Atlas Van Lines: Illinois 3rd in nation for residents leaving

Illinois saw the third-highest rate of residents moving out in 2024 based on a survey by Atlas Van Lines. Jobs and taxes are among the top reasons people leave Illinois, which is also third in the nation for highest unemployment rate.

New numbers show more Illinoisans packed their bags for good in 2024.

Illinois is third in the nation for residents leaving by percentage, according to a survey by moving company Atlas Van Lines. Illinoisans packing up and finding a new state were 57% of total migration, the third-highest percentage behind California and Louisiana.

IRS data shows 56% of Illinoisans moving out make more than $100,000, the people with the greatest capacity to leave. And they also took $8.8 billion in income with them, too, usually to lower-tax states. A lot of the outmigration comes from Chicago, which is at its lowest population since 1920.

Illinoisans leaving the state don’t have to go far for lower-tax destinations. More than 20,000 of the residents migrating out of Illinois went to another midwest state, so they must be leaving for reasons besides the weather.

Illinois is also third in the nation for highest unemployment rate and total population loss. Illinois’ population shrunk by 87,311 people in 2022 based on the most recent IRS data. New data is expected this month for 2023.

Illinois also has the second-highest property tax rate, corporate income tax rate and gas tax rate on top of gloomy population patterns.

These are rankings where you don’t want to find yourself near the top of every list. Getting the moving vans to turn around starts with making the state a more attractive place for employers and employees.