California here I come — or maybe not.
The number of residents moving into the Golden State has tumbled to historic lows, with an inflow of 422,075 people last year amounting to 1.09 percent of its population, the lowest “attraction rate” in the U.S., the Orange County Register reported, citing figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The new arrivals equal 5.6 percent of the nation’s 7.55 million interstate movers.
Florida drew the most incoming residents last year, at 636,933, followed by Texas at 611,942 and California’s 422,075.
But in the past two decades, minus 2020’s statistical lockdown, arrivals into the Golden State have never been lower.
The inflow last year was 11 percent below 2022, the largest one-year percentage-point dip in 20 years.
Blame California’s affordability, scaring off many who would otherwise enjoy the state’s culture and climate, according to the Register.
“And there’s a good slice of non-Californians who don’t care for the state’s progressive politics,” the newspaper said.
Across the U.S., interstate moves last year were off 8 percent, with 17 states having worse drops in newcomers than the Golden State, led by Connecticut, off 35 percent and Montana, off 24 percent.
At the same time, popularity among the nation’s three biggest states sagged, according to the Register.
The Texas inflow was off 8 percent, the 26th-biggest dip, while Florida’s was off 14 percent. Maryland had the biggest gain in newcomers, up 16 percent, followed by Hawaii, up 4 percent.
The shallow appeal of the Golden State was best shown in how its inflow compared to its population, with a dead-last “attraction rate” of 1.09 percent, according to the Register.
The best draws, based on population, were the District of Columbia, with 8.48 percent of residents being newcomers, followed by North Dakota at 4.44 percent. Texas was No. 41 at 2.03 percent, while Florida was No. 23 at 2.84 percent.
In the lowest category, above California, was Michigan, at 1.4 percent, Louisiana at 1.5 percent, and Illinois, Ohio and New York, at 1.6 percent.
— Dana Bartholomew
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