OC population growth less than 1% last year (Anaheim, Irvine: transplants, for sale)

[dexter14]

You mean people don't want to move to an insanely expensive area with restrictive laws in one of the worst states to do business in? Shocking!

The boom is bust: Higher housing costs, fewer births, more deaths slow O.C. to a crawl - The Orange County Register

[Teckeeee]

I don't know where we would put them? The roads are all congested here. Irvine company keeps banging up new developments and where is the new infrastructure to support the growth? A few new side roads here and there don't cut it.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by Teckeeee

I don't know where we would put them? The roads are all congested here. Irvine company keeps banging up new developments and where is the new infrastructure to support the growth? A few new side roads here and there don't cut it.

There is a ton of new construction going on in a lot of OC. Just in Anaheim alone there are literally thousands of units going up in the Platinum Triangle.

[bowneline]

Originally Posted by mbell75

You mean people don't want to move to an insanely expensive area with restrictive laws in one of the worst states to do business in? Shocking!

The boom is bust: Higher housing costs, fewer births, more deaths slow O.C. to a crawl - The Orange County Register

It's not that they don't want to, its just that because many people consider it a very nice place to live and because the economic climate is such that it has high wages and plenty of jobs, the housing is too expensive for most people to move here.

Believe me, if you could buy a decent house here for $250,000 and get a nice 2 bedroom apartment for $1000 a month, it would be boom-time for population growth. But, such cheap prices do not happen in places like OC where, right now, things are looking very strong economically: 51,000 jobs created in the past year, 4.6% unemployment rate, very high wages http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/lfmonth/oran$pds.pdf

This is a recipe for expensive housing, which is a recipe for slow population growth.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by bowneline

It's not that they don't want to, its just that because many people consider it a very nice place to live and because the economic climate is such that it has high wages and plenty of jobs, the housing is too expensive for most people to move here.

Believe me, if you could buy a decent house here for $250,000 and get a nice 2 bedroom apartment for $1000 a month, it would be boom-time for population growth. But, such cheap prices do not happen in places like OC where, right now, things are looking very strong economically: 51,000 jobs created in the past year, 4.6% unemployment rate, very high wages http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/lfmonth/oran$pds.pdf

This is a recipe for expensive housing, which is a recipe for slow population growth.

Not true at all. Texas job growth rate is MUCH better than OC's, even Dallas alone outshines OC in that department and their population growth has exploded. More people moved to Texas last year than anywhere else. Dallas, Austin and Houston were the top 3 re0location destinations in the country. The unemployment rate is the same 4.6% as OC too. The only difference is wages, they are higher in OC but so is the COL. Apartment rentals rose 5.4% in Texas but its still dirt cheap compared to OC. If high job growth and low unemployment rates were what drove up housing prices, Texas (especially Dallas) would be twice as expensive as OC. It all goes back to the same old BS. Its so expensive to live here because of the weather and the Pacific Ocean, thats it. Given how hot its become in OC over the past few years, weather is becoming less of a selling point, so basically its an ocean.

Dallas remains No. 1 metro for small business job growth in February | Dallas Morning News

[LuvSouthOC]

To be honest, I like this very low population growth for reasons that might sound selfish. OC cannot sustain a large population growth. We already have high traffic, are almost completely built out, have scarce water supplies (which hopefully will be augmented by desal), and a nice quality of life. I don't see the quality of life improving with growth rates like those in Dallas, the opposite would occur.

I also think these comparisons with Dallas are pointless. You know full well why there are still some employers in Southern California at all. It isn't because they don't want to leave. It has to do with the fact that people want to live here. The fact that they cannot afford to live here is a function of the desirability of the area and the willingness of others to pour wealth into the area to live here no matter what. Indeed, Southern California can never really compete with places like Dallas on cost alone, no matter how much incentive we offer.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

To be honest, I like this very low population growth for reasons that might sound selfish. OC cannot sustain a large population growth. We already have high traffic, are almost completely built out, have scarce water supplies (which hopefully will be augmented by desal), and a nice quality of life. I don't see the quality of life improving with growth rates like those in Dallas, the opposite would occur.

I also think these comparisons with Dallas are pointless. You know full well why there are still some employers in Southern California at all. It isn't because they don't want to leave. It has to do with the fact that people want to live here. The fact that they cannot afford to live here is a function of the desirability of the area and the willingness of others to pour wealth into the area to live here no matter what. Indeed, Southern California can never really compete with places like Dallas on cost alone, no matter how much incentive we offer.

The problem with slow to no growth is the cities, counties and state will keep spending more and that means more cost to the fewer living there. Think it is expensive there now ..................

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by expatCA

The problem with slow to no growth is the cities, counties and state will keep spending more and that means more cost to the fewer living there. Think it is expensive there now ..................

Ok, well let's break this down. My own town is nearly completely built out as are other ones. Almost all new construction is now tear down. I don't see the town unable to balance its checkbook. At the county level there could be impacts though and I would love for you to illuminate me on what those are, seriously. I am not being sarcastic.

[pacific2]

Here in Aliso Viejo we are almost completely built out, but a new long-term stay hotel is currently under construction. What's more, the Postal Service owns 25 acres of undeveloped land that is up for sale.

Our checkbook is also balanced (We even have a surplus and, as an aside, businesses are attracting plenty of venture capital funding) and I really don't want Aliso's population to increase anymore. 50K is already a bit much.

I have posted this many times before, but it is worth repeating:

South County growing strong, new economic report says - The Orange County Register
A region barely removed from its infancy, south Orange County has rapidly grown into its own in the past three decades, evolving from a bedroom community into an economic force that contributes $25.6 billion to the county’s economy and supports a diverse range of industries, from biotech to hospitality.

There are challenges accompanying the economic growth, including the puzzle of how to provide affordable housing for young workers.

Additionally, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel are tasked with becoming more "livable" for singles, millennials and, in the very near future, "Generation Z" (not mentioned in this article) who are moving into the area:

Where is the nightlife? Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel struggle to appeal to younger crowd. - The Orange County Register

Aliso's city council will address this challenge.

[JeffSanDimas]

Why would you want explosive growth? It's not like Orange County is some rust belt town with declining population and empty buildings. It's pretty full, at least from the traffic I experience every Sunday driving home from church in Lake Forest.

People are definitely moving there, I think that the low growth % comes from the fact that an almost equal number of long term native Californian families are moving out to places like Temecula or even to Phoenix/Vegas/Denver, but a similar (slightly larger) amount of Chinese immigrants and transplants looking for the "OC life" are moving in.