Despite allegations of a “mass exodus” from California over the past year, a new study released Thursday by a nonpartisan think tank found that 2020 is the most populous state in the United States, largely reflecting historical patterns.
California Policy Lab, which works with state governments to provide data on key issues, he said in a press release announcing the report’s findings that most of California residents’ movements in 2020 took place within the state.
The group found that the most significant change was a drop in the number of people moving to California.
However, the city of San Francisco has seen a record number of people leave during the coronavirus pandemic.
From last March to the end of 2020, net outflows from the city of Northern California increased by 649 percent compared to the same period in 2019, from 5,200 departures to 38,800, Policy Lab reported.
“While a mass exodus from California did not occur in 2020, the pandemic has changed some historical patterns, for example, fewer people have moved to the state to replace those who have left,” said Natalie Holmes. , a researcher at the Policy Lab and a graduate student at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California-Berkeley.
Holmes added: “At the county level, however, San Francisco is facing a unique and dramatic exodus, leading to 50% or 100% increases in gulf migration for some Sierras counties.”
Since 2015, the share of people who actually move the state has increased from 16% to 18%.
Evan White, executive director of the Policy Laboratory at UC Berkeley, said that while the state has yet to see evidence that wealthy residents are leaving the state in large numbers, exits from higher-income groups could have a negative impact on the state’s economy. future.
“Unfortunately, because the state relies heavily on income taxes for the rich, the departure of even a small number of rich people could have a negative impact on income if they are not replaced by new entrants,” White said in -a statement.
The study was based on data from University of California Consumer Credit Panel, which includes information on credit history adults who have lived in California since 2004.
The dataset includes a person’s zip code and credit information, which are updated quarterly, according to a press release Friday.
The policy lab defines a move as a change in the zip code from one quarter to another, which means that there may be data delays if a change in address is not reported immediately.