The five states Americans are fleeing in droves – and why
Millions of Americans moved to another state last year, but some places saw more residents flee than others.
The top reasons for moving included a lack of jobs, high costs of living, taxes and extreme weather.
DailyMail.com recently revealed that Arkansas surprisingly attracted the most newcomers in 2024.
The southern state was followed by Rhode Island, North Carolina, Washington DC and Idaho.
Now, new data from Atlas Van Lines highlights the five states with the highest outbound movements last year.
Lack of jobs
Louisiana was the state where the most residents left last year. And the main motivation for those on the run was limited job opportunities, according to the Shreveport Times.
Louisiana’s unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in November, slightly above the national average of 4.2 percent.
Louisiana also ranked fourth in the nation for life expectancy, according to a recent study by the Life Extension Foundation.
Louisiana was the state where the most residents left last year
High cost of living
After years of skyrocketing inflation and rising housing costs, the cost of living has become a major factor when moving. Realtor.com reports this.
California and New York were also among the top five states losing residents last year. Scroll down to see the full list and rankings.
The Golden State has the second highest cost of living in the US, while the Empire State ranked fifth in a recent survey by the Council for Community & Economic Research.
Many people fled Los Angeles because of the increasingly unaffordable cost of housing, Jameson Tyler Drew, president of Anubis Properties, told Realtor.com.
“Compared to other metropolitan areas, LA is one of the most expensive places to live and raise a family,” he told the publication.
“Full-time child care in the city of LA can cost the same as a mortgage payment per child, so many families are looking elsewhere for their future.”
Property taxes can also run into the five figures for new homebuyers in the area, he added.
Taxes
Taxes consistently rank as the top reason why residents leave Illinois
South Dakota has the fourth harshest winters in the country
The Golden State has the second highest cost of living in the US
The Empire State was also among the top five states losing residents last year
High taxes are another factor driving people to leave the state.
Illinois policy consistently ranks taxes as the top reason why residents leave Illinois.
State and local taxes make up about 13 percent of an average family’s income, making it the least tax-friendly state in the country, according to MoneyGeek.
“Illinois is a mess. The problem is overspending, which has left the state in such a hole that raising taxes is the only way out,” Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, told Realtor.com.
Extreme weather
South Dakota, which was also in the top five states that Americans left last year, has the fourth harshest winters in the country, according to Realtor.com.
Weather, including the increased risk of hurricanes and flooding, is a major motivator for people looking to move.
California residents are increasingly struggling to insure their homes due to the increased risk of wildfires and other weather events linked to climate change.