Just about any local Realtor can attest to the number of Californians we see moving into our great state, and the Sacramento Bee just published an interesting article with statistics and interviews of some of those who’ve made the move.
I’m no stranger to touting the great things that Oklahoma has to offer, but it’s cool to see it from the perspective of a Californian writer.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts from this article:
- From 2004 through 2007, about 275,000 Californians left the Golden State for the old Dust Bowl states of Oklahoma and Texas, twice the number that left those two states for California, recent Internal Revenue Service figures show.
- Ask these Okies-in-reverse why they traded the Golden State for the Sooner State… and you’ll hear a lot of similar themes: easier to find a job; cheaper to buy or rent a home; better place to make a fresh start. Ask them why they stay in Oklahoma and they’ll add to that list a deep optimism that it’s a place where things are about to take off.
- “When I left, all construction had stopped throughout California,” he said. “Here I see a lot of construction, a lot of new businesses.”
- More importantly, Jones said, his money stretches a lot further. A gas station clerk in Oklahoma makes about $1.50 an hour less than a gas station clerk in California. But Jones takes his money from working behind the counter and spends $400 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. In Del Paso Heights, a similarly sized apartment could easily cost $750.
- The median income is about 20 percent lower in Oklahoma City than in Sacramento, but that income goes 10 percent further, federal statistics show.
Most ‘Okies’ I know love it here for many of the same reasons, but you be the judge!
About Ryan Hukill
This isn't a new trend at all. It's been happening for about half a decade longer than the listed year ('04). Interestingly, it's a lot of aerospace industry workers coming out here to Tinker and Ft. Sill looking for better paying opportunities after their plants in Southern California have closed down. The influx of this white-collar work into the Oklahoma City area has attracted more work out here. If you move the white collars, the blue collars and entrepreneurs are eventually going to catch on to the better job opportunities and following them.
You make some good points, Matthew, and I agree that this trend isn't new at all… just now being noticed by more people.
Ryan – I'm looking for people who are planning on moving from Cali to OK for a story – can you help? thanks, Deanne
Well once enough Californians move to Oklahoma they ruin it too just like they've destroyed Arizona and Colorado