People Want To Leave The Bay Area — Where Are They Going?

Over the last few years, we’ve noticed some trends. It seems we’re moving a lot of people out of California. It turns out, it’s not our imaginations. People are leaving the Bay Area, and far more want to.

In February, Chicago-based public relations firm Edelman released its annual Trust Barometer for California, which surveyed 1,500 California residents, including 500 from the Bay Area. Of those asked, 53 percent of Californians say they are considering leaving the state, including 50 percent of Bay Area residents. Tellingly, among Bay Area millennials, the total was 66 percent. For residents with children (under 18 years of age), the figure was 63 percent.

Source: Curbed

Despite the Bay Area’s and California’s booming economy, for many, the cost of living is simply unaffordable. The average home cost in the Bay Area is somewhere near $1 Million. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development now says that a salary of $117,400 is low income for the Bay Area, and the average household income is just $1,000 higher than “low income.”

Despite the fact that the Bay Area offers everything: a great climate, beauty, nature, skiing, the ocean, and amazing people, for some, the benefits don’t outweigh the struggles. We get why people move, and we are here to help.

Where are people going?

Every year, Penske Truck Rentals does a survey of its nationwide customers. Every year, they give us the top moving destinations. There are some surprises.

People, it seems, are heading toward the sun. Surprisingly, though, there isn’t a single California city in the top 10. Only two of the top 10 cities are outside of the nation’s sunbelt, and they are the two most expensive on the list. In most destinations, the median home costs less than a quarter of a million dollars. Only one is on the West Coast at all. Here is the list. Last year’s position and the median home price are in parentheses:

1. Atlanta (1 – $260,200)
2. Phoenix (2 – $242,300)
3. Tampa (5 – $222,200)
4. Orlando (6 – $241,800)
5. Denver (8 – $427,300)
6. Houston (4 – $186,900)
7. Las Vegas (7 – $275,100)
8. Charlotte (9 – $225,000)
9. Austin (new – $365,600)
10. Portland (10 – $425,700)

If you are interested in moving to one of the hot 10, or any city within the Continental U.S., contact us. We’ll get you there safely, efficiently, and affordably.

Featured image CC0 Public Domain via pxhere