California weather is not enough to keep everyone here
California faces economic troubles as increased housing prices lead to a decreased population and a smaller labor pool, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
The change in California’s economy is perpetrated most by millenials, according to CNBC.
Honglan Le is a junior biochemistry and honors humanities major who has lived in California for nearly her whole life. When she first moved here in the early 2000s, housing prices were low in California.
Le said taxes in California were insane and that people’s checks are significantly lower, gas prices are too high and even sales tax seemed pricey.
Jordyn Fouts, a junior honors humanities and English major, who moved here from Virginia, shared his thoughts on the housing crisis.
“With my major, there is not too much opportunity to make money,” Fouts said. “Staying in California is not a priority for me and because of that I might want to live somewhere cheaper just because it is super expensive to live here.”
The price of housing rose as more people began to move to California in the 1980s, according to the LA Times. This caused some backlash to the state as the cost of living became higher and more people came trying to chase their dreams.
“The cost of living, especially housing, is what stops the whole world from moving to California,” said USC demographer Dowell Myers, a longtime census expert for the LA Times.
Statewide, the median home value in California was $547,400 at the end of 2018, which is ompared to the national median home value of $217,600, according to CNBC.
Fouts expressed his frustration with the growing housing prices.
“It’s really hard to move here, especially if you are trying to have a family. People’s priorities are finding the best job and living in a sustainable way” Fouts said. “If you don’t have the greatest paying job it’s not practical to live here.”
The Legislative Analyst Office said the top states native Californians are moving to are Texas, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada.
However, people are still moving to California. In fact, those migrating into Los Angeles are people who make the most money. They have high incomes of more than $100,000 and graduate degrees, according to the LA Times.
“A lot of people want to live here because of the excellent location,” Fouts said. “My ideal place would be California, but cheaper.”
Le said she wants to stay here because of what California offers.
“I like California because you have the beach, the sun and the mountains and most places don’t have that,” Le said.
In addition, the tourist traffic in California is a growing business. The LA Daily News reported that tourism supports 1.163 million jobs for people.
“There is also a romanticization of California. California has a lot of opportunities,” Fouts said. “I know when I moved to Indiana, I told them I used to live in California. They didn’t understand why I moved there because everyone who doesn’t live in California thinks California is amazing.”
The most common states that people who move into California are from are New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan. Many people are drawn here from the cold, but will not live here all their lives.
The overall population still continues to grow, despite the departures from California, reports the LA Times.