The States Americans Are Leaving the Fastest

Outbound moves: 49.2%

As America's smallest State is having difficulty keeping residents within its 1,200 square miles, we all may wonder why that is? Rhode Islanders say decent work can be hard to come by — and you can't stay here unless you can find one.

Outbound moves: 49.7%

Arkansas is renowned for its incredible parks and wildlife reserves, as well as its weather, being in the central Tornado Alley of the U.S. But regarding the job market, Arkansas doesn't give many people a good enough case to stay: Over 7% of those who pack their belongings into moving vans say they leave in search of work.

The Washington Post reported last year that the State became the first to require Medicaid recipients to hold jobs, which meant that thousands lost their health insurance in the months that followed. Clearly, Arkansas doesn't have enough work to go around.

Maine is a pleasant enough State, but we wouldn't necessarily want to retire here, or at least that's what the people said who are moving away. Nearly half of all Mainers who pick up and leave are headed for a better place — presumably a warmer environment. "It gets pretty cold during the wintertime. With a lot of wind and snow," writes Elsa K., on Quora. "I'm originally from Iceland, and the wintertime in Maine isn't as long or dark as in Iceland, but they feel colder and snowier."

Elsa added that the warmer weather in the summer months isn't much better: "There are so many insects, especially if you get away from the coast. Ticks, mosquitoes, and flies."

Outbound moves: 51%

St. Louis is the city known as the "Gateway to the West" — but Missourians tend to head right on through to another state. And there's no amount of St. Louis' amazing food is enough to convince them to stay. Jobs are the reason behind a majority of the moves out of the State.

Factories are closing around Kansas City, causing the entire metro area to lose 1.9% of its manufacturing jobs just over the last year. Missourians have commented on Reddit saying the State has other faults, including the weather. "Humid Southern summers and northern-like winters mean swiftly jumping from one extreme to the other, writes Meimnot555.

Outbound moves: 51.3%

One of America's most scarcely populated states made this list because residents often find it too dull. The main reason to leave North Dakota — cited by more than half of those who leave — is the quality of lives, United Van Lines says. "Every state has something interesting to offer," writes one critic, on Quora. "What's interesting about North Dakota?"

Though some residents argue that North Dakota doesn't have enough to do, but if you live here, you will find a job. The unemployment rate was a meager 2.5% during September 2019.

Outbound moves: 51.6%

More people seem to be moving out than moving in, even though the State's suburbs are booming. Still, the rural parts in southern Virginia are quickly losing residents, researchers at the University of Virginia recently reported.

About half of those who leave the birthplace of their nation do so to look for better employment opportunities elsewhere, a little over a fourth of those who hit the road, did so to move closer to family, and approximately a quarter leave because they're thinking about retiring somewhere else.

Outbound moves: 51.7%

It seems that the State's breathtakingly beautiful features — including its snowcapped mountains and national parks filled with fantastic rock formations — still aren't enough to persuade many residents to stay.

The hunt for a new job is the main driving force behind 65% of people deciding to move, but rising prices of housing in Utah may also be part of the equation. The median cost for an existing single-family home in Salt Lake City has increased 8% over the last year to $358,000, the National Association of Realtors said in a recent report.

Outbound moves: 51.8%

Mountains and rivers draw visitors to the "wild and wonderful" West Virginia, but the economy isn't doing so well, which is why the younger generation is leaving. Unemployment is higher compared to most other states, and job growth has been slow.

More than half the people leaving the State are between the ages of 18 and 44, and over 70% of those who leave are searching for jobs elsewhere. Many local businesses are struggling to grow within the job market.

Outbound moves: 52.6%

The famous investor Warren Buffett also lives in Nebraska, but many others have concluded that the Cornhusker State just isn't the right fit. A hefty 70% of those who move away are leaving in search of work, United Van Lines found.

A 2018 report bemoaned that the lack of high-paying jobs is the leading cause of their "brain-drain." Hank Robinson, a researcher at the University of Nebraska, said in an interview for the Omaha World-Herald, "We don't need more minimum wage, jobs that require no-experience."

Outbound moves: 53.1%

Maryland is filled with history and outdoor adventures — but people don't necessarily want to stay. The high cost of living, above-average medical costs, unreasonable taxes, and expensive property prices are all forcing Marylanders to look elsewhere for jobs and affordable retirement.

Half of the people who left were 55 and older — which isn't as shocking when we consider that we found it's one of the very worst States for older residents. The governor of Maryland has proposed cutting taxes in the State by $500 million within the next five years.

Outbound moves: 53.5%

This State is famous for its beautiful bluegrass landscapes, but the lack of good jobs is driving Kentuckians to flee. Kentucky holds one of the nation's highest rates of unemployment. While the state's neighbors — like Missouri, West Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois— have been raising the minimum wage, but Kentucky has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for the last decade.

More than 50% of the people who move out of Kentucky are leaving to take a better job someplace else. State officials have said the next few years should bring more opportunities in engineering and manufacturing.

Outbound moves: 54%

Despite Wisconsin's many charms, many of its residents are on their way up and out. The State's low cost of living and stable employment growth remains attractive, but housing prices have been rising rapidly.

Another negative is Wisconsin's long, harsh winters. In the State's entire recorded weather history, almost every year hit temperatures of at least 30 below zero in the winter, according to data from the National Weather Service. So maybe it's not unusual that more than half the people who moved away are scrambling for a warmer retirement destination.

