California's loss continues to be Texas' gain. Not only is Texas still the fastest growing state in the country, it's importing most of those new residents from California. A new report from Realtor.com says Texas has added more than 781,000 residents from California over the last 15 years, the most transplants from any state. At the current rate of growth, Texas is projected to surpass California as the nation's most populous state by 2045.
Texas has been gaining population while California loses population for years now. Even Donald Trump noted this phenomenon while visiting California during last year's campaign. And it's not just residents, but businesses that are fleeing the Golden State for the Lone Star State. Elon Musk has brought Tesla and SpaceX here, Chevron just moved its headquarters to Texas, and Realtor.com in its own report notes that it is relocating from California to Texas.
Despite this mass influx of Californians, Texas politics haven't moved to the left as much as some might have feared. Chuck DeVore, Texas Public Policy Foundation officer (and California transplant), says there's a good reason for that. "Other than perhaps a few exceptions in areas like Austin with its tech sector, generally speaking you're having people move here from places like California who, according to the polls, are more conservative than native Texans," he tells KTRH.
"What's happening with this great sorting-out across the nation---and it's not just Texas, but Florida as well---is you're finding that blue states tend to become bluer and red states redder," DeVore continues. "As people kind of decide I've had enough of this, I want to go to a place that more reflects my values."
Foto: E+