Thread: Poor leave Calif. at higher rate than rich

Poor leave Calif. at higher rate than rich

The Associated Press
12:02 p.m. July 10, 2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A report from the Public Policy Institute of California shows the poor are more likely to leave California than the wealthy.

Tax critics often claim the state's high cost of living and tax structure drive high-income earners out.

The institute study, released Friday, found the rich – those in the top 20 percent of income earners – leave California at about the same rate as they arrive. When they do leave, states with no income tax such as Nevada, Texas and Washington are among their top destinations.

Those states also are among the top draws for the bottom 20 percent of income earners.

Texas and Washington also export some of their wealthiest residents to California each year.

The report is based on data from the state Department of Finance and the U.S. Census.

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