We love news stories about people leaving California because of tax increases and inability to afford living here. Each of us knows that we, too, will "bail" when we no longer can afford it. If other individuals and companies have left for greener pastures citing financial concerns, we ask ourselves if we're paying the ultimate price for living in paradise.

Regardless of the gloom & doom about California's population expectations, the truth is that the state continues to grow year after year. But why?

Answer: The state population continues to grow for the same reason the sequoias and redwoods grow--climate! Many of these trees are thousands of years old. They love California's weather, and so do humans.

A Sacramento Bee story recently stated: "California cities once led the nation in urban population growth, but sharp declines in migration and birthrates have slowed the state's human expansion to well under 1% a year, a third of what was happening during the go-go 1980s. Now, a new Census Bureau report indicates, rapid growth – for better or worse – has shifted to other states."

A Forbes headline recently said: "California Ranks Last With CEOs, Toyota Goes, Now Worst In Taxes". The article cited an April 2014 report: "Small Business Tax Index 2014: Best to Worst State Tax Systems for Entrepreneurship and Small Business," in which California came in dead last (#50) ranking as the worst state in the U.S. for businesses. California is routinely bashed when it comes to taxes and regulations.

However, a media release from the California Department of Finance reports that California's population grew by 356,000 residents in 2013 to total 38,340,000 as of January 1, 2014. California's population has grown annually for more than 100 year--there are still more people coming than checking out. So much for the doom news that people are leaving the state!

COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE IN U.S.

One birth every 8 seconds
One death every 13 seconds
One international migrant (net) every 40 seconds
Net gain of one person every 15 seconds

Advertisement