Many Americans are battling to keep up with the rising cost of living and are seeking greener pastures in places that can offer them a better way of life. Many of the states that people are leaving are in the northeast and midwest, data shows.
Things like exorbitant taxes, job scarcity, and soaring housing prices are driving Americans to places in the west and south. This seems to be the general pattern but there are exceptions, as MoneyWise noted in a report that ranked the top states that people are packing up and moving from. We look at nine of those states, with the outbound moves the percentage of all moves in and out of the state.
9. Michigan and Montana (tie). Outbound moves: 55%
Difficulty in finding housing combined with a lack of well-paying jobs in Michigan and Montana has sent people packing.
8. Iowa. Outbound moves: 55.5%
Many people in Iowa are struggling to stay afloat amid the rising cost of living. It does not help that jobs are few and far between, and the ones that are available often do not offer sustainable wages.
7. Massachusetts. Outbound moves: 55.7%
People are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living soars in Massachusetts, leading people to seek better employment opportunities elsewhere.
6. Ohio. Outbound moves: 56.5%
There are a number of reasons why Ohio is fast becoming one of the top states that people are leaving. A high unemployment rate combined with unequal access to healthcare and harsh winters all factor into their decision to pack up and go.
5. Kansas. Outbound moves: 58.7%
Tornados aside (Kansas is right in the middle of Tornado Alley), educated workers are put off by the state's lack of income growth and are seeking brighter futures elsewhere.
4. New York. Outbound moves: 61.5%
It's no secret that living costs in New York are massive, but if this was not enough to drive residents away, the brutal taxes and limited jobs available are.
3. Connecticut. Outbound moves: 62%
Rising taxes are forcing people in Connecticut to flee to places where they can better enjoy their wages. Retirees are also fed up and are packing it all up.
2. Illinois. Outbound moves: 65.9%
Unemployment rates are rising, taxes are soaring, and people are running away from Illinois before they feel the burn.
1. New Jersey. Outbound moves: 66.8%
There are far more employment opportunities now than there were a few years ago in New Jersey, and wages are going up, but that has not stopped residents from leaving to escape the high cost of living and massive taxes.
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