Sayonara, San Diego?

By Melissa Wirkus

Many people relocate to San Diego from other states after visiting on a vacation or holiday.

The climate, great people and thousands of things to do are just a few of the things that make San Diego such a desirable place to call home.

But there is one thing that is standing in the way of San Diego becoming the "perfect" place to live - high home prices.

And these sky-high home prices could be just the thing that are driving both native San Diegans and people who have relocated here; out of the city.

A recent report shows that San Diego has one of the highest out-migration rates in the county, meaning many are leaving San Diego in search of somewhere that is more affordable to set down some roots.

A recent article by Lori Weisberg of The San Diego Union Tribune, "Greener pastures outside of county?" discusses how so many people are leaving San Diego because of the cost of real estate.

"For the fourth year in a row, San Diego County saw thousands more people leave for other destinations than relocate here, cementing its position as one of the nation's top 10 losers in that category, new census figures reveal."

"Between July 2005 and July 2006, 42,034 more people moved from San Diego County to other places in the country than came here from elsewhere in the nation, according to county population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. That put San Diego eighth in the nation among counties with high domestic out-migration."

This news is even more troubling because two of the states on the list that are above San Diego , Florida and Louisiana, both suffered devastating losses from Hurricane Katrina that forced people to permanently relocate elsewhere.

Nothing like that happened in San Diego.

Since home prices cannot decrease over night, many people are beginning to wonder what affect this out-migration will have on the local economy and way of life.

"As San Diego County increasingly becomes a place people move away from than gravitate to, businesses will find it more difficult to remain competitive and attract high-caliber employees, say corporate recruiters and economists. And as commutes lengthen for those who work in the county but choose to move farther away from their jobs, quality of life could diminish."

"'The higher up the management scale you are, the less you'll want to have a long commute,' said Marney Cox, an economist with the San Diego Association of Governments. 'You'll ask your boss for a higher salary as compensation, which adds to the cost of doing business. Other people who don't have that bargaining power will have to put up with the commute and live farther away.'"

San Diego is not the only city in California that is experiencing a loss of residents; many areas throughout coastal California are also experiencing losses.