The Top 5 States Americans Fled in Droves in 2024

Uprooting your life to move to another state is a major undertaking—but, in 2024, five states saw an influx of residents doing just that.

The states with the highest number of outbound moves this year were Louisiana, California, Illinois, South Dakota, and New York, according to Atlas Van Lines.

Why the mass exodus?

In Louisiana, the No. 1 reason for residents leaving was lack of jobs and job opportunities, according to the Shreveport Times.

In November, the unemployment rate in Louisiana stood at 4.3%, rising by 0.3 percentage points compared with the same time last year. This was just above the national rate of 4.2%.

Additionally, a study conducted by the Life Extension Foundation ranked Louisiana as the fourth-worst state in the U.S. for life expectancy—which could be another reason people bolted from the state.

The high cost of living makes people move

The cost of living is another major factor driving relocations, particularly from California and New York.

The Golden State ranked second highest for the cost of living in the U.S., while the Empire State came in fifth, according to a recent study.

The high cost of housing in Los Angeles is out of reach for many people, according to Jameson Tyler Drew, president of Anubis Properties.

Property taxes can push into the five figures for new homebuyers there, he says.

“Compared to other metro areas, L.A. is one of the most expensive places to live and raise a family,” he adds.

“Full-time day care can cost the same as a mortgage payment per child in the city of L.A., so many families seek their futures elsewhere.”

Taxes trigger relocations

Taxes were another driving factor behind people relocating out of state. High taxes are consistently the No. 1 reason people consider leaving Illinois, according to Illinois Policy.

The state also ranks as the least tax-friendly in the country, with state and local taxes representing about 13% of a median family’s income, according to a study by MoneyGeek.

“Illinois is a mess—the problem is overspending that put the state in such a hole that taxing is the only way out. That has put it in a trap of losing residents,” says Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, who relocated to Florida from his hometown of Chicago.

Extreme weather drives residents out

Weather is another major factor influencing relocation. For example, South Dakota’s harsh winters were ranked as the fourth harshest in the United States, and it is also one of the windiest states in the nation.

The top five states people moved from

On a positive note, the states with the highest rates of outbound moves provide more housing opportunities for homebuyers.

1. Louisiana

Largest metro: New Orleans-Metairie
Median listing price: $325,000
Monthly house payment: $1,714
Recommended household income: $68,564

2. California

Largest metro: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Median listing price: $1,094,000
Monthly house payment: $5,770
Recommended household income: $230,797

3. Illinois

Largest metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Median listing price: $347,450
Monthly house payment: $1,833
Recommended household income: $73,300

4. South Dakota

Largest metro: Sioux Falls
Median listing price: $369,975
Monthly house payment: $1,951
Recommended household income: $78,052

5. New York

Largest metro: New York-Newark, NJ
Median listing price: $749,000
Monthly house payment: $3,950
Recommended household income: $158,014