NEW YORK, NY – It’s normal for people to pick up and move at points in their lives when seeking better employment opportunities, more affordable housing, or to live in closer proximity to loved ones. But this phenomenon occurred in 2022 in several specific states far, far more than most others, and a recent report shed light on which states these were, and why their residents hightailed it for greener pastures.
The annual 2022 United Van Lines National Movers study has painted a very poor picture of life in New York, Illinois and New Jersey, as the two states are listed in their top three of those whose residents have moved out the most in favor of relocating to other states.
New Jersey took the dubious top honor in the study, whereas Illinois was second and New York came in third.
However, despite being in third place, New York holds an especially grim distinction on the list in that – in 2022 – more residents actually moved out of the state than moved in, with a whopping 62 percent of the overall moves being outbound.
It appears that people just can’t wait to get out of the Empire State. But why?
The top reasons cited by outgoing New York respondents were to retire in a more economically friendly region, a change of lifestyle, and – most importantly – to escape the state’s suffocating cost of living and egregiously high taxes.
The cost of living in New York is 55 percent higher than the national average, whereas housing is a bank account crushing 148 percent higher; when it comes to basic necessities such as food and clothing, groceries are around 16 percent higher, while clothing costs 16 percent more.
Crime was also noted as a deciding factor for many respondents when it came to their decision to leave New York.
The United Van Lines study also noted the top states these New Jersey, Illinois, and New York evacuees are heading for to enjoy an improved quality of life are Vermont, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Delaware, and North Carolina.
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