Washington Examiner

Californians fleeing the overpriced state for Mexico

Tori Richards - 2h ago

Mexico’s Pacific Coast has long been a popular vacation spot for Californians who could either drive or catch a low-cost flight to relax on the beach and escape the rat race.
And Tijuana remains a must-have destination to fill up on gasoline and purchase baby formula, prescription drugs, and other overpriced items back home.
Now, the occasional trip is becoming permanent for a good portion of the 360,000 who left the Golden State last year for more affordable living conditions, a Baja California realtor told CNBC.
“I would say at least half are coming down from California,” said Darrell Graham of Baja123 Real Estate Group. “Suddenly, the cost of taxes, the crime rates, the politics, all the things that people are unhappy with in California are coming down to Mexico.”
© Provided by Washington ExaminerPresident Joe Biden (pictured at the Port of Los Angeles) has blamed the gas crisis on the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and greedy oil company executives. Port of Los Angeles

Twenty years ago, California was still a relatively affordable place to live. But two decades of increased taxes, over-regulation, and a focus on social programs over law and order has created a welfare state akin to many third-world countries. The result has been a boom in crime, homelessness, poverty, and illegal immigration — creating the largest exodus in state history.

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California is one of the most expensive states to call home, with a median housing price of $787,470. And while only a quarter of the state’s population could afford that last year, even fewer can afford a yearly property tax bill topping $14,000 in many cities.
Blue-collar cities also have problems paying property taxes, with approximately 2 million delinquent homes showing up around the parameter of Los Angeles County.
Growth has been declining for 30 years. A once sought-after locale for the tech industry is instead losing out to states like Arizona and Texas, which don’t have crippling environmental regulations and tax burdens. Hewlett Packard, Oracle, Palantir, Tesla, and Boeing are high-profile examples.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, many rentals are in the $400 per month range, which is a savings of at least $100,000, according to the Daily Mail.
“We were able to cut our budget in half, which allowed us to really focus on our careers and the things we wanted to do artistically without having to just hustle, and hustle and hustle, every day, every week, to just meet the bare minimum,” Hollywood transplant Travis Grossi told CNBC.
Back home, he paid $1,800 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. His new digs are three times larger and include a pool and security.
The State Department estimates that 1.6 million Americans live in Mexico.
The national price of gasoline hit $5.02 a gallon on Tuesday, with Californians paying $6.44, AAA reported. And the price of food for a family of four is now $9,835 a month in California, the 10th highest in the nation, Center Square reported. The Consumer Price Index rose 8.6% in April, and experts say inflation is getting worse, not better.
President Joe Biden has blamed the crisis on the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and greedy oil company executives.
“Today’s inflation report confirms what Americans already know — Putin’s price hike is hitting America hard,” he said recently at the Port of Los Angeles. “We’re going to make sure everyone knows Exxon’s profits. Exxon made more money than God last year.”

Californians fleeing the overpriced state for Mexico (msn.com)