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LOS ANGELES—While thousands of Californians have been fleeing the state for the lower cost of living found in other states, others are leaving large cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles to the quieter suburbs found in the Inland Empire.
San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, adjacent to the state’s coastal towns, have seen an influx of both families and single residents from large cities since the start of the pandemic because of factors such as high rent costs.
According to new census data, both Los Angeles and San Francisco saw significant declines in population during the first year of the pandemic. In 2021, counties with net international migration loss, or more people moving out of than into the U.S., were more frequently found in California than other states, the research noted.
Los Angeles County lost the most residents to net migration in the U.S. at roughly 179,760 residents.
