The U.S. Census Bureau’s net domestic migration data for the year ending July 1, 2025 — released in March 2026 — gives the clearest picture of where Americans are leaving since the post-pandemic period. Twenty states posted net domestic migration losses, meaning more residents departed for other states than arrived. The pattern isn’t random: the same states have been bleeding residents for at least five years, with consistent destinations. California, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey lead the net-outbound list, while Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina lead the net-inbound list, though their growth has slowed. The middle of the list has grown more interesting in 2026 than at any recent point.
Net domestic migration — total inbound moves minus outbound moves — is the key measure of interstate relocation. The data also identifies the most common destination for each origin state’s departures, allowing the full migration map to be reconstructed.
1. California (-239,500 Net Domestic Migration)
California posted the largest single-state net domestic loss in 2024-2025 at approximately -239,500 residents, continuing a pattern that began in approximately 2020. The state’s gross outbound moves were partially offset by international migration (which added approximately 122,000 net new residents) and natural increase (births minus deaths). The dominant destinations for departing Californians remain Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and Florida. The drivers are well-documented: housing costs, state tax structure, regulatory environment, and quality-of-life concerns including wildfire risk. The 2024 closure of major California refineries has also affected fuel costs and certain regional economies. California’s overall population has stabilized in 2026 after several years of overall decline, but the domestic out-migration continues.
2. New York (-205,400 Net Domestic Migration)
New York State posted approximately -205,400 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The losses are concentrated in New York City and the immediate metropolitan area. Top destinations for departing New Yorkers are Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey (the inverse migration is also large but smaller), Pennsylvania, and Texas. The drivers include housing costs in New York City, state and local tax structure, and the persistence of remote-work arrangements that have made New York City employment compatible with residency elsewhere. The state’s overall population has declined modestly in absolute terms since 2020 despite significant international migration into the city.
3. Illinois (-94,500 Net Domestic Migration)
Illinois posted approximately -94,500 net domestic migration in 2024-2025, with the losses concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan area. The departing population moves primarily to Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. The drivers include Illinois state taxes, Chicago-area housing costs, and broader Midwest demographic shifts. Illinois has consistently ranked among the top-three net-outbound states for over a decade, and the underlying outflow has continued through political and economic cycles. The state’s overall population has declined modestly since 2020.
4. New Jersey (-43,400)
New Jersey posted approximately -43,400 net domestic migration in 2024-2025, with departing residents primarily moving to Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. The state’s property tax structure and dense northeastern metropolitan housing costs drive much of the outflow. New Jersey’s overall population has been roughly stable due to substantial international migration offsetting domestic departures.
5. Massachusetts (-36,100)
Massachusetts posted approximately -36,100 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. Departures concentrate in the Boston metropolitan area, with primary destinations including New Hampshire, Florida, North Carolina, and Maine. The state has shifted into the persistent net-outbound category since 2022, driven by housing costs in Greater Boston and the persistence of remote-work flexibility allowing high-earning residents to relocate to lower-cost states.
6. Pennsylvania (-22,800)
Pennsylvania posted approximately -22,800 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state’s pattern is unusual — substantial inflows to certain counties (Bucks, Chester, Lancaster) are outweighed by losses in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the broader anthracite region. Top destinations include Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Delaware.
7. Maryland (-18,600)
Maryland posted approximately -18,600 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The departures concentrate in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. suburban areas. Top destinations include Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (with Virginia simultaneously losing residents to other states). The state’s high-cost suburban housing and tax structure are the dominant drivers.
8. Louisiana (-15,200)
Louisiana posted approximately -15,200 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The departures concentrate in New Orleans and Baton Rouge metropolitan areas. Top destinations include Texas, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The drivers include Hurricane Ida and subsequent storm recovery costs, economic stagnation, and the persistent population decline that has affected Louisiana since Katrina.
