How politics influence moving choices in the West

• Nearly 1 in 3 frequent voters say living in a place where most people share their political views is very or extremely important, compared with 17% of occasional voters and 8% of inactive voters.
• Realtor.com surveyed 2,203 adults Sept. 13-14.

Zoom in: Environmental concerns are a key issue on the minds of Utah voters this year.

• Utahns saw air pollution and smog as a more pressing problem than in any other Western state, per a Conservation in the West survey released in February.
• The cost of living and the lack of water supply were also top worries here.

By the numbers: As of Oct. 21, active Republican voters in the state outnumber Democratic voters by a nearly 4-1 ratio, per state election data.

Zoom out: Political scientists have been studying the idea of "voting with your feet," or voting with your actions, since the 1960s, Penn State professor Bruce A. Desmarais says.

• What's become clear over time is places that tend to draw migration usually end up with political extremes, Desmarais says.
• For example, college towns, which tend to be more liberal, are popular destinations for left-leaning folks. Those people may migrate from one college town to another.

• Research shows people are not only leaving communities that don't align with their point of view, but they might be willing to pay more for a house if they knew their new neighbors had similar views, Desmarais says.

Yes, but: We don't know whether this is good for political discourse.

• Some say communities should have a mix of political views to temper extremes, but in some instances, reaching across the aisle causes people to dig in their heels further, and that amplifies extremes, Desmarais tells Axios.