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Top 10 U.S. States People are Leaving

Which U.S. states are losing the most residents to other states?
Net migration = people moving in - people moving out
From 2020–2025. Source: U.S. Census.
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Last updated: January 27, 2026
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First submittedSeptember 15, 2020
Times taken59,241
Average score70.0%
Rating4.42
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Net Migration
State
-1,691,867
California
-1,106,013
New York
-456,378
Illinois
-222,194
New Jersey
-182,145
Massachusetts
-143,806
Louisiana
-134,770
Maryland
-65,699
Michigan
-59,402
Hawaii
-54,290
Pennsylvania
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52 Comments
Quizmaster
+43
Level ∞
Feb 9, 2024
I reset the comments which were unfortunately not up to par for this site. Please be considerate. This is not Reddit or Twitter. We are a trivia site, not a political debate site.
EcceHomo
+3
Level 85
Feb 9, 2024
Where is everyone going?
Quizmaster
+22
Level ∞
Feb 9, 2024
https://www.jetpunk.com/quizzes/top-10-us-states-people-are-moving-to
YellowJacket
+18
Level 80
Feb 9, 2024
A lot of northern states have an aging population. They move south because it gets cold in the north. The way tax rates are set up is also more favorable in the south for the most part.
lousemouse333
+4
Level 22
Jul 13, 2024
You're seeing what would've happened had air conditioning been around in the 18th and 19th century. Nice outside, nice inside. If too cold, people have always been able to heat (but not cool).

This can even be seen in sports trends as almost every NCAA football champion in the last 25 years is from the South, and lately most pro-sports champions. Besides one NHL team, in the last five years every Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, and World Series winner has been from the South (of Mason Dixon).

It also led to later manufacturing development in the South, so there's ample space for people. Small government types will say it's due to failed blue state policies, but that can be looked at two ways. Yes, shoddy unions drove businesses out of the North, but an over abundance of people were bound to head elsewhere once manufacturing slowed down, anyway.

walruspirate
+2
Level 32
Feb 29, 2024
It's really expensive to live in Hawaii plus islands like Oahu are over populated and it's just traffic everywhere.
xtremeyoylecake
+2
Level 53
Feb 9, 2024
People are leaving my state...understandable as rent is expensive :P
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
People are leaving my state, not understandable as we are the most affordable in the entire nation (and probably Canada as well)
FreeStater
+3
Level 81
Feb 9, 2024
Hawaii was really surprising. I was under the impression it was a hot place to move.
Wistful
+12
Level 72
Feb 9, 2024
Hawaii is nice, but it's expensive!
UnitedStatesQuizzes
+9
Level 70
Feb 9, 2024
A lot of people are leaving Hawaii because of the very high cost of living and natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires.
McKenzieFam
+5
Level 68
Feb 10, 2024
How many comments were lost?
Quizmaster
+34
Level ∞
Feb 29, 2024
Very little was lost.
McKenzieFam
+3
Level 68
Feb 29, 2024
burn huh
lousemouse333
+2
Level 22
Jul 13, 2024
Right...Seems like the political censorship only works one way. Not surprised.
Pontiac
+2
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
Or one side was talking more. This is JetPunk, not a political commentary website.
AJFSPPRDRTYTS
+6
Level 37
Feb 10, 2024
I thought Minnesota was a pretty nice state.
CaptainUnderpant
+12
Level 81
Feb 13, 2024
I mean just because people are leaving in higher numbers than people are arriving doesn't mean it's not a nice state
Phil
+3
Level 57
Feb 29, 2024
It was when Rose Nylund and Mary Richards lived there.
Jzakibe
+5
Level 79
Feb 29, 2024
I like Minnesota a lot. I will say that the winters are tough. And housing in the Twin Cities isn't cheap. That probably has a lot to do with it.
bigtree
+3
Level 76
Feb 29, 2024
nope, it's terrible, don't move here.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Jan 27, 2026
Minnesota has fallen to #11 so is off the list.
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
Minnesota is horrible, even without any and all political stuff there.
SouthwestChief
+14
Level 73
Feb 10, 2024
I feel like I should carry on Kal's legacy and say something about the comment deletion, but on some level I can't blame QM for not wanting to be a forum moderator.