Outbound moves: 54.3%

With its unique cuisine and music culture, friendly folks, and nearly endless outdoor activities, Louisiana is a very popular place for visitors. But many people are concluding that they wouldn't want to live here.

Job growth is dismal in Louisiana, and the taxes can be high: The average combined tax is second highest in the country at 9.46%, but employment increased by just 0.1% from 2018 to 2019. United Van Lines finds a staggering 70.8% of people who move out are heading to new jobs elsewhere.

Outbound moves: 54.4%

California's beachy, urban, outdoorsy lifestyles attract many professionals who are ready to work hard. But the State's exorbitant housing prices and high living costs often mean they leave to settle somewhere else. The main reasons people move away include jobs, followed by retirement.

"Unlike a few decades ago, residents are leaving California instead of choosing to stay until things get better," Michael Stoll, public policy economist at the University of California, told United Van Lines.

Outbound moves: 55%

Despite this State's glorious parks and miles of coastline to explore, even nature lovers are choosing to settle somewhere other than Michigan. While the State does offer employment in computers, there are even more lower-paying jobs— such as in food preparation, paying much less, reports Michigan-based Bridge Magazine.

Michigan ranks as the 7th State for "brain drain," meaning that the younger generation who may be more educated are fleeing for better opportunities elsewhere. About half the people who moved out last year said that the primary reason was work.

Outbound moves: 55%

Montana's friendly people and impressive landscapes are attracting A-listers and wealthy out-of-staters to shack up close to the mountains — but only for a holiday. The State's once low cost of living has steadily gone up. With housing difficult to find, there are few work options outside of low-paying seasonal jobs in tourism and the oil industry.

Montana also is far from America's major cities and populations. The primary reason people moved away was to be closer to family. An additional problem Montana has is its shortage of good health care, with just 2.3 doctors per 1,000 residents.

Outbound moves: 55.5%

Iowa sunsets over the golden cornfields are the essence of poetry, even with its cities and job market growing — nearly 75% of those moving away are looking for better job prospects. Even in Iowa, the in-demand tech jobs pay less than in neighboring states, and the cost of living in Iowa's largest cities has become too expensive.

Aside from the pay, the younger residents dislike the weather extremes, poorly funded public schools, crumbling infrastructure — and they say that "Iowa can be boring." The largest group by far that chooses to leave the Hawkeye State are young people ages 18 to 34.

Outbound moves: 55.7%

The historic and beautiful Massachusetts is a great place to get an education, see a doctor, and enjoy a wicked cup of coffee. (Make that Chafee.) Sadly, the rising cost of living makes it difficult for residents here to pay back their student loans and live a good life. People of all ages are moving out, with the 55-and-over crowd leading the pack.

More than 50% of those who head for the highway say that jobs are their No. 1 reason for leaving. Massachusetts' brutal wintertimes, eye-popping housing costs, and terrible traffic congestion — Boston's is the worst, according to one study — all make good reasoning, not to settle in Massachusetts.

Outbound moves: 56.5%

Ohio's polite Midwestern manner is as inviting as its amusement parks, Lake Erie islands, and simple yet unique cuisine. While plenty of people are brought here from other states by the promise of a low cost of living and welcoming communities, more of its own people are heading out.

This Rust Belt state has been haunted by relatively high unemployment and slow job growth. And residents complain about the sad, harsh winters and the inequality when it comes to good health care. More than 60% of Ohioans who move away from State that they leave for jobs elsewhere, the rest hit the road for better retirement destinations.

Outbound moves: 58.7%

Kansas may be known as the windy city, as its smack in the middle of Tornado Alley. But does that mean the residents are also making a speedy exit? Despite the Sunflower State's affordability, a cozy lifestyle, and low-level of unemployment over 64% of people who move out are leaving for better job opportunities elsewhere.

The lack of earnings makes for a good enough reason for experienced, educated workers to leave, and the State's windy weather with-a-chance-of-tornadoes forecast doesn't help either.

Outbound moves: 61.5%

New York may be known as the economic capital of the world, but living there is much harder than it seems, and it seems difficult! Considering the sky-high living costs in the Big Apple, taxes are among the highest in the country. New York state may offer a mix of big-city living, small-town culture, sports, arts, and rural wildlife, but is it enough?

New Yorkers that start over in other states are looking for better jobs, a cushy retirement, and a more suitable place to raise a family — with other relatives close by. Here's a startling stat: Close to 300 people move out of New York City every single day, Bloomberg found.

Outbound moves: 62%

Connecticut has a real charm and beauty to it, as well as a high standard of living, but residents seem to be leaving faster than we'd expect. Nutmeggers are packing up and saying farewell to the rising taxes and crumbling bridges.

Outbound moves: 65.9%

With a host of greats within the Prairie State boundaries, from their farm produce, colleges, and sports, pizza is perhaps the greatest of all. Unfortunately, the economy is not doing so great. Unemployment is growing and taxes are among the highest.

With the nation's second-highest property taxes, Governor J.B. Pritzker has promised to implement a progressive tax only on the wealthiest people. Most of those who are leaving are job seekers and adults over 55.

Outbound moves: 66.8%

Also known as the Garden State, New Jersey has family-friendly suburbs and beautiful beaches but despite that, residents are moving out faster than any other state. According to United Van Lines' annual study, New Jersey has been one of the top move-out states.

Almost half of those who flee the State do so for better job opportunities elsewhere, and the rest look for better retirement options.