What states are people leaving and why?

People are leaving high-cost states like California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Massachusetts, primarily due to expensive housing, high taxes, and a desire for better affordability, while also seeking proximity to family or retirement in lower-cost Southern/Sunbelt states. Key drivers for migration include the soaring cost of living, expensive housing markets, and high state/local taxes, pushing residents toward more affordable, mid-sized cities with better quality of life, even as popular destinations like Texas and Florida start seeing rising costs too.

What states are being left the most?

Top outbound states by volume: New York lost the most residents from 2020 to 2024 with 446,814 people leaving, followed by California with 530,886 net outbound, and Illinois with 139,399 departures, representing the largest absolute population losses in the nation.

What is the #1 state people are moving out of?

While it varies by report, New York, California, and Illinois consistently rank as top states people are leaving, often due to high costs, taxes, and housing, with New Jersey also frequently appearing, especially in percentage-based data. New York often leads in absolute population loss, while California loses massive numbers, and Illinois sees significant outflows, primarily to Southern states like Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.
 

What states are losing the most people?

New York, California, and Illinois consistently lose the most residents in absolute numbers, with other significant losses in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and West Virginia, primarily driven by people moving out (domestic migration), though high costs, regulations, and differing opportunities play big roles, according to recent Census Bureau data and analyses from sources like Pew and World Population Review https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/population-trends-return-to-pre-pandemic-norms.html, https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/a-third-of-states-lost-population-in-2021,.

What states are people moving in the most?

The top inbound states* of 2025 were:

• Oregon.
• West Virginia.
• South Carolina.
• Delaware.
• Minnesota.
• Idaho.
• North Carolina.
• Arkansas.

Millions Are Leaving These 10 U.S. States — Here’s the Truth Behind the Trend

What is the fastest declining city in the US?

Jackson, Mississippi consistently ranks as one of the fastest-shrinking cities by percentage, experiencing significant population loss, especially in the early 2020s (around 2.5% annually), driven by economic challenges and lack of industry, while large metro areas like New Orleans and St. Louis also see substantial drops, though some large cities like NYC lose more people numerically but not always as a percentage. Other cities like Pine Bluff, Arkansas and Danville, Illinois have seen major declines over longer periods (2010-2020) due to factory closures.
 

What is the #1 happiest state in the US?

Hawaii is consistently ranked as the #1 happiest state in the U.S. by various reports, including WalletHub's 2024 and 2025 studies, due to high life satisfaction, low depression rates, good physical health, long life expectancy, and low unemployment, despite being an expensive state. Maryland, Nebraska, and New Jersey often round out the top five happiest states in these rankings.
 

What is the #1 overpopulated state?

The #1 most populous state in the U.S. is California, consistently leading with nearly 40 million residents, followed by Texas and Florida, though it's important to distinguish between total population and population density, where New Jersey ranks highest.
 

What state has the least popularity?

Population in the states of the U.S. 2024

Wyoming had the lowest population with about 590,000 residents.

What is the slowest growing state?

Population grew the slowest in Alaska (0.02%), Mississippi (0.03%), Michigan and New Mexico (both 0.04%), and Vermont (0.05%). Growth accelerated in 35 states, including nine of the 10 slowest-growing states.

What is the most difficult state to live in?

There's no single "hardest" state, as it's subjective, but recent studies often point to Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Tennessee for poor quality of life, high stress, low economic opportunity, or significant public safety/health issues, while Alaska presents challenges with extreme cost of living and remoteness, and Florida faces criticism for raising families despite other strengths. States consistently ranked poorly often struggle with poverty, education, healthcare access, and violent crime. 

What state is everyone moving to in 2025?

States with the highest domestic migration interest, based on total internet searches in the first half of 2025, are: South Carolina. North Carolina. Tennessee.

What state is offering $10,000 to move there?

Several locations in the U.S. offer cash incentives, including $10,000 or more, to attract remote workers and new residents, with Oklahoma (Tulsa Remote), Alabama (The Shoals), Kansas (Topeka), and parts of Maryland and Indiana being prominent examples, requiring you to work remotely from outside the area and meet specific income/residency criteria. Programs like Tulsa Remote, Remote Shoals (AL), and Choose Topeka provide grants for relocating, often for full-time remote workers, while other cities like Baltimore (MD) offer housing incentives for blight removal, and some Indiana towns offer general relocation perks. 

Which US state is the most empty?

The most "empty" U.S. state, meaning the least densely populated, is Alaska, with only about 1.3 people per square mile, followed by Wyoming (6.0), Montana (7.1), and North Dakota (11.0). This is due to Alaska's massive size, harsh climate, and challenging terrain, making it sparsely inhabited despite its vast wilderness, with population concentrated in cities like Anchorage.
 

Where are Americans fleeing to?

In countries such as Portugal, Panama or Costa Rica, many Americans find that housing, healthcare, and daily expenses are significantly lower than in major US cities, while still enjoying a comparable or improved standard of living.

What is the fastest shrinking state?

While several states are losing population, New York consistently ranks as the fastest shrinking state by percentage, losing around 0.5% annually between 2022-2023, followed by other significant declines in Illinois, Louisiana, and Hawaii, though West Virginia also experienced decline in recent years, and projections suggest increasing losses for Illinois, Mississippi, and West Virginia in the coming decades. 

What is the least welcoming state?

The most welcoming states are Vermont, Maine, and Hawaii. The least welcoming states are Missouri, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Most Americans greet strangers with a handshake (60%), smile (47%), or by making eye contact (25%). Over 1 in 5 Americans say they aren't comfortable with physical contact when greeting.

What is the most loved state in America?

According to recent surveys, Hawaii is generally considered the most liked U.S. state, consistently topping polls for high favorability due to its beauty and warm weather, followed by states like Alaska, North Carolina, and Colorado, though personal opinions vary widely. 

What is the emptiest US state?

The state of Alaska has — by far — the lowest population density in the United States, with only 1.3 people per square mile.

What is the blackest state by population?

While Texas has the largest total Black population, Mississippi has the highest percentage (proportion) of Black residents relative to its total population, followed by Louisiana and Georgia, with the District of Columbia having the highest concentration overall. The Southern states generally have the largest numbers and percentages of Black residents in the U.S.
 

Which state is expected to gain the most?

Over the next 25 years, Texas is projected to gain 8.6 million residents, the highest absolute increase across states. Like Texas, Florida and California are projected to lead nationally in population gains, adding 5.2 million and 3.1 million people, respectively. In comparison, 18 states are projected to shrink.

What states are losing population?

Only one state's population declined.

The number of residents in West Virginia dwindled slightly, losing a net of 92 residents year over year while every other state's population grew.

What is the kindest state in the USA?

While subjective, recent studies often name Minnesota, Tennessee, and South Carolina as America's friendliest states, with Minnesota often topping lists due to its "Minnesota nice" reputation, and Southern states like Tennessee and South Carolina praised for hospitality. Other top contenders include Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, and Hawaii, with rankings varying slightly by source, like World Population Review or tourist surveys. 

What state is #1 in quality of life?

There isn't one single answer, as different studies rank states differently, but Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Jersey frequently appear at the top for quality of life, with Vermont leading in CNBC's metrics (health, environment, inclusion), Massachusetts in WalletHub's overall rankings (healthcare, education), and New Jersey praised for safety and health. States like Minnesota, Idaho, and Utah also consistently rank high, emphasizing factors like strong economies, environments, and community well-being.