Idaho is becoming a popular choice for people from the West Coast who are moving away from high taxes and a poor quality of life. Texas, however, is still the state with the highest population growth.
Fox News reported There has been a significant increase in people from the West Coast relocating to Idaho since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Many individuals interviewed cited strict health policies and the desire to raise their children in a safe community as reasons for their decision to move east.
More than 26,000 Californians have moved to Idaho, according to the report. Overall, the state has had more residents leave between April 2020 and July 2022, but Texas has seen the most former Californians settle within its borders. 700,000 Census Bureau data shows that the Texas population experienced the largest increase of any state between 2022 and 2023. Over 473,000 newcomers contributed to the record population of 30,503,301 in the Lone Star State.
Furthermore, Texas has added over 1 million people since 2020 and is now the second-most populous state after California, which has a population of over 38 million. data The rapid growth of Idaho has slowed in recent years. Between 2019 and 2020, the state experienced a population increase of 2.1%, which decreased to 1.3% between 2022 and 2023.
Professor Jap Vos released a report in 2022 comparing the number of people moving to and leaving Idaho. On an average day in 2021, 180 people moved in and 137 moved out. Interestingly, many of the people leaving the state moved to the same states from which people were departing.
Vos emphasized the need to consider why people are leaving, in addition to focusing on growth. Reasons for leaving may include unaffordable housing or economic factors. According to Vos, the causes are not clear.
Californians are leaving the state for various reasons, including the high cost of living. It is increasingly difficult for many people to buy a home in California's urban areas, where median prices are near or slightly above $1 million. study The influx of newcomers has led to changes in local real estate markets. Idaho has experienced a recent increase in prices due to the inability to keep up with demand. The median home price in Idaho is now $476,300, compared to around $300,000 in 2020. In comparison, the median home price in Texas is now $344,500, which is approximately $150,000 more than in 2020.
As California becomes more expensive and states like Oregon and Washington impose more restrictions, population patterns across the nation are expected to change. The Texas Demographic Center predicts that Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio will each see a population increase of over 1 million residents by 2060.
Idaho is getting more and more popular among people from West Coast states who are moving away from high taxes and a low quality of life. Texas, however, still has the highest population growth in the country. According to Fox News, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of West Coast residents relocating to Idaho since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Among several reasons Californians are departing for other states is the high cost of living, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Purchasing a home in one of California’s urban areas is increasingly difficult for many people as median prices tend to be near or slightly above $1 million.
However, the influx of newcomers has resulted in some changes to local real estate markets. For instance, Idaho has seen a recent price spike as the supply cannot keep up with demand. According to Redfin, the median home price in Idaho is now $476,300, whereas it was around $300,000 in 2020. In comparison, Texas’ median home price is $344,500 — roughly $150,000 more than in 2020.
