It’s now official, for the first time since 1850 the number of people moving to California has declined!  People are actually leaving!  That’s according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

California is still the most populated state: 37 million.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 1.5 million middle class people left California in the past ten years.  Where are the people leaving to?  Anywhere that the taxes and cost of living are lower than in California!  (mostly Texas, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona)

Immigrants now make up the majority of people moving to California.  But that is on the decline as well.  Why?  Most migrants from south of the border are saying they can’t find any work!  Those that have work say the cost of living in California is not worth it!

The problem now, is that California is becoming a state of extreme wealth and extreme poverty.  According to the American Human Development Project, the exodus of middle class Californians is creating a state of two classes; rich and poor.

From 2009 to 2010, California’s GDP was in stagnation mode; at 1.8%, lower than many other states.  By the way, when the media calls 1.8% “growth” it shows their economic ignorance.  Anything from 2.9% to 0% is not growth, it’s stagnation.

I luckily escaped California in 1997.  I’m now in Idaho, things are getting bad here as well (economically) but I’ve run out of escape money.