EDITORIAL: Why LA residents are looking to move to Las Vegas

California Gov. Gavin Newsom did something many Californians are considering — he came to Las Vegas. But he didn’t stay long.

A recent report from Redfin found that Las Vegas is the fifth-most searched metro area in the country. It trails four cities in Florida, including Orlando. Las Vegas’ ranking is bolstered by a great many people in the Los Angeles area who are interested in moving to Southern Nevada. The top cities that people are looking to leave are New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Jose. California is the state with the most people looking to exit.

Another recent report, this one from Realtor.com, found a similar trend. A significant portion of the people looking at homes in Las Vegas are from California.

Los Angeles and San Jose “combined generate more demand than the next eight metros combined,” Anthony Smith, a senior economist for Realtor.com, told the Review-Journal.

This interest isn’t mutual. There are some Nevadans looking to move, but they aren’t especially attracted to California.

“Outbound demand from Las Vegas is far more dispersed across destinations than the concentrated inflow from Southern California and the Bay Area,” Mr. Smith said.

This pattern has been ongoing for years, and it isn’t hard to figure out why. High costs, including housing, are “motivating people to move from expensive areas to more affordable areas,” the Redfin report notes.

California was once a major draw. It had the glamour of Hollywood and a world-class university system. It was home to major corporations such as Chevron, Tesla and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Its geographical advantages are unparalleled — the weather and beaches are exceptional.

The Mamas &the Papas were “California Dreamin.” But today, progressive governance has created numerous pathologies. Regulations and high taxes strangle businesses. Many companies — including Chevron, Tesla and Hewlett Packard — have fled the state. Gov. Newsom and Democrats have declared war on fossil fuels. This succeeded in giving California the country’s highest gasoline prices. Homelessness is rampant. Housing prices are sky high, which is what happens when governments make it difficult to build new homes.

Nevada appeals to Californians because it offers the promise of more freedom. It has a much less confiscatory tax structure and a strong business climate. The state is leading the country in job growth. Nevada has lower housing prices than California.

California’s failures are obvious, but Gov. Newsom didn’t travel to Nevada to learn from the state’s regulatory restraint or its favorable tax climate. Instead, he was here to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford. But Gov. Newsom is not a role model for Nevada. Quite the opposite. He is a symbol of a governing approach that is best avoided. The numbers and trends tell an important story. Voters should listen clearly.