05/17/2024

Bay Area’s high prices, traffic could spur exodus

An increasing number of Bay Area residents are planning to move out of the area, or at least considering it, primarily because of housing prices, the rising cost of living and traffic, according to a new poll.

The survey of a randomly selected group of 1,000 registered voters from the nine counties, released Thursday, found that 19 percent “strongly agreed,” and another 21 percent “somewhat agreed,” with a statement that they were likely to move out of the Bay Area in the next few years. Forty-six percent of the respondents disagreed, either strongly or somewhat, and the rest said they didn’t know.

Thirty percent of those 18 to 24 strongly agreed that they were likely to leave, compared with 13 percent of those 65 and older, the poll reported. African Americans and Latinos, renters, and those who spent 45 percent or more of their income on housing also stood out as likely to consider moving, the poll results showed.

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