16% of U.S. Residents Would Consider Leaving the Country if Their Candidate Loses, Up From 9% in 2016: Redfin Survey

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10/26/2020 - 05:48 PM

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.