Congratulations To Everyone From Illinois Who Left

By Mish Shedlock of MishTalk

For the 10th consecutive year, Illinois lost population. Only West Virginia was worse.

Illinois Population Drops 10 Consecutive Years

The Illinois Policy Institute reports 10th Consecutive Year of Population Decline.

Surveys of those who have left the state – where taxes are not a response option – showed the major reasons Illinoisans have chosen to leave the state have been for better housing and employment opportunities, both of which have been made worse by poor public policy in Illinois.

High taxes were the No. 1 reason why Illinoisans considered leaving the state. Polling from NPR Illinois and the University of Illinois found 61% of Illinoisans thought about moving out of state in 2019, and the No. 1 reason was taxes. The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute found 47% of Illinoisans wanted to leave the state, and “taxes are the single biggest reason people want to leave” with 27% of respondents citing taxes as the motive for departing in 2016. More recent polling conducted by Echelon Insights in 2023 substantiated those sentiments.

A 10th year of residents leaving Illinois should be a wake-up call to the state’s leaders, who refuse to adopt policies that would make it easier for residents to stay in Illinois. Reforms that would ease Illinoisans’ tax burden or reduce arduous business regulations are needed to make the state more affordable and stop the departures.

Expecting Change is Madness

Anyone who thinks Illinois will change is delusional. The only escape from Illinois madness is by leaving Illinois. Just don’t go to states equally bad if not worse, especially California, but also New York and New Jersey.

Flashback 2019: Escape Illinois – Get The Hell Out Now, We Are

On October 5, 2019 I wrote Escape Illinois – Get The Hell Out Now, We Are. In July of 2020 we left.

I noted then that It Takes 3 Weeks to Escape Illinois. The reason it took three weeks is that’s how long it took to get a one-way U-Haul.

“Everyone is leaving. No one is coming,” a U-Haul agent told us.

To those who have escaped, congratulations.