We at Center of the American Experiment have long noted Minnesota’s persistent loss of residents to other parts of the United States. As part of that, we have pushed back against the common but false notion that this net loss is composed solely of retirees. As I’ve noted before, IRS data show that Minnesota is losing residents in every age category. Indeed, last year it was reported that residents in their late teens and twenties are most likely to move to another state — and the greatest losses happen when students move away for college.
Further reinforcement for this comes from a recent article in the Spokesman-Recorder titled “In search of opportunity, young Black Minnesotans are leaving the state.” “While individual reasons vary,” author Lizzy Nyoike writes:
…many young Black Minnesotans describe feeling limited by climate, social environment, and professional opportunities. For them, leaving the state is not just a personal choice. It’s a step toward a life where their skills and ambitions can flourish.
This will come as no surprise to those of you who have read our coverage of Minnesota’s below average economic growth, job growth, and income growth in recent years. Young Minnesotans looking to start their lives will go where they feel they can best do that and, on balance, they don’t see that in our state. That is a loss in both economic and human terms, and one which state policymakers need to address.
