Outbound moves: 51.6%
More people seem to be moving out than moving in, even though the State’s suburbs are booming. Still, the rural parts in southern Virginia are quickly losing residents, researchers at the University of Virginia recently reported.
About half of those who leave the birthplace of their nation do so to look for better employment opportunities elsewhere, a little over a fourth of those who hit the road, did so to move closer to family, and approximately a quarter leave because they’re thinking about retiring somewhere else.
Missouri
Outbound moves: 51%
St. Louis is the city known as the "Gateway to the West" — but Missourians tend to head right on through to another state. And there's no amount of St. Louis' amazing food is enough to convince them to stay. Jobs are the reason behind a majority of the moves out of the State.
Factories are closing around Kansas City, causing the entire metro area to lose 1.9% of its manufacturing jobs just over the last year. Missourians have commented on Reddit saying the State has other faults, including the weather. "Humid Southern summers and northern-like winters mean swiftly jumping from one extreme to the other, writes Meimnot555.
North Dakota
Outbound moves: 51.3%
One of America's most scarcely populated states made this list because residents often find it too dull. The main reason to leave North Dakota — cited by more than half of those who leave — is the quality of lives, United Van Lines says. "Every state has something interesting to offer," writes one critic, on Quora. "What's interesting about North Dakota?"
Though some residents argue that North Dakota doesn't have enough to do, but if you live here, you will find a job. The unemployment rate was a meager 2.5% during September 2019.
Utah
Outbound moves: 51.7%
It seems that the State's breathtakingly beautiful features — including its snowcapped mountains and national parks filled with fantastic rock formations — still aren't enough to persuade many residents to stay.
The hunt for a new job is the main driving force behind 65% of people deciding to move, but rising prices of housing in Utah may also be part of the equation. The median cost for an existing single-family home in Salt Lake City has increased 8% over the last year to $358,000, the National Association of Realtors said in a recent report.
West Virginia
Outbound moves: 51.8%
Mountains and rivers draw visitors to the "wild and wonderful" West Virginia, but the economy isn't doing so well, which is why the younger generation is leaving. Unemployment is higher compared to most other states, and job growth has been slow.
More than half the people leaving the State are between the ages of 18 and 44, and over 70% of those who leave are searching for jobs elsewhere. Many local businesses are struggling to grow within the job market.