Mark Wahlberg Sounds Happy About Moving Out Of California

Mark Wahlberg is one of the many people who have fled California in recent years, and he sure sounds pleased with his decision.

The man formerly known as Marky Mark (he of the Funky Bunch) didn't move too far from the progressive clutches of Hollywood, but he still got far enough, setting up shop in Las Vegas.

"It's really giving the kids a chance to thrive," Wahlberg told Fox News Digital.

Whoa. Who could have seen that one coming?

While most of us who live outside of Sin City know it for its casinos and touristy areas, Wahlberg said that there's a whole lot more to it.

"It just has the best of both worlds. I know a lot of people, when they think Las Vegas, they think the Strip. But just about 15, 20 minutes away, there's a whole lot of other amazing areas that are all about family and community."

Mark Wahlberg hit up UFC 285 in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this month. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Walhberg Is Hoping To Bring Jobs To The Vegas Area

Fortunately, for the good people of Nevada, it sounds like Wahlberg isn't the type of Californian who flees the state only to go elsewhere and champion the same policies that made them want to leave California in the first place.

Wahlberg said that he is working with Nevada's Republican governor to bring the area thousands of new jobs through a sneaker factory and a film studio.

"There's lots of opportunity for growth here," Wahlberg said. "And the government, especially our new governor, is really looking for opportunities to create jobs outside of gaming. So we're looking to create 10,000 jobs on the studio alone. The average salary would be $100,000 more than what it is now. We want to train people both in front of and behind the camera, create jobs, most importantly, first and foremost, for locals."

You've got to think that more people like Wahlberg — people who are going to create jobs and bring in money — are going to migrate to Republican-led states to make this happen.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle