Governor Gavin Newsom has been accused of manipulating population statistics to downplay the number of Californians moving to Florida.

During a recent debate with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Newsom claimed that more Floridians had moved to California than Californians to Florida in the past two years. However, Census Bureau data contradicts this, showing that 66% more people moved from California to Florida than vice versa during 2020-2022.

Newsom’s claim was defended by some media outlets, including The New York Times and PolitiFact, who suggested that when considering per capita figures, more Floridians had indeed moved to California. However, critics argue that this is a misuse of statistics, as per capita adjustments are not necessary or appropriate when comparing raw migration numbers.

In fact, data shows that more U.S. residents moved to Florida than any other state between 2020 and 2022, while California saw the highest number of residents leaving. Furthermore, Florida’s population increased more than almost all other states, while California’s decreased more than all but one other state (New York). Despite Newsom’s claims, the data suggests a clear trend of Americans moving from California to Florida and other states.

Read more at City Journal.