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So you are looking in on the west coast from "Elkins, WV" and you think Ca. has "gone to the dogs?"
The topic here is West Virginia's (longstanding) population decline which 60 plus years of census data shows has been almost a continuous thing since the end of the 1940's decade.. with only the 1970's and 1990's being the exception.
Via their leaving, West Virginia residents have voted with their feet. Many of them would probably echo your "gone to the dogs" remark but instead point it back at West Virginia because it failed them and pushed them away via it's dismal economic & social problems.
You’re right, people do vote with their feet, which is why West Virginia is currently #4 in the nation for inbound moves, and California is #44, with a large majority of outbound moves.
You’re right, people do vote with their feet, which is why West Virginia is currently #4 in the nation for inbound moves, and California is #44, with a large majority of outbound moves.
Let's get a tad serious about sources of data, if we may.
On how many moving company surveys or other kinds of data surveys, postulations, etc. are you basing that #4 in move-ins nugget you supplied? A supporting link(s) would be helpful.
As for the longstanding WV population loss trend I spoke of earlier, it is all fact-based info that is readily available at the Census Bureau web site.
I might also suggest a bit of caution against relying on short term data, i.e. population estimates &/or moving company surveys, etc. that are pegged to a short term data set.
A 1 year survey of a particular data set is for all practical purposes unreliable for forming projections or extrapolating out trends for a full decade.
And, despite California's numerous well-publicized problems, such as it's water shortages pushed by drought, fires that surpass previously seen extents of damage, nevertheless during the 2010-2020 decade it still grew faster numerically than did 48 other states. And California's increase of 2.285 million easily surpassed the entire population total that West Virginia had when it hit it's peak population in the 1950 Census count.
See the details at the Politifact link below that contains a quote from West Virginia Governor Jim Justice
in which he made the 70 year population loss of West Virginia as a statement of fact. **
In closing, let's stop bringing in California and/or other states via comments that are intended to slam them and instead stick to the subject here which is still the question of "Why is West Virginia's Population Declining?"
**Note that he Politifact link does mention that the population uptick of West Virginia during the 1970's and 1990's, which I spoke to earlier, is also a fact.
I mean we know why people move because they tell us in surveys.
By far the top reasons are jobs and to be close to family.
There's a feedback loop there - if your state grows it gets more jobs, more people move to get them, and people will follow their family members who got those jobs over time. Vice versa if the state is in decline - fewer jobs, fewer people following anyone, people move out to be where jobs and family are.
We are a good example. Family is in AL and FL, neither state appeals to us. Too hot for too long. And both have too many natural disasters. We are both retired, so we can choose where we live.
We have lived in the Pittsburgh area before during our career days. And liked the area. But in retirement, the area was too expensive, so we moved our pin a bit west to WV. But still within the area of Pittsburgh for medical care.
This will address this question but also overlap with others. I live in Wood county. My daughter goes to Glenville. I have Verizon as a cell phone carrier. (top name national provider). From the time I leave Wood County until appx 5 miles from Glenville I get absolutely no cell phone service. Politicians note over and over and over that this is an issue in WV but all we get year after year is them noting it is an issue.
If we want change in WV it must come from change at the ballot box. Do you know it's still illegal to sell a Tesla (new) in WV?
Resident of the "Garden State" New Jersey. Looked into moving to West Virginia. Sadly, decided against it. Your governor had many of the same covid restrictions as blue states such as NJ. Including mask mandates!? Also, your tax rate seems to be very unfriendly you pay taxes on many things that actually aren't taxed in NJ. Personal property tax on vehicles being one. Getting your vehicle inspected yearly too is another thing I wasn't willing to set time aside to do.
The state is very good looking with a lot of open space. However, it missed a valuable opportunity to distinguish itself from "lockdown states" during COVID. Perhaps holding on to the coal industry isn't a wise move. Cut some of the tape and make the state easier for people to relocate too.
Resident of the "Garden State" New Jersey. Looked into moving to West Virginia. Sadly, decided against it. Your governor had many of the same covid restrictions as blue states such as NJ. Including mask mandates!? Also, your tax rate seems to be very unfriendly you pay taxes on many things that actually aren't taxed in NJ. Personal property tax on vehicles being one. Getting your vehicle inspected yearly too is another thing I wasn't willing to set time aside to do.
The state is very good looking with a lot of open space. However, it missed a valuable opportunity to distinguish itself from "lockdown states" during COVID. Perhaps holding on to the coal industry isn't a wise move. Cut some of the tape and make the state easier for people to relocate too.
At the time nearly all states had mask mandates. There may be things New Jersey does better but taxes certainly isn't one of them.
Suburbanites understand what new build, high price point development gets them..........neighbors that can also afford the high price point and the good schools and commercial developments that go along with that price point.
Put that high price point is a remote area and you very quickly have an exclusive enclave.
At the time nearly all states had mask mandates. There may be things New Jersey does better but taxes certainly isn't one of them.
Exactly. The tax structure is different between the states, but overall your taxes would still be drastically cheaper than they are in Jersey (at least from what I can tell). I have family in Jersey and their jaws drop every time they hear how cheap our taxes and overall cost of living are in WV (and I’m in what’s considered the “expensive” part of the state).
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Why is Population of WV declining
