If California had Ohio's Cost of Living.

I asked my leftist AI to show me what would happen if California was part of the real world. I compared it to Ohio. See below.

Over the past 15 years, California has seen net domestic out‑migration of roughly 8–10 million people, depending on the dataset. That’s not population loss (births + immigration offset some of it), but it is a massive outflow.

California vs. Ohio cost of living

Ohio’s cost of living is about 30–35% lower overall, but the real gap is in housing, where the difference is closer to 50–70% depending on the metro.

The tax base would be significantly larger

More middle‑income earners = more stable revenue. California’s current budget volatility is driven by dependence on high earners.

If California had Ohio’s cost of living, the state would have 5–7 million more residents, a stronger middle class, far less homelessness, and a more stable tax base. The 10‑million‑person exodus is overwhelmingly a cost‑of‑living story — not a climate, culture, or politics story.

CALIFORNIA VS. OHIO: THE COST OF LIVING COUNTERFACTUAL
• 10 million people have left California in 15 years.• Housing costs are 50–70% higher than Ohio.• If California had Ohio-level affordability:    – 5 to 7 million of those residents would still be there.    – Population would be 43–45 million instead of ~39 million.    – Homelessness would be tens of thousands lower.    – Middle-class flight would reverse.    – The tax base would be far more stable.
BOTTOM LINE:

California didn’t lose people because of weather or culture. It lost them because it priced out its own middle class.

“If California had Ohio’s cost of living, it wouldn’t be losing 10 million people — it would be gaining them.”