California Sees Mass Exodus as Thousands Are Estimated to Have Left State Last Year

There are many reasons Juliana and Jack Fitzpatrick have packed up their family’s life in Los Angeles, California to move to Arizona.

With their move to Scottsdale, they’re getting about 2,000 more square footage, a more suburban environment, and more opportunities for their daughter, all for the same income, the couple told Inside Edition.

And they are not alone in fleeing California. The state has lost an estimated 653,000 residents last year alone, as many Californians head to Texas, Arizona, Washington, Nevada and Oregon.

“A lot of families are having discussions that they have never had before of, ‘hey maybe we want a better quality of life, maybe we can buy this house in another state for half the price and our finances might not be as stressful as they currently are,’” one-half of the real estate duo the Altman Brothers, Josh Altman, told Inside Edition.

Celebrities are moving, too. Most recently, the world’s second richest man, tycoon Elon Musk, has given up the Golden State for Austin, Texas. Another tech billionaire, Larry Ellison, is moving to Hawaii. KISS frontman Gene Simmons has traded in his ritzy Beverly Hills mansion for an estate in Washington. And actor James Van Der Beek recently relocated his family to Texas.

Fueling the mass exodus is the unrelenting wildfires, the cost of living in California and of course, the coronavirus pandemic. With so many working remotely, some say it’s the perfect time to make a big move.

As for the Fitzpatricks, they are excited for their new family adventure and fresh start. 

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