The Big Sort: Americans are moving to places where political views match their own

[Deleted member 215]

Americans are fleeing to places where political views match their own

America is growing more geographically polarized — red ZIP codes are getting redder and blue ZIP codes are becoming bluer. People appear to be sorting.

www.npr.org

Have you considered moving to a place where the dominant politics are more aligned with your own views? Do you already live in such a place? Do you know people who have moved for this reason?

 

[fooferdoggie]

already live there for 35 years.

 

[Herdfan]

Where I live the views mainly matched my own except for the religious based aspect of it. However, voting trends didn't match until about 20 years ago when the state went from mostly blue to dark red in what seemed like overnight.

When we move, hopefully by next winter, it will be to a more purple state. So things could get interesting.

I certainly would not move to a very liberal city, but I'm not sure I would move to a conservative city either. Like to visit cities, not live there.

 

[SuperMatt]

This is interesting. I thought most people either stayed in their hometown or moved to get a good-paying job in their profession if there weren’t any in their hometown. I know some also move to be with a significant other. Moving a significant distance to be near other people of the same political persuasion seems odd to me. I could see people moving within the same area to another neighborhood though.

Perhaps when people retire, it could be more of a consideration.

When I moved to the DC area, it was for a job. When I chose the place to buy, I didn’t pick based on politics, I picked on quality of the place, and proximity to my work, since I didn’t want a long commute in DC traffic. I don’t actively seek political discussions with my neighbors, although there might be some neighbors on this forum where I like to discuss politics.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Americans are fleeing to places where political views match their own

America is growing more geographically polarized — red ZIP codes are getting redder and blue ZIP codes are becoming bluer. People appear to be sorting.

www.npr.org

Have you considered moving to a place where the dominant politics are more aligned with your own views? Do you already live in such a place? Do you know people who have moved for this reason?

In order to live in a place where the dominant politics is aligned to mine I’d have to move to the Moon and make sure nobody ever lands there.

 

[User.45]

I'm not sure I would move to a conservative city either.

"Conservative city" is an oxymoron at this point.

This is interesting. I thought most people either stayed in their hometown or moved to get a good-paying job in their profession if there weren’t any in their hometown. I know some also move to be with a significant other. Moving a significant distance to be near other people of the same political persuasion seems odd to me. I could see people moving within the same area to another neighborhood though.

Perhaps when people retire, it could be more of a consideration.

When I moved to the DC area, it was for a job. When I chose the place to buy, I didn’t pick based on politics, I picked on quality of the place, and proximity to my work, since I didn’t want a long commute in DC traffic. I don’t actively seek political discussions with my neighbors, although there might be some neighbors on this forum where I like to discuss politics.

I could see myself fleeing places where people harass school boards to promote COVID or racism.

 

[Arkitect]

Well, not in the US, but in the UK.

Myself and husband have been living in Bath going on 10 years now and we are starting to get itchy feet.

But where to? Most definitely we will want to be in a place with societal and political views close to our own.

Bath is liberal (Big L and small l), cosmopolitan, within relatively easy commuting distance to London and close to a smallish international airport.

Bath was the only city (apart from Bristol) in the Southwest to vote REMAIN during the Brexit Referendum.
The only city without a Tory MP or local government.

Stranded in a sea of Tories and Right wingers.

So we look to the rest of the UK and ask ourselves, "Where the hell shall we go?"
Neither of us want to return to London. Once you leave you realise there is a world outside the M25.

Work wise it could make sense for us to move up to Newcastle… but there you go; politics!

 

[DT]

Yes. At least where there's a better blend and less extremism.

In fact, that's part of the motivation of my recent talk [here] about relocating, it's not work related, not family related, it's for a life change and escaping the high density of idiocy around here. And holy hell, __if__ somehow, that orange fuckwit is able to pull off a win in 2024, this place will be intolerable.

 

[User.168]

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