Tens of thousands of people continue to stream out of the county every year. New data from the Census Bureau shows nearly 24,000 people left between July of 2023 and July 2024.
But more immigrants moved in during that same time period — 24,226 to be exact.
“If there had been no immigration, we would have lost about 12,000 people," said University of San Diego Economics Professor Alan Gin.
According to Gin, the fact that we gained a few more people than we lost is a good thing.
“If we had a shrinking population, number one, there wouldn’t be enough workers to fill some jobs. We’d have a labor shortage, and already, even with the small net that we gained, labor is a problem in some areas. Then, on top of that, if we have fewer people here, that means fewer people spending money," he said.
Gin said if the Trump administration follows through on promises of mass deportations, certain industries that are very important in this county would be negatively impacted.
“Areas like construction, agriculture and then the hospitality industry — so restaurants and hotels. So already, some of those categories are having difficulty finding workers, and that would make the situation even worse," Gin said.
As to why thousands continue to leave San Diego and other coastal counties in California — one word sums it up. Housing.
“The cost of housing in coastal California is just really high, and it shows no signs of abating, even with the high interest rates that we’ve had in the last few years," Gin said.
Gin’s advice to lawmakers is to craft sensible immigration policies, and work on making housing more affordable — so places like the Golden State can stay golden.
