California lost one percent of its population over the last year as residents fled for other states, the United States Census Bureau revealed this week.

While California’s population stands at more than 39.5 million, a record high, the state lost more than 367,000 residents over the last year. The state’s population decline is among the largest in the nation.

“In 2021, 20 states and the District of Columbia lost residents via net domestic migration. Largest domestic migration losses were in California (-367,299), New York (-352,185), and Illinois (-122,460),” Census Bureau experts wrote.

In addition, blue states that repeatedly enforced mask mandates, vaccine requirements, and lockdowns over the past year lost population to red states that eliminated the policies, Breitbart News reported.

Meanwhile, Florida, Texas, and Arizona experienced the most growth thanks to domestic migration:

Out of the top 10 states and territories with the most population decline from July 2020 to July 2021, eight are run by either Democrat legislatures or Democrat governors, or both. Of the top 10 states with the most population growth in the last year, nine are run by Republican governors and Republican-majority legislatures.

Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area lost some of their populations amid the coronavirus pandemic, recent data found, according to the Associated Press (AP).

In May, the state reported its first annual population decline when officials said it lost 182,083 people last year. Most recently, the state reported losing 173,000 people between July 1st of last year and July 1st of this year.

The report continued:

The latest estimate confirms California’s once seemingly boundless population growth has ended. It also shows that, for the first time ever, Los Angeles County and the nine counties surrounding the San Francisco Bay simultaneously lost population in the same year. Together, those two areas account for more than 44% of the state’s nearly 40 million residents and have some of the most expensive housing prices in the nation.

Californians were leaving the state to search for affordable housing, better schools, and a more rural lifestyle. A significant percentage of them chose Austin, Texas, Breitbart News reported in June.