illinois exodus
People move for a lot of reasons. Mostly job related, that's why I've moved around a lot. When I moved to Quincy in 2016, it was my fifth state in as many years. In 2011 I moved from Michigan (where I had moved to in '03 for college) to California, then to Kansas in 2012, back to Michigan for the summer of 2014, down to Missouri that fall, then finally here to Illinois to kick off 2016. Apparently I was the odd man out on moving TO Illinois, as Illinois has been high on the list of people leaving the state each year for the past four decades.

This according to the 41st Annual National Movers study from United Van Lines. The annual study tracks state-to-state migration of the previous year, and Illinois came in at number one for people leaving the state, ending the five year reign of New Jersey. Meanwhile the number one state for inbound moves? Oddly Vermont. Oddly because A) Really? Vermont? and B) The rest of the top 10 is dominated by the south and the west. I guess one should not underestimate the allure of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.


What I find interesting about that above graphic is over the course of the past forty years, Illinois has been the lone constant in the "Outbound Moves" column, while other states briefly flirted with balanced move ins and outs.

The Top 5 Moving Out States:
  1. Illinois
  2. New Jersey
  3. New York
  4. Connecticut
  5. Kansas
The Top 5 Moving In States:
  1. Vermont
  2. Oregon
  3. Idaho
  4. Nevada
  5. South Dakota
People are leaving states with high cost of living and high taxes, choosing more temperate climates and lower cost of living. Again... surprising no one.

I guess I should start plotting my next move? Nah, I'm actually good here in Quincy... for now.