California’s Population Shrank in 2021 for Second Year in a Row
“California lost 117,552 people between Jan. 1, 2021 and Jan. 1, 2022, according to the state’s Department of Finance, bringing its population back to where it was in 2016.”
The state of California lost its population in 2021 for the second consecutive year. If this had happened only once, it could be shrugged off as an anomaly, but not for two years in a row.
What are people supposed to do? They tried to recall Governor Newsom and it failed. If you want change that badly, your last option is to vote with your feet.
And that’s just what people are doing.
Landon Mion reports at FOX Business:
California saw population shrink again during pandemic’s 2nd year
California’s population decreased by more than 100,000 people in 2021, the second consecutive year the state has seen a population decline, officials announced Monday.
The state attributes its population drop off to reduced births and immigration, and an increase in deaths and people moving to other states.
Despite the decline, California remains the most populous state in the country with an estimated 39 million residents. In comparison, second-place Texas is home to 29.5 million people.
California lost 117,552 people between Jan. 1, 2021 and Jan. 1, 2022, according to the state’s Department of Finance, bringing its population back to where it was in 2016.
And while the state has reported population declines during the first and second year of the pandemic, California had seen its population growth wane even before COVID-19 due to older generations aging, younger generations producing fewer children and more residents leaving for other states.
What exactly is driving this movement out of the Golden State?
Jazz Shaw of Hot Air offers some answers:
COVID was clearly a factor, with the decrease being lower in 2021 (after the vaccines were becoming widely available) than in 2020 when hospitalizations and deaths were through the roof. But emigration was also listed as a root cause. More legally registered residents moved away than moved to the state. California is an extremely expensive place to live and modest average wage increases do not make up for that. The crime rates are obviously another factor. A lot of people have thrown up their hands and just given up on “California Dreaming.” (There’s an obscure musical reference for our older readers.)
Getting back to the immigration versus emigration question, there is almost certainly some missing data in this analysis. Yes, a lot of legal residents left voluntarily. But illegal aliens resumed flowing into the state in vast numbers in 2021 after seeing a significant drop in 2020 because of pandemic travel restrictions and closed borders. It’s possible that the total loss isn’t quite as great as these numbers suggest, but that’s only because we can’t track accurate numbers of how many illegal aliens entered the state last year and how many of those remained and are still living there today.
My guess would be a combination of taxes, crime, and strict COVID policies.
People will put up with one of those things, maybe even two, but as they say in baseball, three strikes and you’re out.
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Comments
They are not counting the ilegals
Yes, they are.
If they are counting illegals, then it is hard to believe that they are down, as stated, given Biden’s massive increase in them in 2021.
It doesn’t matter what they count or what they say they count. They can make the numbers be anything they want. You have to look at intentions.
Then they must be counting then wrong.
“The state attributes its population drop off to reduced births and immigration…”
“Reduced immigration?” Pull the other one — it has got bells on.
Thank goodness their not leaving because of the crime, people rapping in the streets, or all the illegals!
On our visit to look at NE TN our realtor, who is black, said he’s heard our story a thousand times from people fleeing blue states.
Then he showed me the enhanced conceal carry permit you can get in TN which allows you to carry pretty much anywhere.
That’s an awesome realtor.
Considering the demonstrated inability to provide two basic components of modern life; reliable electricity service and water, perhaps CA has increased its population beyond the carrying capacity of its resources and a shrinking population is the only answer to the man made shortages.
But… but… they provide fire. That’s energy!
Fire is a carbon emission so….
Carbon credits cancel that out. It’s all good. /s
California is competing with 3rd world nations to take 1st place shit hole awards.
Not good news. We need all the crazies to stay there. Emigration from Cali while having the freedom among the left to gerrymander their state how they please will not be good for the will of the people.
California is working hard to retain the craziest, with free tuition, a universal basic income, condoned shoplifting of up to $900 per day, and get out of jail free policies. Plus, they’re expecting their shipment of Biden crack pipes momentarily, provided nobody rips them off the train before it gets to the depot.
Texas needs to do their part by shipping them all back.
That is a big part of why I decided to rule out Texas for my retirement. Texas has some great traits, but long-term demographics do not look good.
Think of the future California as the new and enhanced extension of Baja California. One .. Big.. Happy… Third World.. Nation. Newsom said so… well as a nation state…. but the surprise will be on him also. Pelosi is moving away also… Ciao.
What did anyone expect when the state treats it’s residents like serfs and tax livestock. Anyone with any brains has gotten out.
I understand that he plans to reverse this trend by employing a bold, new hair gel.
It’s solar. UV energy sets it into a hard plastic shell, like a bicycle helmet.
For you Rhode Islanders, think Doug White from WJAR.
Let’s get real:
It’s still the most populous state in the USA.
As Mark Twain once said: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,”