9. Hawaii (-12,800)
Hawaii posted approximately -12,800 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The departures concentrate in Honolulu and the broader Oahu area. Top destinations include California, Nevada, Texas, and Washington. The drivers are extreme housing costs, the cost of imported goods, and the limited employment market diversity. Hawaii has consistently lost residents to mainland states for over a decade.
10. Minnesota (-11,400)
Minnesota posted approximately -11,400 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The departures concentrate in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Top destinations include Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and North Dakota. The state’s pattern shifted from net-inbound to net-outbound around 2021 and has continued.
11. Connecticut (-9,800)
Connecticut posted approximately -9,800 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state has consistently lost residents to neighboring states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York) and to Florida and North Carolina. The Hartford and Bridgeport metropolitan areas have stagnated, while Fairfield County (the wealthy New York City commuter zone) has stabilized.
12. Mississippi (-8,400)
Mississippi posted approximately -8,400 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state has consistently lost residents to Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama. Notably, the Mississippi-to-other-state outflow is among the lowest in the country in absolute terms — the state simply has a smaller population base, so the percentage outflow is meaningful even with relatively few absolute departures.
13. West Virginia (-7,200)
West Virginia posted approximately -7,200 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state has the longest sustained population decline of any U.S. state, with population losses every year for over 70 years. Departures concentrate in the southern coal-region counties and in Charleston. Top destinations include Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio.
14. Alaska (-6,800)
Alaska posted approximately -6,800 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state has lost residents in most years since 2012. Departures concentrate in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Top destinations include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the broader Mountain West. Drivers include the high cost of living, harsh climate, and limited employment diversity outside the energy sector.
15. Oregon (-6,400)
Oregon posted approximately -6,400 net domestic migration in 2024-2025 — a notable shift from the strong inbound migration the state experienced through approximately 2020. The Portland metropolitan area has seen substantial outflow to Idaho, Washington, and Arizona. The state’s tax structure, housing costs, and Portland-specific political and quality-of-life concerns have driven the reversal.
16. Rhode Island (-5,200)
Rhode Island posted approximately -5,200 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state has consistently lost residents to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, and North Carolina. The Providence metropolitan area has stagnated, and the state’s small population base means the proportional outflow is meaningful.
17. New Mexico (-4,800)
New Mexico posted approximately -4,800 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. Departures concentrate in Albuquerque and the broader Rio Grande corridor. Top destinations include Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Nevada. The state’s economic diversification challenges and Albuquerque-area public safety concerns are widely cited as drivers.
18. Wyoming (-3,200)
Wyoming posted approximately -3,200 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state has been roughly neutral in domestic migration for most of the past decade. Departures concentrate in the Casper and Cheyenne metropolitan areas. Top destinations include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Texas.
19. North Dakota (-2,400)
North Dakota posted approximately -2,400 net domestic migration in 2024-2025. The state’s pattern has shifted with the energy sector — strong inbound migration during the 2010s oil boom has reversed since 2020. Top destinations include Minnesota, Montana, and Texas.
20. Vermont (-1,800)
Vermont posted approximately -1,800 net domestic migration in 2024-2025 — though this state-level figure obscures a more interesting pattern. As noted in earlier analysis, Vermont counties like Lamoille have grown substantially while other counties have lost residents, particularly older Vermont natives. The state’s net is slightly negative, but the underlying pattern is more complex than the headline number suggests.
What the Pattern Reveals
The 20 states losing residents in 2026 share specific characteristics. Most have high housing costs, high state and local tax burdens, or both. Most have aging populations with longer-resident demographics. Most are concentrated in the Northeast, the Pacific Coast, and the upper Midwest. The destinations of the departures are remarkably consistent — Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona, and Idaho lead the inbound list. The American domestic migration story of 2026 is still primarily a story of the Sun Belt absorbing the Northeast and the Pacific Coast, with new patterns (Vermont, Montana, the Carolina mountains) overlaid on the dominant pattern. The trend has continued through political cycles, economic conditions, and remote-work fluctuations — suggesting structural rather than transient drivers.
