
California Has the Highest Poverty Rate in America. Why? - SQL2219
https://fee.org/articles/california-has-the-highest-poverty-rate-in-america-why/
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wahern
That's _only_ if you consider the price of housing. Here's a good article
which debunks the recent litany of articles about this narrative:
[http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/01/california-
is-...](http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/01/california-is-doing-
fine-thank-you-very-much/)

TL;DR:

* California's unemployment rate is near the median, so it's not the high minimum wage limiting employment.

* California's labor force participation rate is near the median, so it has nothing to do with a lack of work requirements for welfare programs.

* California has the 5th _smallest_ number of state employees per capita, so it's not the massive bureaucracy.

* Zoning and permitting policies are largely to blame for the cost of housing, but that's driven by local government, and in any event California is hardly an outlier here, it's just that because the economy is so strong there's no hiding the consequences.

