SEATTLE, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN)
- Sixteen percent of Americans would consider leaving the country
if the presidential candidate they support loses the election.
That's according to an October survey of more than 3,000 U.S.
residents commissioned by Redfin (www.redfin.com), the
technology-powered real estate brokerage. When asked the same
question in 2016, 9% of respondents said they would consider
leaving the country if their preferred candidate lost.
The 16% total is broken into three categories: Those who would
absolutely leave the country, those who would seriously consider it
and those who would consider it. Three percent of respondents would
absolutely leave the country if their candidate loses, versus zero
in 2016.
Broken down by candidate, 20% of people who plan to vote for
Joe Biden would consider leaving the
country if he loses, while 15% of President Trump's supporters said
the same thing.
"The desire to leave the country due to political
dissatisfaction is relatable for people on both sides of the aisle,
but most people who say they would consider it likely won't follow
through given the financial and legal barriers," said Redfin chief
economist Daryl Fairweather. "Still,
the uptick in the share of people who say they would consider
leaving the country since the 2016 election is one sign that the
nation has become more politically divided."
Forty-two percent of U.S. residents said they would be
hesitant to move to an area where most residents have political
views that differ from their own, according to another question
from the same Redfin survey fielded in October. That's up from 38%
in June 2019 and 32% in June 2020.
One-quarter of respondents would consider moving to another
state based on Supreme Court decisions
Redfin also asked respondents about how the Supreme Court might
influence moving decisions. Twenty-four percent of
respondents said they would want to move to a different state if
the 'Supreme Court increases states' rights with respect to health
care, reproductive laws, gun laws, etc.' Twenty-one percent said it
would make them like their current state more, while 55% said an
increase in states' rights wouldn't impact how they feel about
where they live.
An increase in states' rights could make choosing where to live
more significant because the laws from state to state would differ
more than they do now. For instance, if the Supreme Court were to
overturn Roe v. Wade, state rather than federal law would determine
the legality of abortion.
"Homebuyers may 'vote with their feet' and relocate out of a
state if their laws change in a way that is misaligned with their
values," Fairweather said. "Businesses may also move for the same
reason, or to follow the talent, which would impact local
economies. When Georgia passed a
highly restrictive abortion bill in 2019, many companies threatened
to relocate. Although a federal judge blocked that bill, a
more conservative judiciary may have allowed it to become law,
which likely would have caused some residents to leave while
attracting others."
Nearly 29% of Redfin.com users looked to move to another metro
area in July and August 2020, the
highest share since Redfin started tracking migration. That
record-high share is partly due to the uptick in remote work
stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and it's an indication that
people are more open to making long-distance moves than ever
before.
Broken down by who they plan to vote for, 30% of respondents who
plan to vote for President Trump would want to move to a different
state if the Supreme Court were to increase states' rights, versus
21% of Biden voters. Twenty-three percent of Trump voters and 20%
of Biden voters said an increase in states' rights would make them
like their current state more.
For the full report and methodology, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/move-different-country-election/.
About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a
technology-powered residential real estate company, redefining real
estate in the consumer's favor in a commission-driven industry. We
do this by integrating every step of the home buying and selling
process and pairing our own agents with our own technology,
creating a service that is faster, better and costs less. We offer
brokerage, iBuying, mortgage, and title services, and we also run
the country's #1 real estate brokerage search site, offering a host
of online tools to consumers, including the Redfin Estimate. We
represent people buying and selling homes in over 90 markets in
the United States and Canada. Since our launch in 2006, we have
saved our customers over $800 million
and we've helped them buy or sell more than 235,000 homes worth
more than $115 billion.
For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate
agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends
and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to
Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com.
To view Redfin's press center, click here.
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SOURCE Redfin