These Bay Area metro areas saw thousands of households move away from 2018 to 2022, data shows
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- U.S. Postal Service data analyzed by the ABC7 data journalism team shows San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley combined had a net loss of at least 250,000 households from 2018 through the end of 2022. It had the fourth-highest loss when comparing metro areas across the country.
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The San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara metro area lost more than 93,000 households, while Vallejo lost at least 7,257, Santa Rose and Petaluma lost at least 5,663, and Napa lost at least 3,562.
The New York and Jersey City metro area had the highest net loss with a decrease of more than 805,000 households during the last five years.
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On the opposite end, Houston had one of the biggest gains in newcomers during the five-year time period, with nearly 50,000 new residents and businesses. Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Walnut saw some of the biggest gains in California.
The U.S. Postal Service collects data every time a change-of-address form is filled out, so while it's not capturing every individual moving to a different address, it seems to reinforce trends that other data analysis has found.
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Kelly Brown is one of those individuals. She said there were many factors in her decision to leave California for Texas, including disappointment that Governor Gavin Newsom wasn't recalled. She was also highly critical of the state's extended COVID-19 lockdown.
"I really wanted to be in a place with a lot more freedom, a lot more personal responsibility," Brown said.
One year later, she admits to missing her home and friends and the Northern California landscape. She is considering moving back but wants to give Texas one more year.
Search for the top cities with a net loss in the table below.
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