Tens of millions of Americans shifted from blue states to red states during the pandemic, but it has had virtually no impact on the political landscape, an analysis reveals.
Spiraling crime and strict lockdowns in Democratic Democratic states led people to leave liberal cities en masse for sunnier climes in red southern states, not to mention a lower cost of living and taxes.
In what was one of the largest mass migrations of this century, 46 million people moved in 2021-22, with the red states of Florida, Texas and the Carolinas gaining the most, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The states that lost the most residents are almost all blue, led by California, New York and Illinois.
And yet, even though so many blue state residents moved to southern red states, the political demographics barely changed.
Dave Zal, left, with his wife Sandy and their two children who moved from Schenectady, New York, to Greer, South Carolina.
Although puzzling at first glance, the reason is simple: Red states were simply attracting GOP voters in the first place.
Like-minded individuals finding their own kind in southern Republican communities.
Among those who moved south is the Zal family, formerly of Schenectady, New York.
Fed up with pandemic-related restrictions, they moved 1,000 miles to Greer, South Carolina, outside Greenville, drawn primarily by the state’s Republican tilt.
Sandy Zal, 47, even plans to vote for former President Donald Trump in Saturday’s Republican primary.
“We knew we would have the freedom to make decisions for our children and our family that were taken from us in New York,” she said. WSJ.com.
But despite a notable influx of newcomers from traditionally blue states, South Carolina has managed to maintain its predominantly conservative character.
A WSJ analysis of census data found that about a third of the state’s new residents between 2017 and 2021 came from blue states, while a quarter came from red states.
Many people have moved from blue states to southern red states attracted by lower taxes, warmer weather and a lower cost of living. Pictured is the skyline of Greenville, South Carolina.
Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona counted more arrivals than departures.
Newcomers to South Carolina have shown a significant lean toward the Republican Party.
About 57 percent of those who moved to South Carolina during the pandemic identify as Republicans, with Democrats making up about 36 percent and independents 7 percent.
These statistics align closely with the state’s recent voting patterns in which incumbent Republican Gov. Henry McMaster garnered 58 percent of the vote.
Immigration patterns in South Carolina even go so far as to explain why the political landscape has barely changed.
At one time there was a belief that the wave of newcomers from the blue states could usher in more liberal and diverse political ideologies, but many of those leaving the blue states were actually Republicans seeking politically similar environments in their new localities.
Remote work also allowed many workers to move to red states, but the same phenomenon occurred in states like Florida and Texas, regardless of the appeal of lower taxes, warmer weather, cheaper housing, and a lower cost of living.
A moving truck in front of a house in Queens, New York City (file photo)
Although South Carolina’s sales tax is similar to that of northern states, income tax rates are typically lower and property taxes are much lower. Pictured is Falls Park and the Reedy River located in the historic West End of downtown Greenville.
The 2020 presidential electoral map, above. Even though so many blue state residents have moved to southern red states, the political demographics have barely changed.
Although South Carolina’s sales tax is similar to that of northern states, income tax rates are typically lower and property taxes are much lower.
The median property tax bill in South Carolina was $1,185 in 2022 and about one-fifth of the median in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
Ninety percent of homeowners pay at least $3,000 a year in property taxes in New Jersey. In South Carolina, only 12 percent pay that amount.
In the Sunshine State, nearly half of the people who moved there between 2017 and 2021 came from blue states, and only 29 percent came from red states.
Among registered voters, 44 percent are Republicans, 25 percent are Democrats and 28 percent identify as nonpartisan.
The same trend appears to have occurred in Texas, which also saw a substantial influx of newcomers from blue states, but a sizable portion of them are estimated to align with the Republican Party.
“People are looking for their own cohorts,” said Paul Westcott of L2, the organization that handles election data.
‘In South Carolina, people see a lower cost of living, lower taxes, and they look for that group that matches theirs. They may not think about it consciously, but there they are among other conservatives.’