The Great Migration

Notes from Florida and Texas

We had the privilege of spending the past week doing business in Florida and Texas and got to see first hand the great migration that has occurred over the past 12 months. While we had of course seen a large influx to our home of Jackson, WY — it was an entirely different matter to see vast swaths of the Bay Area relocated to Austin and the same for New York to Palm Beach and Miami. Here are a few reflections on that migration and our team in this beautiful growing communities.

When we moved to Jackson, WY three years ago, we anticipated that over time a substantial shift in population centers would occur as people became tired of overcrowded expensive urban locations and sought better lifestyles, physical environments, and more well-governed communities. We did not realize that it would be happening so fast of course, but it makes sense on many levels given the vast differences between for example California and New York vs. Florida and Texas.

First — on the lifestyle. People living in the Bay Area or greater tri-state area often spend an hour plus a day commuting. This is a terrible waste of human potential and with the coming advent of self-driving cars (along with many more companies today adopting remote working policies), something that will be looked back on as a relic of days past. Additionally, small, cramped, pricy apartments are not the living conditions that most would seek out naturally. Visiting with friends across Texas and Florida, it is wonderful to see folks with more space for people to spread out and with shorter commute times. That being said, both places, particularly a spot like Austin that is growing so fast, face infrastructure challenges that will need to be rapidly addressed to avoid recreating the same challenges in San Francisco and New York.

Second — on the physical environment. Humans are not meant to be living in concrete jungles or strip malls — our bodies, minds and spirits require access to open skies, mountains, forest, lakes, rivers, and oceans for optimal functioning. While of course the Bay Area offers beautiful outdoors spaces — those have increasingly become overly crowded. Texas and Florida both offer tremendously greater space and beautiful hills and oceans where one can reconnect with nature.

Third — and probably most importantly is governance. Regardless of political affiliation, almost everyone can agree California and New York are being terribly managed. Taxes keep getting more expensive while quality of service declines with government revenues being directed towards special interest groups rather than fixing the homeless problem, improving infrastructure and making education more accessible for all. At the same time, COVID exposed the deep-seated predilection of California and New York politicians to implement overly draconian and nonsensical policies that involve deep encroachments on our basic freedoms. I think this more fundamental failure of governance more than anything else has accelerated the massive migration of Californians and New Yorkers to Florida and Texas.

By contrast, Florida and Texas have largely remained open and had comparable or better numbers in dealing with the pandemic. Regardless of political affiliation, we all want the ability to gather with friends, go to restaurants, walk the streets and enjoy the communities we live in and that hasn’t been permitted in California or New York, but it is in Florida and Texas. Unfortunately, as the tax base leaves California and New York we are likely see the governance get worse, have taxes rise further, and have emboldened politicians further impose on citizens in un-American ways. I think this will further accelerate the migration of folks to freedom-oriented locations such as Florida and Texas in a feedback loop that grows more and more rapidly. While this is beautiful evidence of the value of competition, I am concerned that it means a very grim future is coming for states like California and New York.

On a more personal note, we loved seeing crowds of people enjoying time outside and in gatherings at restaurants and parties. It was palpable the excitement for the end of the pandemic arriving and more freedom and opportunity in these thriving and bustling communities. I am excited to see how Florida and Texas continue to grow and evolve and inspire citizens to enjoy and build!

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