If you could move from New York, would you?
Noted: 41 percent of New York State residents said they would like to move from the state when asked by a Gallup poll, the results of which were published this week. Specifically, the question asked of respondents was: "Regardless of whether you will move, if you had the opportunity, would you like to move to another state, or would you rather remain in your current state?"
The Empire State's 41 percent ranked as a tie for 6th highest with New Jersey and Massachusetts. Top of the table: Illinois (50 percent), Connecticut (49 percent), Maryland (47 percent), Nevada (43 percent), Rhode Island (42 percent). The states with the lowest percentage, at 23 percent, were: Montana, Hawaii, and Maine. The national average was 33 percent.
Gallup also asked people how likely they will move to a different state in the next 12 months considering moving. Of the New York respondents, 17 percent said they were either "extremely/very likely" (6 percent) or "somewhat likely" (11). That was tied for 3rd highest.
Among the popular reasons cited for wanting to leave New York: cost of living (21 percent), business-related (15 percent), family/friends (16 percent), and taxes (14 percent). (Gallup also recently reported that New Yorkers topped the table of "state residents most negative about their state's taxes" at 77 percent -- tied with New Jersey.)
Concludes the Gallup report:
Nevada, Illinois, Maryland, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Connecticut all appear particularly vulnerable to losing population in the coming few years: high percentages of their residents say they would leave if they could, and larger-than-average percentages say they are at least somewhat likely to do so in the coming year. At the other end of the spectrum, Texas, Minnesota, and Maine have little to fear. Residents of these states are among the least likely to want to leave and few are planning to leave in the next 12 months.
From the methodology: "Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted June-December 2013, with a random sample of approximately 600 adults in each state, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of adults in each state, the margin of sampling error is ±5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level."
Plus/minus 5 percentage points isn't small when looking some of the differences between states in this poll -- minus 5 would put New York not too far from the average for people who'd like to move -- so grains of salt.
Earlier on AOA:
+ This just in: New York has high taxes
+ Where people moved to/from when moving from/to the Capital Region
map: Gallup
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Comments
Eh, not so much. I do miss NYC, but I think that late '90s version is totally extinct now, so if I did leave upstate I'd probably just leave the entire country. Berlin is sounding kind of interesting now.
But, kids in school, yadda yadda. So, staying put.
... said Gina on May 1, 2014 at 6:45 PM | link
I would, but not because I don't love it here - it's just that there's a handful of places I think I'd love more if I had the means. This past winter had me thinking about California - a lot!
... said Tim on May 1, 2014 at 7:16 PM | link
If my job/retirement wasn't tied to this state, yes. I'd probably end up moving back to Illinois...which, interestingly enough, seems to have the highest number of people who want to flee from it.
... said Frank on May 1, 2014 at 7:59 PM | link
Interesting. Moving from New York state never seems like an option to me; the only other places I'd ponder living are cities that I can't afford (San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, New York) so guess Ill just stay put. Or wait, Portland, Maine. I'd move there. That's a pretty cool place.
... said Rebecca on May 1, 2014 at 9:24 PM | link
Looking at "weather/location" as a top reason to move, the fifty-state average is 11 percent while the New York State is below average at 8 percent. "Weather/location" is a bigger factor for moving out of Illinois, Maryland, and Idaho than New York.
With all the hype about New York's supposedly harsh weather, one would think we'd be higher than average.
Maybe we're just hardier folk than we think.
... said Bob on May 2, 2014 at 7:21 AM | link
If things just ever go too sideways around these parts, I sometimes think I'd move to Malta. The original one - the island; not the town.
Seems like a nice place to have good weather, a traditional culture, beautiful architecture, and peace and quiet.
... said Matt on May 2, 2014 at 12:59 PM | link
@Matt: Now I want to know if anyone has ever moved from Malta, New York to Malta The Island (or vice versa).
... said Greg on May 2, 2014 at 1:56 PM | link
But, kids in school, yadda yadda. So, staying put.
... said Gina on May 1, 2014 at 6:45 PM
Germany education system is much better than US. Also, anyone can attend college in Germany for a nominal fee (even foreigners!)
... said Lu on May 2, 2014 at 9:42 PM | link
I would love to move out of NY but my family is never leaving Upstate and I don't think I could be so far away from them for too long, as much as I like to think of myself as independent :-/
... said Chris on May 3, 2014 at 12:38 PM | link
I could, but I won't. Until I'm old and it's time to move to Hawaii, dive into the ocean and keep in swimming :-)
Till then, most of the people I love are here, close, or somewhere that I would want to visit for vacation.
... said lucy on May 3, 2014 at 1:14 PM | link