Poor people are abandoning California thanks to the high cost of living and poor job market, according to a Sunday report from the Sacramento Bee.
California’s population decreased steadily from 2000 to 2015, and a large portion of that number comes from those without a college degree or high school diploma. Those living on an income at or below the official poverty line — about 2.5 million — left the state from 2005 through 2010, and only 1.7 million replaced them in that time frame.
“There was really nothing left for me in California,” said former resident Kiril Kundurazieff. “The cost of living was high. The rent was high. The job market was debatable.”
California has the highest cost of living of any state in the nation, with the exception of Hawaii and New York. It also has one of the highest poverty rates.
“Why are people leaving? Economic reasons, the high cost of living, are certainly a part of it,” said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. “For those people (near the poverty line), California is not viable.”
California is one of only six states in the nation that is a Democratic “trifecta,” which describes Democratic control of the governorship, the statehouse, and the state Supreme Court. Democrats have maintained dominant control of the senate and general assembly since 1992.
The state overwhelmingly supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, with 61.6 percent of the vote. Only 32.8 percent of voters supported then-Republican nominee Donald Trump.
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