As Election Tensions Mount, Blue-State Residents Flock To Red States In Search of Affordable Housing

As the November elections draw near, an alarming number of residents from Democrat-leaning states are migrating to Republican-dominated areas in search of more affordable housing options.

Since 2020, Republican-dominated counties have seen a net gain of 3.7 million residents, while Democratic-leaning counties have seen a loss of 3.7 million. The large-scale migration is largely a response to the increase in home prices across the U.S., which have surged roughly 35% since President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021 — from $303,600 to $407,600 by April of this year. 

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The rise has been fueled by pandemic-induced migration patterns and a consistent shortage of home construction. However, the increase is not uniform; many are fleeing Democratic strongholds like California and New York to red states driven by uncontrollable real estate costs in the blue states, according to a report issued by Realtor.com on Friday.

In detail, California residents looking out of state have primarily focused on Florida, capturing 10.56% of their online property views. Texas and Arizona followed with 7.60% and 6.89% respectively, pointing to a clear preference for states with lower living costs. 

Similar trends are evident among New York residents, with 19.6% eyeing Florida homes.

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Red States’ Appeal: More Than Just Lower Costs

According to Bruce Ailion, a real estate agent and attorney that Realtor.com spoke with, housing in Democratic states has become challenging to manage due to less favorable governance and regulatory conditions. "Property values are protected in well-governed, pro-growth, pro-business states that are tough on crime. Increasingly, those are red states," he said in the report.

Besides lower home prices, red states often have lower taxes and fewer regulations, making them attractive to those feeling stifled by the blue states’ fiscal policies. Mike Rhoads, a North Carolina home offers company owner, said that lower taxes and fewer regulations are significant because some of the people who are moving to red states from blue states aren't changing their political allegiance, or they aren't moving at all.

Many new arrivals remain politically active in their original states, using their new properties as investment opportunities rather than primary residences, Rhoads said.

Despite fears of becoming a political melting pot, the impact of blue-state migrants on red states might be less dramatic than anticipated. Ruy Teixeira, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, suggests that the migrants tend to be more conservative than their counterparts who remain in blue states, potentially minimizing their influence on their new homes’ political landscapes.

That doesn't mean people who live in red states are happy about this new migration pattern. 

Local Reactions, Less Of A Warm Welcome

While new residents can invigorate local economies, their arrival is met with skepticism. Cara Ameer, a real estate agent operating in California and Florida, reports a mix of welcome and wariness.

According to the report, locals often fear that incoming residents might bring with them the political and social norms of their home states, potentially disrupting established ways of life. Ameer said she has seen slogans like "Don't Fauci My Florida," in an apparent jab at the perceived overreach in health regulations during the pandemic.

Still, the real estate agent said conservative locals in red states are open to the new residents, provided they "don't bring their politics with them."

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