FACT BRIEFIs California losing population, including among those with high incomes?
YES
After its population peaked at 39.6 million in January 2020, by July 2022 California lost 600,000 residents because of an increase in deaths and residents moving to other states, along with a decline in international migration.
Each year since 2018, California also experienced a net loss of high-income (five times the poverty level) working-age adults to interstate migration. The pace of this loss is accelerating, with a mild decline in 2018 and 2019, a moderate decline in 2020 and a steep decline in 2021.
These migrations are enabled by expanded opportunities to work online, and appear motivated by California’s high taxes and cost of living. The state has one of the most expensive median prices of a home in the nation and the highest top income tax rate. Nevada and other states with no income tax are leading destinations for departing Californians. California was one of seven states to lose population in the 2020 census.
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Sources
Public Policy Institute of California About California's population
Public Policy Institute of California Who’s Leaving California—and Who’s Moving In?
Public Policy Institute of California Racial/Ethnic Differences in Who’s Leaving California
Press Reader Why high-income Californians are leaving
Motley Fool Average House Price by State
Intuit 10 states with the highest personal income tax rates
Nevada Independent 2020 Census highlights
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