When I ask people where they are from I expect to hear one of 3 answers:
I'm from about 30 minutes away.
You probably haven't heard of it.
Or I’m from California.
Now it might be my personal experience and where I’ve been from but listening to public discourse and internet browsing I don’t think I’m alone in hearing a ton of people say they are from California. If not from California, there are people from Seattle, Portland or some large city in the East. Is this selective listening, and confirmation bias, or is there really a mass influx of people from the coastlines affecting places like Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and more. How is this affecting the people who previously resided there and how is it changing the city's future?
In the United States there are roughly 330 million people, About 203 million of those live in states that border the ocean along the mainland. This equates to about 61% of the population living on 30% of the country's land mass. Though a majority of people live along the coast, roughly 46% of the population that is moving states are moving from coastal states. Meaning that most people that move are from inland states. That is a pretty large disparity opposite as one would expect regarding the public discourse that happens in some areas of the country. People are not moving any more than they should be and the rate is nationally lower than average. The general opinion in the inland west is one that believes everyone is moving from California, Washington and Oregon, but this is not the case. A lot of the time there are people that are against the migrants are strongly against them.
For example, in Nevada NPR did a story with UNLV and local college professors asking a variety of questions regarding the culture clash between Californian moving and local Nevada residents. Question consisted of “Has there been a culture clash between the Californians and Nevadans?”
Marynia Giren-Navarro, sociology professor responded with “I’ve definitely been observing a lot of the clashes in the, I want to say, last five or so years; [they] are definitely very visible. You mentioned ‘Californication’ — I heard another term… and that is 'commie-fornication,' bringing communism to Nevada. So, obviously, we know the left using the term Nazi as the ultimate form of insult and the right using the term ‘commie’ as an insult. This is a very strong term. The strongest one I have heard that definitely reflects that the local community here in Reno.”
Another example of this phenomenon occurs in the very popular subreddit r/Idaho where this question was posed. “Why do people from Idaho hate Californians so much?” One could read the answers for hours with 325 responses listed. The responses are varied, ranging from politics, to driving, to how they raise their kids. It has a very negative connotation to it, regarding the feelings of many locals I believe.
Regarding these examples, people don't like those moving from coastal states to their own state despite not being able to do anything to stop it. Even though the numbers suggest that less people are moving from those places than others, the public opinion is not one of hospitality.
If most people that are moving states are moving from inland states and not from the coast, why are people so focused on those from places like the pacific northwest?
The focus comes from fear, a fear of change, a fear that the city will change for the worse, become overcrowded, change political stances and more. These claims sound far fetched but there is a basis for them. Those moving from coastal states are usually on the wealthier side of the population when they arrive at their new home, meaning that they can spend more in the local market and on housing and accommodation. This can raise local prices. People who are moving states also commonly move for a change in politics, bringing their opinions from outside the state, without experience of living there. The increase in local money and new political opinions can start to divide a community. Despite these claims the influx of people is not always a bad thing. People coming from a different state to new states is good for everyone involved and the benefits that come with movers outweigh the negatives.
People moving to the new states benefit the economy in the area. States that have the most people moving to them are the largest beneficiaries in adjusted gross income (AGI). The states that suffer the most are those with people moving out of them. More money in the state means more taxes to be collected and better services provided. Though housing costs increase, so does home value for those who previously owned.
On Top of benefiting the economy, people moving states bring new culture and vibrance to a city. America was built off of the idea that we accept cultures and are a mixing pot of ideas and backgrounds. Everyone who was originally in America was immigrants and for the most part we have adopted that mentality as a nation. In recent years the mentality has faded but it is still a net benefit. People are moving less than ever, only 10% of people are moving between states, down from 22% in the 50’s and 60’s. We have become more hostile to those moving to our own detriment. The vibrance different cultures bring is what can create a unique city atmosphere.
The benefits of people moving to a city outweigh the perceived negatives that don't have much backing other than we dont like you. There are more people moving from non-coastal states, and movers don't only create negatives. The only way cities will be built well is if they embrace inevitable change instead of fighting it. Division can be avoided by accepting the differences that make us who we are, and building for future change.