Who moves to California? The wealthier and better educated, mostly

[Zorro]

High taxes. Stifling regulations. Exorbitant housing costs. Freeway gridlock. Fires and floods.

Hand-wringing over an exodus of disillusioned Californians may be a Golden State pastime, the subject of political punditry and strung-out social media threads.

But the latest data are far from dire. The U.S. Census Bureau, in its newly released surveys for 2017, shows that California’s net migration remained fairly stable. Since 2010, as the economic recovery took hold and housing prices skyrocketed, departures accelerated — but the number of newcomers rose steadily as well.

The state attracts a steady stream of college graduates, especially from the East Coast, even as many less-educated residents move to neighboring states — and to Texas — in search of a lower cost of living.

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-california-census-migration-20181221-story.html

[RHMerriman]

1. Interesting story ... booming economy in the "knowledge/creative" industries,

Interesting story ... booming economy in the "knowledge/creative" industries (tech, entertainment, aerospace, etc.), strong foundation in the classic sectors (agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, etc.), population willing to support heavy public investment in infrastructure and education (including world-class higher education), pro-growth and pro-trade, government that delivers the goods, and climate and natural setting that can't be beat.

Not really surprising that California, if independent, would have the fifth largest economy in the world, after the United States as a whole, China, Japan and Germany, and before the UK, France, India, etc.

[link:http://fortune.com/2018/05/05/california-fifth-biggest-economy-passes-united-kingdom/

The examples of out-migrants are interesting; an equipment rental manager, a security company manager, etc; basically, lower middle management types who - at first glance - don't exactly strike one as reflective of the working/middle-income majority in California in terms of ethnicity...

[PufPuf23]

2. California still has an excellent public university system and

excellent, world class private universities (Stanford, Claremont Colleges, Cal Tech) as well. The universities attract out of state and foreign students that do not leave, many come here for education and don't leave. California has more than its share of smart and educated folks.

[brush]

4. Which is why it's overwhelmingly blue. Smart people are usually progressive/Dem.

[Polly Hennessey]

3. Every day I am thankful that

this is home.

[Progressive Law]

5. Even the Central Valley is turning blue.

This is a good sign of things to come.

[roamer65]

6. California is becoming a nation.

That’s what is happening.

[winstars]

7. I tell my 8th grade graduate friends here to move to TX, knowing they will be replaced by others...

[kimbutgar]

8. Born and raised 4th generation Californian

I grew up singing this song. The official state song.

I’ve traveled all over the world. We still are the greatest state of all.