Nevadans are fed up with people moving into the state, and experts spoke with Newsweek about why this is.

In a new survey from Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA, 40 percent of the state’s residents said they wanted the population to grow much more slowly. And a whopping 51 percent said the government should make it more difficult for people, including those from California, to move into their state.

The negative sentiment for those moving into the state comes as the state has experienced a record triple population growth over the past 40 years, and only 13 percent of the state’s population are on board with the state continuing to grow rapidly, the report found.

A relatively small percentage, 20 percent, said they wanted Nevada’s population to stay about the same, and 22 percent said they wanted it smaller.

Part of the concerns over the population growth come down to Nevada’s limited water supply. As America’s driest state, cities routinely compete with each other to get water in their town, and a higher population could threaten the already dwindling supply.

The influx of Californians also drives up home prices, which can leave native Nevadans without much of a housing market to sift through, according to real estate agent Alisha Penn of Keller Williams.

“Many Nevadans desire slower population growth to maintain the state’s unique culture and preserve its resources,” Penn told Newsweek. “The influx of people, particularly from California, impacts housing availability, driving up prices and straining infrastructure. If Nevada continues to grow rapidly, it may face challenges in maintaining quality of life, managing congestion, and ensuring sustainable development.”

Californians moving into Nevada typically bring in a significant income or cash reserves and can quickly snatch up the higher price real estate local Nevadans can’t.

“The significant underbuilding in Nevada has created a mismatch between supply and demand, and the increased demand from new residents has led to even higher prices, making it difficult for locals to find affordable housing,” Nick Giulioni, the CEO of Off Leash Investments, told Newsweek.

Rapid population growth also strains the existing infrastructure and public services, contributing to traffic and higher wait times for healthcare.

“If Nevada continues to grow rapidly without addressing these challenges, we could see rising tensions between long-term residents and newcomers,” Giulioni said. “Policymakers may need to balance the benefits of attracting new residents with the need to maintain a livable environment for those already living in Nevada.”

On a broader scale, local Nevadans might also be noticing a shift in values as more newcomers arrive.

“When people move in large numbers from regions with distinct socio-economic backgrounds, such as Californians to Nevada, the local populace might feel a dilution or loss of their cultural and community identity, which adds to the resistance,” Howard Hao Li, a Florida licensed attorney, told Newsweek.

It took six years to build the transcontinental railway, which was more than 1,700 miles long. Now they are predicting it will take four years and billions of dollars to build a roughly 200-mile stretch of rail from California to Nevada. That’s progress.

Palo Verde, No. 4 in the Review-Journal’s Class 5A rankings, shut out No. 2 Coronado 2-0 to claim a home victory in a high school softball game Tuesday.

Bradi Odom allowed one hit and one walk in seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts for Palo Verde (15-6, 5-3 5A Mountain League).

Palo Verde’s win created a three-way tie atop the Mountain League with Shadow Ridge (14-6, 5-3) and Coronado (12-4, 5-3).

Shadow Ridge will earn the league title and No. 1 seed in the Southern Region playoffs on a tiebreaker. Palo Verde will be the No. 2 seed and Coronado will be the No. 3 seed when the playoffs begin Monday.

Palo Verde next hosts 5A Desert League champion Arbor View in a nonleague game at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, and Coronado hosts Tech at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.