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Berkeley Poll: 52% Of California Voters Have Considered Leaving State

BERKELEY (CBS SF) – More than half of California voters said they have contemplated leaving the state, with most citing housing costs, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

The poll of more than 4,500 voters found 24 percent have given "serious" consideration to leaving the state, while another 28 percent have given "some" consideration. Another 10 percent said they are considering moving, but somewhere within California.

Among respondents living within the challenging Bay Area housing market, 20 percent were seriously considering an out-of-state move, while another 30 percent are giving it some consideration.

Among those who have considered leaving the state, 71 percent cited the state's high cost of housing as a main reason why, including more than 80 percent of people in their 20s and 30s.

Political views also appear to play a role particularly among Republicans and conservatives, who say political culture and taxes were bigger reasons to leave than home prices.

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The Berkeley poll results echoes other recent polls which showed significant numbers of people lamenting quality of life in the Bay Area and contemplating life elsewhere. In May, a poll by the Bay Area Council found 57 percent said the area was headed on the wrong track, with housing costs, traffic and homelessness among the top concerns.

Back in March, a poll of Bay Area residents by the Bay Area News Group and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group found 44 percent saying they are likely to leave the region in the next few years. In that poll, 77 percent cited housing costs, while more than half cited traffic as reasons to leave.

The poll, which was administered online and in English and Spanish, has a margin of error of plus / minus 2 percent.

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