I miss that guy, though. Or, really, I miss the version of him who was around a decade ago. When he was still controversial, but nicer, and less bitterly cynical. I think Cristina really did a number on him....

jennywren21
+5
Level 62
Feb 13, 2024
Did something happen to Kal?
SouthwestChief
+10
Level 73
Feb 16, 2024
In the recent past he left this website because he was angry about comment moderation policies. In the longer ago past of 2016, he dated a Romanian girl named Cristina who messed him up mentally, and sent him down a path of becoming meaner and more egregious in these comments sections, which eventually resulted in the former.
McKenzieFam
+8
Level 68
Feb 29, 2024
wow. I had no idea...
buck1017
+4
Level 78
Oct 30, 2024
Cool...i hope he stays gone.
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
Usually it is Britain's fault, but this time it is Romania's fault
sumokitty
+8
Level 90
Feb 29, 2024
Would be interesting to see if these rankings differ significantly when looking at percentage of the population leaving. There are like half a dozen states whose entire population is less than the number of people who left California and all of these states are still growing except Illinois.
BenjiSG
+2
Level 65
Mar 7, 2024
I think West Virginia has consistently been the worst when it comes to percentage? Although post-pandemic migration patterns mean large expensive states will still be highly represented
quizzicalguy
+3
Level 69
Feb 29, 2024
With our national birthrate dropping below the replacement rate, this will eventually be true for any place that immigrants don't prefer. Because immigration is what is keeping our total population from shrinking.
lousemouse333
+3
Level 22
Jul 13, 2024
Demonizing gender roles and Pride was a bit more harmful than we thought. Perhaps it was even intentional.

Immigrants make America great because they don't eff around with our crazy politics. This was even the case 200 years ago.

nerdalert
+1
Level 89
Jan 27, 2025
We haven't been at replacement rate since the 70s.
Jacktheguy
+2
Level 93
Feb 29, 2024
If anyone is curious to check out past comments, click here.
BrosephStalin
+8
Level 70
Mar 2, 2024
By and large, that's honestly one of the better dialogues I've seen regarding socio-political issues in the contemporary US, but the bar is admittedly quite low. Nevertheless, some of it goes over the line and is unbecoming of what this site is about.
Nevson64
+1
Level 67
Jan 25, 2026
Thanks!
buck1017
+5
Level 78
Oct 30, 2024
I keep seeing people try to come up with all of these reasons why people are leaving the states yet glossing over the extremely obvious. Progressive politics are not as popular as people think they are. Now, people don't necessarily leave BECAUSE of the politics of the state, but they certainly leave if things get too expensive or if they feel unsafe and it seems that both of these are hallmarks of increasingly progressive policies.
LEEKMEBAULSAC
+4
Level 44
Dec 5, 2024
9/10 of these states have something in common... Can anyone guess what!?
SirPhilippines
+16
Level 73
Jan 12, 2025
Found it, they're all in the Continental US
Pontiac
+3
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
They all voted left (except Louisiana and Pennsylvania) have crazy expensive prices (except Louisiana), they got big cities (except Hawaii and New Jersey), and people are sick of all of them
Danny999
+2
Level 65
Jan 27, 2026
FIRST TAKE!!!!!!!
nerdalert
+1
Level 89
Jan 27, 2026
I don't know how Illinois makes it. California and New York will likely rebound - California has the most beautiful geography in the country and New York still has an incredible amount of intellectual capital. But Illinois is in a fiscal death spiral. A third of all the taxes the state collects go to retired state employees (most of whom are spending those dollars in places like Florida and Arizona). In Chicago, it's even worse. Over half of all property taxes go towards retired public employees. That is simply unsustainable. The must address that or wait decades for those people to die off. It's a tough issue.
BillShep1230
+2
Level 79
Jan 27, 2026
I’m 55 and planing on retiring from my job in Florida and moving to Illinois. Much less expensive housing and no tax on retirement (just like Florida). I love the Chicago area. Lots to do. I won’t miss 6 months of summer and hurricanes and exploding prices. Things have just gotten to expensive and crowded in Florida for me. To each their own. It’s what make USA cool, lots of different options to live in.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Jan 27, 2026
Aren't places in Chicago sneaky expensive? Like, there are condos that only "cost" $200,000, but it's in an old building that is falling apart so HOA fees are like $2,000/month.
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
And you think Chicago is better?! If prices are horrible, move to places such as Alabama and West Virginia, two of the most affordable states to live in.
Sagaris
+1
Level 68
Jan 31, 2026
Right, famed paradises Alabama and West Virginia...
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Feb 26, 2026
At least we don't have high traffic, expensive housing, and follow the Constitution unlike some other states...
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Jan 27, 2026
Chicago for Illinois. California will not rebound due to LA, San Diego, San Francisco, and all those major cities that raise prices, it has nothing to do with Geography, otherwise Appalachia would see major increases. New York has New York City as its problem as well as Buffalo, Albany, and Syracuse, also Intellectual Capital has nothing to do with population.
TheodoreE45
+1
Level 94
Jan 30, 2026
Intellectual capital draws businesses, money and massive financial growth. Just look at Silicon Valley compared to what it was fifty years ago.
Pontiac
+1
Level 62
Feb 26, 2026
And when it is full, people leave for multiple reasons including politics and cost of living.
marez
+4
Level 65
Feb 2, 2026
Basically name blue states and you will nearly all points.
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