What state are most people leaving?

The states most people are leaving consistently are California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, primarily due to high costs of living, housing affordability issues, and taxes, with California and New York experiencing the largest absolute losses, while New Jersey often leads in the percentage of residents leaving relative to its population. People are moving from these expensive areas to more affordable states, particularly in the South and Southwest, like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona.

What state are most people moving out of?

The states with the most people leaving are consistently California, New York, and Illinois, often cited for high costs, taxes, and quality of life issues, with other states like New Jersey also seeing significant outflows. While California and New York lose large numbers in absolute terms, Illinois frequently has a higher percentage of residents moving out relative to its population, driven by high taxes and budget concerns, with many heading to warmer, more affordable southern states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee.
 

What states are losing the most people?

California, New York, and Illinois consistently lose the most people in absolute numbers, driven by domestic migration away from high-cost areas to the South and West, though recent data also shows significant losses in states like West Virginia and Mississippi, with factors including birth rates, deaths, and migration patterns changing post-pandemic.
 

What are the top 10 states people are moving to?

The top states people are moving to consistently include Southern and Sun Belt destinations like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, often due to jobs, affordability, and lifestyle, with Idaho, Tennessee, Arizona, and Alaska also appearing frequently in recent 2025 data, driven by factors like lower cost of living and remote work, though recent studies highlight North Carolina as a top choice for its economy and appeal to retirees. 

What state do most people never leave?

Texas has the most people who never leave, leading the nation in "stickiness" with about 82% of people born there choosing to stay, followed by North Carolina, Georgia, and California, due to factors like strong job markets, lower costs, and cultural ties. States like Wyoming, North Dakota, and Alaska are at the opposite end, with many residents moving away.
 

Top 10 States Everyone Is Leaving in 2026

What is the unhappiest state in the US?

Based on recent studies, particularly WalletHub's 2025 analysis, Louisiana and West Virginia consistently rank as the unhappiest states, often swapping the bottom spots, with Louisiana frequently cited as the absolute least happy due to factors like high depression rates, long work hours, low sleep quality, and high divorce rates, while West Virginia struggles with high adult depression and poor sleep. Other states often in the bottom ranks include Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee. 

Where are Americans fleeing to in 2025?

In 2025, Americans are largely moving to ** Southeastern states like South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee**, drawn by affordability, warmer climates, and access to nature, with cities like Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, and Greenville seeing major influxes. Other popular spots include Idaho, Florida, and Alaska, while suburbs and smaller cities in the Sun Belt region (Texas, Arizona) also attract many, with some even looking internationally to places like Mexico and Canada.
 

What is the #1 happiest state in the US?

Hawaii consistently ranks as the happiest and least stressed state in the United States, characterized by high levels of emotional and physical well-being among its residents.

What is the #1 overpopulated state?

The U.S. state with the largest population is California, which has some 39,000,000 residents.

What state is paying $10,000 to move there?

Oklahoma. Tulsa Remote is a program designed to help remote workers interested in moving to Oklahoma. It offers $10,000 to anyone who meets the five eligibility criteria below. Once you've applied, select applicants will be interviewed by Tulsa staff in order to learn more about your background and interest in the city ...

What is the slowest growing state?

Population grew the slowest in Alaska (0.02%), Mississippi (0.03%), Michigan and New Mexico (both 0.04%), and Vermont (0.05%). Growth accelerated in 35 states, including nine of the 10 slowest-growing states.

What state has the least popularity?

The 25 least populous states contain less than one-sixth of the total population. California, the most populous state, contains more people than the 21 least populous states combined, and Wyoming, the least populous state, has a population less than any of the 31 most populous U.S. cities.

What is the least crowded state in the US?

Wyoming (584,000)

Wyoming takes the crown as the least populated state, with just over 584,000 residents. It also has the lowest population density, with about 6 people per square mile. Its population is a mix of ranching communities, outdoor enthusiasts and Indigenous people.

What is the #1 state to live in the US?

1. Massachusetts. According to WalletHub's study, Massachusetts is the best state to live in, excelling in all key factors—and earning the top spot in the ranking. It has the lowest premature death rate in the US, and residents earn a cushy median household income of over $101,000.

What state is everyone moving to in 2025?

According to Atlas, the top inbound states for 2025 were:

Idaho. North Carolina. Hawaii. Washington, D.C.

What states are booming right now?

Booming states right now, driven by population influx, job growth, and business investment, are heavily concentrated in the Sun Belt (Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee), with strong momentum in the Mountain West (Utah, Idaho, Nevada) and emerging strength in certain Midwest/Mid-Atlantic areas (Ohio, Virginia) due to tech, manufacturing, and logistics. Key drivers include lower costs, business-friendly environments, and migration from expensive coastal areas.
 

What is the blackest state by population?

Texas has the largest Black population by sheer numbers, but the District of Columbia (a territory, not a state) and states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Maryland have the highest percentages (or proportions) of Black residents relative to their total populations. So, Texas has the most, but D.C., Mississippi, and Louisiana are "blackest" by percentage. 

Which state is expected to gain the most?

Over the next 25 years, Texas is projected to gain 8.6 million residents, the highest absolute increase across states. Like Texas, Florida and California are projected to lead nationally in population gains, adding 5.2 million and 3.1 million people, respectively.

What states are declining in population?

Several U.S. states consistently lose population, with New York, Illinois, California, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Oregon frequently cited as experiencing declines, driven by factors like high costs (taxes, housing), job market shifts, and pandemic-related migration patterns favoring lower-tax, warmer regions, though exact rankings vary by year. New York and Illinois have seen long-term declines, while California's loss accelerated post-pandemic, though overall trends are normalizing. 

What is the most stressful state to live in?

New Mexico tops the list of most stressed states in the U.S. as of 2025, with a stress score of 60.52 out of 100. This ranking considers stress factors related to work, money, family, and health and safety.

What state is #1 in Quality of Life?

There isn't one single answer, as different reports rank states differently, but Vermont is frequently cited as #1 for Quality of Life (CNBC), while Massachusetts often leads overall livability/best state rankings (WalletHub), and Utah ranks high overall for Best States (U.S. News). These rankings vary by the specific metrics used, such as health, safety, environment, education, or economic opportunity. 

Which state has the nicest people?

There's no single "nicest" state, but studies and surveys often point to Minnesota, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming as top contenders for friendliness, based on factors like tourist impressions and acts of kindness. Other states like Hawaii, Iowa, and parts of the South (like Kentucky, North Carolina) are also frequently praised for their welcoming and kind residents, though perceptions of niceness can vary by individual and region.
 

What is the nicest but cheapest country to live in?

10 of the cheapest and safest places to live in the world

• Albania.
• Portugal.
• Costa Rica.
• Panama.
• Mexico.
• Thailand.
• Malaysia.
• Vietnam.

Where can Americans move to easily?

Americans can easily move to places like Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and Canada due to proximity, existing expat communities, and relatively straightforward visas (digital nomad, retiree, or work), while countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland offer easy pathways via working holiday visas (for younger folks) or strong English-speaking appeal, but often require job skills or significant savings. The easiest path depends heavily on your age, profession, budget, and language skills, with digital nomad visas and investment options opening doors in places like Spain and Portugal. 

Where is Gen Z moving to?

Gen Z is moving to a mix of large, opportunity-rich cities like New York City, Chicago, and D.C. and vibrant college towns such as Ann Arbor, Provo, and College Station, with Texas and California being top states for overall gains, driven by job prospects, affordability, and lifestyle, often favoring Southern and Midwestern hubs over traditional expensive cities, bucking trends of older generations leaving urban areas.