainly undercounts illegal immigration so I'm quite comfortable the state once again gained people.

BrighamYen · #6 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 12:29 AM**

^ I remember reading another article a few months ago that did indeed claim that foreign immigrants continued to move to CA, which would actually give the state a net gain. Mostly Asian and Hispanic of course.

WesTheAngelino · #7 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 1:01 AM**

I'm not the least bit worried about this, there have been articles like this for the past tow years at least.

Let's keep in mind that we have upwards of 35,000,000 people in this state. A net loss of 29,000 is barely a drop in the bucket, and I would be curious to know the numbers of how many moved out and how many moved in? I.e. if one million people left yet 1 million 29,000 moved in, then is there really need for concern? That would still be a huge number of people wanting to move from some other state to California

tujunga · #8 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 5:29 AM**

Just another cycle coming to an end.

It happens to neighborhood, cities, states, and sometimes entire countries as with the migrations from Mexico and South America to the US. There is currently a number of Americans migrating to Baja California, it is the new frontier.

RAlossi · #9 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 6:25 AM**

How many California children turned 18 or entered the workforce over the past five years? As was said before, "a drop in the bucket" compared to total gain

dlbritnot · #10 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 7:15 AM**

Sounds like less and less Republicans to worry about.

bjornson · #11 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 7:22 AM**

No no no no, we've still got the ones in Orange County, San Diego County, and all of the Inland Empire!

liat91 · #12 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 7:54 AM**

Yeah, my wife, son and myself left in 2004. I know that many immigrants are starting to bypass good ol' Cali alltogether as well. Anyone from Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, Denver can also tell you that when they visit the Bay Area (if your paying attention) you can tell how much older the population seems respective to their own cities. I really think the population in California won't be growing at the current pace much more into the future. With low birthrates of Asians and the rapidly declining birthrates of Hispanic immigrants and lot's of young families moving away to have their children in other states will contribute to California greying much faster than the rest of the nation.

RAlossi · #13 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 7:56 AM**

^ I sincerely doubt that California will gray faster than the rest of the nation because it is such a destination for the young -- consider our universities and colleges, among other things. General trend of getting older, sure. But not moreso than the rest of the nation, IMO. Not that I'm a scientist or anything..

BTinSF · #14 Posted: **Dec 12, 2006, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by liat91

Anyone from Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, Denver can also tell you that when they visit the Bay Area (if your paying attention) you can tell how much older the population seems respective to their own cities.

I don't know. I divide my time between Tucson and SF so I see more than just the Bay Area. SF seems unusually full of young (early 20's) people. What's missing to some extent are those in the family formation years--30's/40's. They move to the distant burbs (or out of state in some cases) for roomier homes and better schools, but when they become empty nesters a lot of 'em move back. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. The city is best for young and older childless folks IMHO and that's who's there.

liat91 · #15 Posted: **Dec 13, 2006, 8:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTinSF

I don't know. I divide my time between Tucson and SF so I see more than just the Bay Area. SF seems unusually full of young (early 20's) people. What's missing to some extent are those in the family formation years--30's/40's. They move to the distant burbs (or out of state in some cases) for roomier homes and better schools, but when they become empty nesters a lot of 'em move back. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. The city is best for young and older childless folks IMHO and that's who's there.

I'm speaking Metro wide.