Californians are leaving the Golden State in considerable numbers, according to recent census data. While many Californians are moving to larger states such as Texas and Florida, a significant number are also moving to Arkansas.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) wrote an op-ed discussing the wave of Californians heading to the Natural State.
Sanders credits a number of factors driving residents to leave California, including “more freedom, a lower cost of living, a more family-friendly quality of life.”
In addition, she wrote that many people are “just tired,” including opposition to coronavirus lockdowns, crime and “preening politicians who won’t do anything to address the real issues they’re facing.”
The governor cited what she called “thousands of California refugees,” citing about 3,000 individuals who swapped the Golden State for Arkansas in 2023 alone. She wrote that her state is now among the top five states for inbound migration.
“And the flow isn’t slowing down anytime soon,” she wrote.
Sanders credited a number of actions by her administration, including what she describes as “the boldest education reforms in the country,” including a school choice program and two tax cuts.
She wrote that the state is “cracking down on crime, getting woke nonsense out of our schools and keeping kids safe online.”
More than 32,000 people have left California for other states so far this year alone. California, like New York, has seen a significant migration of residents in recent years.
The state also lost a total of 340,000 net residents between 2021 and 2022, with a number moving for traditionally Republican states, including Florida, Texas and Arizona.
Between 2021 and 2022, about 60,000 people moved from California to Texas net. Almost 27,000 moved from the Golden State to neighboring Nevada.
The liberal state exodus continues.
California to Texas: 102,442 moves
New York to Florida: 91,201 movesAmericans keep voting with their feet. pic.twitter.com/BxDcrxkpKE
— Stephen Moore (@StephenMoore) October 30, 2023
The number of individuals leaving the state has increased in recent years, including a spike during and after the global pandemic.
New York has also faced a significant outflow of residents in recent years, including a similar flow of residents to states with Republican governors, such as Texas and Florida.
