Prairie State Wire

Illinois ranks fourth nationwide in terms of outmigration, according to recent data from Stevens Worldwide Van Lines.

The Stevens study reports that during the past two years, 9,976 residents have relocated away from the Prairie State, transporting belongings that weigh an estimated 7,541 pounds per move over an average distance of 1,038 miles away.

“Illinois, blame Chicago for high outbound migration,” the study stated on its website. “Chi-town has lead [sic] the U.S. in population loss for the last two years, reaching its lowest number of residents since 2009.”

The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) found the state’s outmigration “is the most severe in the region and worsening over time,” Michael Lucci wrote in 2016.

Some say rising property tax and an overall high tax burden are driving the relocations. For example, IPI’s Joe Kaiser wrote in June of 2018 that a higher tax rate has plummeted Springfield’s population.

“Claims that Illinois’ population problem isn’t so bad — that the ‘sky isn’t falling’ — are not only inaccurate, but stand in the way of reforms Illinois desperately needs to begin attracting and retaining families,” an IPI report stated.

Nationwide, the Stevens study found the Western part of the country tallied the most moves with 39,466. The Great Lakes area recorded a higher level of outgoing shipments than other regions, with 24,665 shipments out compared to 16,864 incoming. The results were based on data from 150,000 inter-state moves.