Idaho had the highest percentage of people move there in 2020 of all 50 states. Our population went up 2.2% in 2020. If that percentage trend stays the same, Idaho will have a 50% growth in just 20 years. If the same occurred in California, there would go from 40,000,000 to 60,000,000 in 20 years. California's population has been growing since it became a state, until like two years ago when it went flat and then down.
This is from multiple factors, most of which we are just guessing at. International immigration dropped quite a bit for one thing...but to deny people are leaving California seems a little goofy. I do not think just looking at home prices tells the entire story. There is definitely lag time in home prices in a place as saturated as California. The truth of the matter is that people are leaving California.
The population of California in 2020 was 39,368,078, a 0.18% decline from 2019.
The population of California in 2019 was 39,437,610, a 0% increase from 2018.
The population of California in 2018 was 39,437,463, a 0.25% increase from 2017.
The population of California in 2017 was 39,337,785, a 0.48% increase from 2016.
This is even more amazing considering that although international immigration (legal and illegal) was suppressed more than normal in recent history, California is a state that still gets a lot of immigrants. You can ask those who leave why, and everyone will have his or her own answer, but I suspect it might have something to do with people getting tired of the politics, or results of the policies, and the way they handle crisis....and/or trying to get out of the congestion and valuing space after COVID. Who knows? But it doesn't take many people leaving high population states (especially ones with 40 million people) and coming to Idaho (as an example) to have a pretty profound effect on a state with only 1.7 million people.
Now, to my comment on California being a shithole, that is my opinion. I live in Idaho. I moved here to hunt public land. That was the only reason I moved. Most Californias would probably think Idaho is a shithole with too few jobs, all of which are underpaid to their standards. They would smell a cow patty and vomit, and see my hounds and bird dogs and think I should go to prison for life (because they don't believe in capital punishment) on account of how lean they are. I already have had some great conversations with California transplants walking their sweater-clad Pomeranians coming off the mountain in winter with a couple of my collared up hounds and happy buddy who has a bloody pack with a mountain lion's tail sticking out of the top.
That is why they live there and I live here.
I do like what someone wrote about assimilating to the culture you choose to migrate to...to some extent. It shouldn't be a surprise when you get to where you are going. Anyone who comes to Idaho and openly advocates against hunting and firearm ownership is no different than an American taking a plane to Nepal, getting off the plane and telling everyone they should speak English and accept the dollar as their new currency, and then try to get it on the ballot.
I have been to California. I have seen the needles, the piles of shit in the street and the homeless camps. This is a small part of California and I realize that, but the policies enacted by their law makers (empowered by the voters) to remedy said problems, quell riots and chaos and maintain some semblance of order will not improve their situation anytime soon. If anything, most policies will exacerbate those situations. The state is deteriorating. I suspect that has something to do with recent population trends.
But again, they can move, reside to anywhere they want and vote however they want. It's America. My argument isn't to keep them out. My argument is that they will have a bigger negative impact on Idaho's hunting through their voting than people who come here specifically for hunting opportunities.
Beautiful Los Angeles....
www.zillow.com
