Florida was the biggest winner of state residents moving out.
People who left Illinois during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s first term took with them over $35 billion in personal income.
The most recent available federal tax data shows how much income left the state from 2019 to 2023. That departed income translates to roughly $1.4 billion in lost revenue for the state.
Florida has been by far the biggest winner in Illinois outmigration. From 2019 to 2023, the state received more Illinois residents than any other, gaining a net of almost 68,000 people and $12 billion in income.
Texas, the runner-up, gained a net of close to 45,000 Illinois residents and a net $3 billion in income from the state.
Florida and Texas represent of a larger trend in Illinois: The majority of departing residents move to states with lower tax burdens. Three of the top five destination states for Illinoisans — Florida, Texas and Tennessee — don’t levy individual income tax.
Not a single age group or income bracket increased during Pritzker’s first term
From 2019 to 2023, Illinois did not see a net increase in a single age group or income bracket.
Higher earners made up most of the departures. From 2019 to 2023, those making over $100,000 a year accounted for over 50% of the residents and over 85% of the income leaving the state.
Why do people leave Illinois?
In 2019, 61% of Illinoisans thought about moving out of the state, with taxes the No. 1 reason, according to polling from NPR Illinois and the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Polling by Echelon Insights in 2023 and a survey in May by M3 Strategies for the Illinois Policy Institute substantiated that sentiment, with both showing that just over half of Illinois residents would leave given the opportunity. Taxes were the most commonly cited reason.
Where are Illinoisans moving to?
While much of Illinois’ migration pattern follows the national trend of people fleeing to warmer, cheaper and more tax-competitive states, many Illinoisans do want to stay in the Midwest.
During Pritzker’s first term, Indiana and Wisconsin combined accounted for almost 19% of net migration out of Illinois. Those 65,000 residents took $3.6 billion in personal income with them.
Tax-competitive border states are an easy escape for Illinois residents who want relief from high taxes without straining their connections to family, friends and employment. This should concern Chicago lawmakers, as workers can move to Indiana or Wisconsin and remain within commuting distance of Chicago’s commercial hub.
