Top 10 Most Californicated Cities in the United States
The term "Californication" has been used to describe urban Californian transplants affecting the culture in other cities. With California declining and becoming more like the Rust Belt, this trend is increasing. Many longtime residents of these places don't identify with the new culture being brought into their cities. It's also worth noting that the transplants don't have to be from California, since New York and Massachusetts are experiencing similar patterns.
While often criticized, the population increase is mostly driven by upper-middle-class individuals and above, which brings in more startups. As a result, these areas tend to have fast-growing economies. Another contributing group is recent college graduates, who are often able to find employment. Even Philosophy majors can work as freelance writers.
Common negative traits of these cities include a shift toward the political left and authoritarianism, largely due to increased populations and the presence of more college students. This shift is reflected in a decreasing percentage of religious residents and a rise in Antifa activity.
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Denver, Colorado
Denver, officially the City and County of Denver, is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Colorado. The city serves as the economic and cultural center of the Denver metropolitan area. Denver was founded in 1858 and was incorporated on November 7, 1861.
While Colorado was considered a swing state before 2016, it's now solidly Democratic. Denver has grown 22.5% since 2010 (2020 numbers), and Joe Biden won the city, carrying more than 75% of the votes.
Colorado, although still a good state, needs to maintain its libertarianism, especially economically. The Colorado minimum wage is $12.32 per hour, which is $12.32 more than it should be, and $5.07 more than what is federally mandated.
Colorado residents love to complain about transplants, and even I say it's full, without ever living there.
People think it's "cool and hip," but it's pretty expensive and full of cringy hipster folk who drink tons of beer, wear flannel, and grow out their facial hair. Pretty boring if you don't like the mountains or bars.
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Austin, Texas
Texas is known to be a Republican stronghold, but many of the cities are heavily Democratic, particularly Austin. Austin is known to be the hipster enclave that doesn't resemble the rest of the state.
It's also worth mentioning that Austin hasn't had a census where the population grew by less than 20% since 1920. Travis County voted 46.9% for Bush in 2000, but they voted for Joe Biden by 71.4% in 2020.
The hipster days are long gone. Rents are at Brooklyn levels, traffic is constant, and glass towers are being built everywhere they can squeeze them in.
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Atlanta, Georgia
You know Los Angeles is failing when Hollywood is being taken away from LA and is moving to Atlanta. So many celebrities will go to Atlanta, which will bring poor people who want to be famous too.
Atlanta has grown by over 20% from 2010 to 2020, which is a sign of Californication. It is also one of the most solidly Democratic areas in Georgia, which is reflected in the voting patterns of both Fulton and Cobb Counties.
It's the "Hollywood of the South." It has no southern charm at all. Full of traffic, rude people, concrete, and is ugly.
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Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Utah. It was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young and other Mormon pioneers. The city is known for its proximity to the Great Salt Lake and for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Utah is known to be a conservative (not necessarily Republican) stronghold, but some of the cities lean Democratic, particularly Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is known to be the hipster enclave that doesn't resemble the rest of the state.
Now, to write something more original, Salt Lake City is another city in the Silicon Slopes. As discussed, this is a growing tech region that goes from Provo to Ogden. Vivint, Ancestry, and even TheTopTens are Silicon Slopes businesses.
The only liberal part of Utah. It's pretty small, polluted, and not that pretty of a city. You can finish it really fast.
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Boise, Idaho
People in Northern and Western Idaho love complaining about Californians moving to Boise. Common developments include rising rents and the changing politics of Ada County. More than 60% of residents voted for George W. Bush in 2004, while only 50.3% voted for Trump in 2020.
There is always population growth here, as it has never been below 10% since 1960.
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Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of Arizona, with a population of approximately 1,626,000 people. It is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the only state capital with over one million residents.... read more
While Maricopa County remains rather Republican, there are some California-related issues in Phoenix, and Arizona as a whole. 2020 was the first election in which the Democratic Party won Maricopa County since 1948.
Traffic is getting worse, and Phoenix is continuing to implement San Francisco/Los Angeles-like zoning laws, which is driving up prices and not allowing tall buildings where they need to be.
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Provo, Utah
Shoot straight with me, what is there to dislike about this city? Don't tell me anything about the religion just because Latter-Day Saints are, on average, richer than most people.
The correct answer is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Provo area. When there is absolutely nothing wrong with a city, people from California will notice it and then move in.
A few examples: The public schools are above average, the wages are high, and the crime is among the lowest in the nation. It is no surprise that this is in a region known as the Silicon Slopes, which is known for a booming tech scene.
Furthermore, there was an over 20% decrease in votes for the Republican party in Utah County between only two elections, 2012 and 2020. So this area's great stats have clearly been noticed.
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Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is known for country music, but it voted for Biden by over 60% in 2020, which are thought of as incompatible with each other. This is contributing to Tennessee leaning more Democratic each election.
There is a lot of gentrification in Nashville, particularly around the northeastern neighborhoods, which is common in quickly growing cities. Housing prices are also higher here than the national average, even though Tennessee doesn't impose as many unfair regulations, so the quantity of housing demanded is very high.
It has no Southern charm anymore. It's overrated, crowded, and getting really expensive.
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Miami, Florida
Miami, officially known as the City of Miami, is the cultural, economic, and financial center of South Florida. It is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, which is the most populous county in Florida. The city is a major hub for international trade, tourism, and finance.
Florida is still pretty good, but the red tape on Miami's housing market is getting pretty close to that of California. As a result, the prices have increased due to stunted supply, which is one of the most common complaints about people moving in.
Miami is gross. It's superficial and fake like California. Full of crime, way too hot, and has some nice beaches, even though I prefer swamps. Florida is nasty.
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Reno, Nevada
Being so close to California, it has become a popular relocation spot for Californians who want lower living costs. This influx of wealthy residents has increased the cost of living, but crime has fallen a lot.
Like Nashville, there is significant gentrification in Reno, particularly in the northeast, where the University of Nevada - Reno is located. This may stop soon, however. As a western city, Reno has significant boundaries to growth, which are commonly referred to as mountains.
Reno is pretty gross. It's a boom and bust town. A gross college town that smells like smoke, hookers, and pollution.
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Houston, Texas
Houston is the most populous city in the state of Texas and ranks fourth in the United States. According to a 2017 U.S. Census estimate, it had a population of approximately 2.312 million. It is also the most populous city in both the Southern United States and along the Gulf Coast.
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Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana, is best known for hosting the Indianapolis 500, a prestigious automobile race. The city's White River State Park features green spaces and major attractions such as the Indianapolis Zoo and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art... read more
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Seattle, Washington
Seattle is a seaport city on the west coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. The city is known for its tech industry, including companies like Amazon and Microsoft, and for landmarks such as the Space Needle and Pike Place Market.
I live in California and would love to live in Seattle, Washington when I'm an adult someday, especially because the weather up there is perfect for vampires like me.
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Dallas, Texas
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Portland, Oregon
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and serves as the seat of Multnomah County. It is a major port in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest. The city is located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.
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Lexington, Kentucky