Political Tensions Lead Some Americans to Move to Other States

Concerns over issues such as abortion and gun control are influencing Americans to relocate to areas they find more compatible with their viewpoints, and not just places with better weather or job opportunities.

As the United States seemingly becomes more divided, politics are becoming a major driver of moves across the country. A new Redfin report found one-third of real estate agents had clients who relocated solely because of this within the past year.

While housing affordability and proximity to family and jobs outweigh any political preference to relocate, a growing number of Americans would rather live in a place where local laws and neighbors' opinions reflect their view of the world.

"Some of the most common migration routes for homebuyers last year were from blue states to red or purple states: San Francisco to Austin; Seattle to Phoenix; New York to Orlando and other parts of Florida," the Redfin report found. "That's due largely to housing affordability, but some homebuyers moved because they wanted to live in a more conservative place."

Though in Texas and Florida, two states with some of the strictest abortion laws, 40 percent of Redfin-surveyed residents said they'd rather live where abortion is legal, and this could also drive moves out of these relatively affordable states.

Despite the mass migration that saw residents leave expensive states like New York behind in favor of more temperate and cheaper climates in the South, some families are moving back, preferring to live in areas with stricter gun laws, fewer abortion restrictions or greater LGBTQ acceptance, Redfin found.

The survey spanned responses from 500 real estate agents and was conducted in December. It followed a 2020 Redfin study that found 42 percent of Americans are hesitant to move to a place where they'd be the political minority.

Ron Resha, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, had several clients who moved to Florida due to its Republican politics and tax-free benefits.

"Many Americans are moving because of political differences and gun control issues, among other reasons," Resha told Newsweek. "As opinions get more divided and laws change, some folks want to live in places that match their beliefs."

Choosing a state with specific gun laws or a neighborhood that reinforces your political ideology is a privilege that many remote workers can choose in today's housing market, and they likely will continue to do so. Resha said this could have potential impacts down the line for elections as well.

"People are looking for places that make them feel secure and comfortable, and this could affect the upcoming political election depending on party preferences," Resha said.

For Josephine El-Halabi, a Massachusetts mom and a client of Resha's, the choice to move to Venice, Florida, became clear after witnessing her home state handle the coronavirus pandemic and rely on online schooling.

Florida, unlike Massachusetts, had opened schools back up and better aligned with El-Halabi's political views. "It was a difficult situation being from Massachusetts, a very liberal state," she told Newsweek. "During Covid is what really opened my eyes to how liberal the state was. The extended online learning protocol was impacting my children and was not conducive to my children's development."

And while El-Halabi identified as somewhat of a Democrat for most of her life, she started leaning Republican and chose top purple state Florida largely for that reason, she said.

Echoing Resha's sentiment about the potential political impact on elections, El-Halabi, added: "I do think these moves are going to affect the vote in Florida, favoring the Republicans in a state where the electoral vote is high, giving Republicans a better chance at winning."

Even within states or even cities, some residents have decided to move out in search of a better political environment. Marisa Simonetti, of Minnesota-based Marisa Simonetti Real Estate, has witnessed this in Minneapolis after political unrest divided the city.

"Many people in Minneapolis are choosing to move away from the Lake Street area in Uptown after the George Floyd incident has caused much disruption and increased crime," Simonetti told Newsweek. "While not directly tied to any partisan affiliation, it is connected to local politics."

Some clients even sell their homes after arguments about building repairs at HOA meetings turned into political disputes, California broker Pila Jessie added.

"Neighborhoods are becoming politically balkanized, I am seeing it happen," Jessie told Newsweek. "You have to attend school functions and go to church with people in your community, so it is natural that as people in our society have become much more outspoken about their values and political alignment that there is migration."

In California, residents who move counties or even the state often don't regret their choice, according to Jessie.

"They said they are happier once they move," Jessie said.

Correction 02/07/24 2:48 p.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the spelling of El-Halabi's name.