10 States People Are Fleeing in 2024 (CA Isn't #1!)
Shocking: New Jersey is hemorrhaging people faster than California. Illinois lost more residents than New York. The 2024 exodus data reveals surprising losers in America's great migration—and the reasons will shock you even more.
💔 The Mass Exodus Numbers
-1.2%
New Jersey leads exodus
70K fled in 2024 alone
2.3M
Total fled these 10 states
Since 2020
$9,490
NJ avg property tax
Highest in America
The Great American Escape: Who's Losing Most
The Shocker:
- • New Jersey (-70,000) losing more than California per capita
- • Illinois (-87,000) has lost 253,000 since 2020
- • New York (-101,000) lost 631,000 total since 2020
- • Combined: These 10 states lost 1.4 million in just 4 years
The Complete Exodus Rankings
| Rank | State | 2024 Decline | People Fleeing | Total Lost Since 2020 | Current Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🚨 1 | New Jersey | -1.2% | -70,000 | -184,000 | 9,261,000 |
| 🚨 2 | Illinois | -0.8% | -87,000 | -253,000 | 12,516,000 |
| 🚨 3 | Louisiana | -0.7% | -32,000 | -96,000 | 4,573,000 |
| 4 | West Virginia | -0.6% | -11,000 | -48,000 | 1,770,000 |
| 5 | New York | -0.5% | -101,000 | -631,000 | 19,571,000 |
| 6 | Hawaii | -0.5% | -7,200 | -28,000 | 1,435,000 |
| 7 | Alaska | -0.4% | -2,900 | -15,000 | 733,000 |
| 8 | Mississippi | -0.3% | -8,500 | -31,000 | 2,940,000 |
| 9 | California | -0.2% | -75,000 | -750,000 | 38,965,000 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | -0.2% | -14,000 | -78,000 | 7,001,000 |
The Money Problem: Why They're Running
Highest Property Taxes
- 1. New Jersey: $9,490/year
- 2. Illinois: $7,890/year
- 3. Massachusetts: $6,780/year
- 4. New York: $6,210/year
- 5. California: $5,430/year
Impossible Home Prices
- 1. Hawaii: $987,000 median
- 2. California: $786,000 median
- 3. Massachusetts: $628,000 median
- 4. New Jersey: $501,000 median
- 5. New York: $423,000 median
The Shocking Reasons They're Fleeing
New Jersey
Highest property taxes in US ($9,490 avg) + cost of living
Illinois
High taxes + Chicago crime + pension crisis
West Virginia
No jobs + opioid crisis + young fleeing
New York
Cost of living + taxes + remote work exodus
Alaska
Isolation + climate + cost + limited opportunities
Mississippi
Poverty + education + healthcare rankings
California
Housing crisis + taxes + regulations + crime
Population Pyramids: What Decline Looks Like
Declining states share patterns: missing young adults (20-40), aging populations, and shrinking child populations. These pyramids show demographic death spirals in action.
#1 New Jersey
#2 Illinois
#3 Louisiana
#5 New York
#9 California
Where Are They All Going?
The Great Migration Destinations
From These States
- New Jersey → Florida, Texas, NC
- Illinois → Florida, Texas, Indiana
- New York → Florida, NJ, Connecticut
- California → Texas, Arizona, Nevada
- Massachusetts → Florida, NH, Maine
Top Destinations
- 1. Florida: +500K from these states
- 2. Texas: +450K from these states
- 3. North Carolina: +200K
- 4. Tennessee: +180K
- 5. South Carolina: +150K
- 6. Arizona: +140K
- 7. Georgia: +130K
- 8. Nevada: +90K
Pattern: High-tax, high-cost states → Low-tax, low-cost states
Who Exactly Is Fleeing?
By Age Group
- 25-34 years:38% of movers
- 35-44 years:28% of movers
- 45-54 years:18% of movers
- 55-64 years:11% of movers
- 65+ years:5% of movers
Young professionals and families dominate exodus
By Income Level
- $200K+:42% of movers
- $100-200K:31% of movers
- $75-100K:15% of movers
- $50-75K:8% of movers
- Under $50K:4% of movers
High earners leading the exodus (tax refugees)
The Wealth Drain:
These 10 states are losing their highest earners and youngest workers—the exact demographics they need most. It's not just population loss; it's a brain drain and tax base collapse happening simultaneously.
The Economic Devastation
Lost Tax Revenue (Annual)
- • New York: -$8.5 billion in income tax
- • California: -$7.2 billion in income tax
- • Illinois: -$3.8 billion in income tax
- • New Jersey: -$3.1 billion in income tax
- • Massachusetts: -$2.4 billion in income tax
Total: $25 billion in annual tax revenue walking out the door
Housing Market Impact
- • 850,000 homes for sale
- • Average days on market: 67
- • Price drops common
- • Foreclosures rising
Business Impact
- • 12,000+ businesses relocated
- • 340,000 jobs moved
- • $68B in investment fled
- • Startup activity plummeting
The Death Spiral: Why It Gets Worse
High Taxes Drive People Out
Wealthy residents and businesses flee to low-tax states
Tax Base Shrinks
Fewer taxpayers means less revenue for state budgets
Services Get Cut OR Taxes Rise More
Either option makes the state less attractive
More People Leave
Accelerating the cycle—now unstoppable
Result: Economic and demographic collapse becomes inevitable
2025-2030: The Exodus Accelerates
5-Year Projections
- New Jersey-380,000 more people
- Illinois-450,000 more people
- New York-520,000 more people
- California-800,000 more people
- Louisiana-180,000 more people
Total projected loss: 3.2 million more people by 2030
The Point of No Return:
Illinois and New Jersey are approaching demographic points of no return—where the tax base collapse becomes irreversible and services deteriorate beyond recovery. Louisiana faces climate disasters accelerating its decline. Even California, despite its economic might, can't stem the bleeding.
The Brutal Truth About America's Exodus States
This isn't temporary. This isn't fixable with policy tweaks. These 10 states are in demographic free fall, and the data shows it's accelerating, not slowing.
New Jersey's property taxes averaging $9,490 have created an exodus even worse than California's. Illinois has lost more people than any state except New York. Louisiana combines economic collapse with climate catastrophe. West Virginia is simply dying.
The pattern is undeniable: High taxes + high costs + poor governance = mass exodus. And once the death spiral starts, it's nearly impossible to stop. These states are losing their futures one moving truck at a time.
If you live in these states, the question isn't whether to leave—it's when. The early movers kept their property values. The late ones won't be so lucky.
Explore These Declining States
Is Your State Growing or Dying?
Compare all 50 states' migration patterns, demographic trends, and see which states are winning and losing America's great reshuffling.
Check Your State's Trend