REVEALED: Secret of why influx of newcomers from blue states HASN’T dented dominance of GOP in deep-red South Carolina and Florida

Tens of millions of Americans have moved from blue states to red states during the pandemic, but it has had virtually no impact on the political landscape, analysis shows.

Rising crime and strict lockdowns in Democratic blue states have led to people leaving liberal cities in droves for sunnier climes in the red states of the South, not to mention the lower costs of living and taxes.

In what was one of the largest mass migrations of this century, 46 million people moved in 2021-2022, with red states of Florida, Texas and the Carolinas making the biggest gains. Wall Street Journal reports.

The states that have lost the most residents are almost all blue, led by California, New York and Illinois.

And yet, despite so many blue state residents moving to southern red states, the political demographics barely changed.

Although puzzling at first glance, the reason is simple: red states simply attracted Republican voters in the first place.

Like-minded individuals find their own kind in Southern Republican communities.

Among those who have moved south is the Zal family, formerly of Schenectady, New York.

Fed up with pandemic-related restrictions, they moved more than 1,000 miles to Greer, South Carolina, just outside Greenville, drawn largely by the state’s Republican lean.

Sandy Zal, 47, even plans to vote for former President Donald Trump in Saturday’s Republican primaries.

“We knew we would have the freedom to make choices for our children and our family who had been taken away in New York,” she said WSJ.com.

But despite a notable influx of newcomers from traditionally blue states, South Carolina has managed to maintain its predominantly conservative character.

A WSJ analysis of census data found that about a third of the state’s new residents between 2017 and 2021 came from blue states, while a quarter came from red states.

Many people have moved from the blue states to the southern red states, attracted by lower taxes, warmer weather and a lower cost of living. The photo shows the skyline of Greenville, South Carolina

Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona all had more arrivals than departures

Recent arrivals in South Carolina have shown significant leaning toward the Republican Party.

About 57 percent of those who moved to South Carolina during the pandemic identify as Republicans, with Democrats making up about 36 percent and independents 7 percent.

Such statistics closely mirror the state’s recent voting patterns, in which current Republican Governor Henry McMaster received 58 percent of the vote.

South Carolina’s migration patterns go so far as to explain why the political landscape has changed little.

At one point there was a belief that the wave of newcomers from blue states could introduce more liberal and diverse political ideologies, but many of those leaving blue states were in fact Republicans looking for politically similar environments in their new environment.

Remote work also allowed many workers to move to red states, but the same phenomenon occurred in states like Florida and Texas, regardless of the lure of lower taxes, warmer weather, cheaper housing and a lower cost of living.

A moving van outside a home in Queens, New York City (file photo)

Although sales taxes in South Carolina are comparable to those in northern states, income tax rates are generally lower and property taxes are much lower. Pictured: Falls Park and the Reedy River, located in downtown Greenville’s historic West End

The 2020 presidential election map, above. Despite so many blue state residents moving to southern red states, the political demographics have changed little.

Although sales taxes in South Carolina are comparable to those in northern states, income tax rates are generally lower and property taxes are much lower.

The average property tax in South Carolina was $1,185 in 2022 and about one-fifth of the median in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.

Ninety percent of homeowners in New Jersey pay at least $3,000 a year in property taxes. In South Carolina, only 12 percent pay that much.

In the Sunshine State, nearly half of the people who moved there between 2017 and 2021 were from blue states, while only 29 percent were from red states.

Of registered voters, 44 percent are Republicans, 25 percent are Democrats and 28 percent identify as nonpartisan.

The same trend appears to have occurred in Texas, which also saw a significant influx of newcomers from blue states, but a significant portion of them, by some estimates, joined the Republican party.

“People do look for their own cohorts,” says Paul Westcott of L2, the organization that manages voting data.

“In South Carolina, people are seeing a lower cost of living and lower taxes, and they’re looking for that cohort to match their own. Maybe they don’t consciously think about it, but they find themselves there among other conservatives.’