High rents, high taxes and a lack of jobs forced whole families to emigrate to the USA and Canada. Many of the families leaving Cornwall for the USA were Methodists. They felt that they did not belong to the Church of England and disliked paying tithes (taxes) to the Church.

In 2026, the migration out of Cornwall is driven by a "perfect storm" of housing unaffordability and limited career diversity. Despite its beauty, Cornwall has some of the highest house-price-to-income ratios in the UK, exacerbated by a high concentration of second homes and holiday rentals which have squeezed the local long-term rental market. Younger residents often leave to find "high-productivity" jobs in sectors like tech, finance, or specialized engineering, which are underrepresented in Cornwall's tourism-heavy economy. Furthermore, the 2026 "Cornwall We Know" report highlights that the region faces "transport inequality," where a lack of robust public infrastructure makes it difficult for those without cars to access education and well-paying roles. While the "Silicon Vine" and green energy sectors are growing, they have not yet scaled enough to offset the "brain drain" of ambitious young professionals moving to Bristol, London, or Manchester for better social mobility and lower relative living costs.