County in a State of Flux

While Ventura County continues to lose residents to other states, it remains a favored place to live for many Californians, according to a state report.

The latest figures from the Department of Motor Vehicles show a net migration of 3,091 licensed drivers into Ventura County from the state’s other 57 counties.

Most of the drivers relocating here are from neighboring counties, such as Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Orange. By far the largest number of arrivals were from Los Angeles, which sent a net 5,949 licensed drivers to Ventura County for the year ending June 30.

Many of those are people displaced or frightened away by January’s strong earthquake, centered in the San Fernando Valley, said Carolyn Leavens, president of the Ventura County Economic Development Assn.

For them, Ventura County is an attractive option because they can remain close to jobs and family in Southern California, Leavens said.

“It’s an awfully nice place to live,” Leavens said. “The beaches, the mountains and climate. In fact, we’re afraid to say it too loud.”

Still, for a fifth straight year, more licensed drivers left Ventura County for other states than moved here, according to the DMV report. State figures show that 7,107 out-of-state residents moved here, but that 11,265 left--a net loss of 4,248 drivers.

Leavens attributes such emigration to a sluggish state and local economy and strict regulations that frighten away business. Often, those leaving are “tremendously high-quality people” with experience in aerospace and military-related industries, but who have lost their jobs, she said.

“The people who are leaving were employed by large companies that moved out of state,” Leavens said. “The reason is pretty simple. We have some of the toughest permitting and regulatory processes in the state and in the nation.”

Ventura County’s unemployment rate was 9.3% in July, the highest it has been since January. But economists believe the rise reflects a seasonal adjustment due to a drop in agricultural jobs and schools’ summer break.

Overall, the county’s economy is slowly improving, according to a forecast prepared by the UC Santa Barbara Economic Forecast Project.

Building permits and construction jobs are climbing, key indicators of a growing economy. Retail sales dollars are growing in many Ventura County cities, and home sales have increased countywide, according to the most recent UC Santa Barbara report.

Steve Wood, a demographer for the county of Ventura, said people are moving here from other California counties because Ventura County’s economy is in better shape than the ones they left. But they also are drawn by the county’s aesthetic appeal, he said.

“Compared to Los Angeles County, we definitely have a lot more open spaces,” Wood said. The relatively small population in Ventura County compared with other Southern California counties also draws people, Wood said. Ventura County has about 700,000 residents, while Los Angeles County alone has more than 9 million.

“Once people settle into the various cities in this county, they feel they are a part of that community,” Wood said. “I don’t think they have that feeling in Los Angeles County.”

Wood, however, disputed Leavens’ contention that Los Angeles residents are fleeing in the aftermath of January’s earthquake.

“If they’re trying to get away from earthquakes, they haven’t moved far enough,” Wood said. “We did have considerable damage in this county,” he said, referring to homes and businesses lost in hard-hit Fillmore and Simi Valley.

Besides Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Orange counties sent more new drivers to this county than left. But those totals, 53 and 77 respectively, were far lower than the exodus from Los Angeles.

The DMV report does not indicate to which states Ventura County residents are moving. But in past years, the most popular destinations have been neighboring western states, particularly Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona.

Migrating Population Listed below are the California counties from which most residents moved to Ventura County in the last fiscal year. The list also shows the number of people who moved to those areas. The information comes from changes of address for California driver licenses.

Moved to Moved from Net Ventura County Ventura County change Los Angeles 15,711 9,762 +5,949 Santa Barbara 1,438 1,385 +53 Orange 1,351 1,274 +77 San Diego 1,176 1,536 -360 San Bernardino 718 755 -37 Riverside 599 824 -225 Kern 543 905 -362 San Luis Obispo 400 557 -157 Total (57 counties) 25,618 22,527 +3,091

Source: California Department of Motor Vehicles